Are military recruiters really telling it like it is? What are the economic and social forces that might drive a not-very-patriotic teen to sign up for military sources? Kendra Hurley of the Open Society Institute's Youth Media Reporter looks at how young people are trying to make sense of the war through reporting and other media projects.

In 2004, Connect for Kids asked President Bush and candidate John Kerry a series of questions about their stands on critical children's issues. Now, one year into Bush's second term, we're taking a look back at his answers, and how they measure up against administration actions to date. Our first report is on health care.

60 policymakers and numerous low-income constituents in Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio, Washington, and West Virginia are spending a month together "walking a mile" in each other's shoes to learn from one another about poverty, public policies and politics. It's part of the national Walk a Mile (WAM) project based in Seattle. Among the object lessons: policymakers will try to feed their family on the amount of money they would receive in food stamps for their family size.

In the wake of Hurrican Katrina, a majority of the 1,035 respondents to a New California Media poll believe that fighting poverty is now more important than fighting terrorism or establishing democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan. When it came to the role of racism in the Katrina catastrophe, most African Americans blamed racial discrimination but a majority of whites said it was not a factor. Hispanics and Asians were evenly divided.

"When you look at my generation, what do you see? Rude teenagers, druggies, teen pregnancy, shootings, death? Look closer." Chastity Larimore, 17.

Throughout the month of August, Connect for Kids posted the four winning essays from our "Speak Out! Let Your Voice be Heard" contest. But each of the 71 entries carried a message worth hearing. Here's a summary of the themes and concerns that emerged.

Dorothy Rich, founder and president of the nonprofit Home and School Institute, Megaskills Education Center reflects on her experiences as a child during World War II— and what she sees as the very different experience today's children are having of growing up in wartime.

With an inspired leader at the helm, Missouri shows the rest of the nation an effective--and cost-effective--reform model for young offenders.

This week, we present the fourth and final winning essay from Connect for Kids' essay contest, "Speak Out, Let Your Voice Be Heard." Learn how 17-year-old Lisa Dolasinski of Boardman, OH addressed the question of what President Bush should know when making decisions that affect young people's lives.

The third of four winning essays from Connect for Kids' first-ever essay contest comes from Keisha Mitchell, 16, of Indianapolis, IN. For the contest, titled "Speak Out! Let Your Voice Be Heard," we asked teens to share their ideas on what President Bush should know when making decisions that affect young people's lives.

Here is the second of four winning essays from Connect for Kids' first essay contest, "Speak Out! Let Your Voice Be Heard." It comes from Alex Morse, 16, of Holyoke, MA, one of more than 70 teens who wrote to share their ideas on what President Bush should know when making decisions that affect young people's lives.