From our colleagues at USDA-RD:
PUBLICATIONS
Advanced Manufacturing in the American South: An Economic Analysis Supporting Regional Development -- was released this week.
New NADO Research Foundation Case Studies: Peer Innovations in Transportation
The NADO Research Foundation’s Peer Innovations in Transportation case studies highlight how transportation professionals have addressed rural and small metro regions and their partners to improve the planning and implementation process of vital transportation projects by strengthening communications and collaboration across state, regional, and local agencies. The case studies identify projects presented at the Rural Planning Organizations of America Peer Symposium held on April 25, 2013 at the National Rural Transportation Peer Learning Conference in Greenville, SC. This event was sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration and organized by the NADO Research Foundation and Development District Association of Appalachia. Project speakers included Chris Cummings from Oregon DOT, Jack Cebe and Jean Crowther from Alta + Planning, Pat Steed from Central Florida RPC, and Paul Black from Land-of-Sky Regional Council/French Broad River MPO (NC). For more in-depth information please follow the links to individual case studies from the RPO America Peer Symposium webpage.
Helping Small- and Mid-Sized Manufacturers Reach Their Export Potential
The Great Recession forced a number of U.S. manufacturers and service providers to look outside national borders to not only succeed, but to survive in the face of a weak domestic market. In their latest report, On the Threshold: Refocusing U.S. Export Assistance Strategy for Manufacturers, Stone & Associates argues that the U.S. must focus on bolstering manufacturing exports as a way to lessen U.S. reliance on its domestic market, reduce the trade deficit, and foster job creation. Rather than focus on macro-level strategy, the report centers on firm-level measures that export assistance organizations can take to aid small- and mid-sized manufacturers (SMMs) in increasing their exports. Read more...
Rule-Breaking Teens Make More Successful Entrepreneurs - Study finds successful entrepreneurs have brains and a history of risky behavior in their teens.
According to a new study, successful entrepreneurs are three times more likely to have engaged in illicit activities as teens like shoplifting, skipping out of school and even drug-dealing.
The insight comes from a nationally representative sample of 12,686 Americans who have been followed for other 30 years, since they were teenagers (Levine & Rubinstein, 2013).
They looked at what types of cognitive and other factors were associated with becoming a successful entrepreneur—especially one that had incorporated their business.
Naturally they found that successful entrepreneurs have to be smart, have high self-esteem and be well-educated; but they also need the attraction to risk.
But this illicit aspect was also coupled with a very stable family background. Successful entrepreneurs were disproportionately likely to come from families that were:
- high-income,
- well-educated,
- and stable.
So we're not exactly talking about disadvantaged youths here.
But does this extra risk pay off?
This study found that in a financial sense, the risk may well pay off. Successful entrepreneurs earned 41% more per hour than similar salaried workers, although they also worked longer hours (on average, 27% more). In a similar vein, the taste for risk-taking plus high self-esteem can provide a dangerous mix which can easily lead to lapses in judgment. Because of this, entrepreneurs are likely to need someone more risk-averse around who can rein them in when they go too far.
Results from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings
Presents results of the 2012 survey on the use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco in the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of youth and adults. Statistics are available according to region and by county geographic type (metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas). Organization: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Date: 09 / 2013
Rural Health Workforce: Challenges and Opportunities
Describes the characteristics and the challenges of the rural health care workforce and the factors affecting delivery of health care in rural areas. View more issues in this policy brief series on the WWAMI website. Organization: WWAMI Rural Health Research Center. Date: 07 / 2013
Roadmap for Auto Community Revitalization
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization (OBLR), the Department of Labor's (DOL) Office of Recovery for Auto Communities and Workers, and the Manufacturing Alliance of Communities (formerly the Mayors Automotive Coalition (MAC) today announced the joint release of the "Roadmap for Auto Community Revitalization."
The document provides resources and information for communities affected by the recent restructuring of the U.S. auto industry. As these cities and towns move forward with efforts to rebuild sustainable and economically vibrant communities, this roadmap can provide useful information about the sources of funding and technical assistance currently available to communities with historical ties to the automotive industry, or "auto communities." Roadmap for Auto Community Revitalization (PDF)
Serving school children a healthier mix of vegetables raises vegetable consumption
America’s schools are entering their second year of meeting new nutrition standards for USDA school lunches that feature whole grains, low-fat milk, more fruit, and a healthier mix of vegetables. To explore the question of whether children who are offered more fruits and vegetables will actually eat them, ERS researchers used a nationally representative survey of 242 schools in 2005 to match food intake data to that day’s lunch menus. After controlling for a number of student and school foodservice characteristics, serving more fruits and a healthier mix of vegetables did increase students’ vegetable consumption, although average amounts consumed were still small. For example, in schools that offered more total vegetables, students ate 0.38 cups of them at lunch on average versus the 0.30 cups eaten by students in schools that did not meet the total vegetables standard. Available alternatives mattered—students at schools that had no à la carte options, or only healthy à la carte options, had higher intakes of dark green vegetables. This chart appears in “Eating Better at School: Can New Policies Improve Children’s Food Choices?” in the September 2013 Amber Waves.
Like this chart? Embed it on your blog or website.
See all ERS Charts of Note
TOOLS
Are you considering finding pro bono support for your organization? Learn the best model for your project before you make the ask.
This free white paper from Taproot Foundation outlines eight of the most impactful pro bono service models, provides case studies of major companies that have successfully administered them, and identifies key factors in matching providers to recipients. Whether you're looking for help on one small project or want to build an ongoing pro bono partnership, understanding these models will better position you to ask for meaningful pro bono assistance.
New Tool Provides Framework for Measuring Anchor Mission - The Democracy Collaborative’s latest paper and online tool The Anchor Dashboard: Aligning Institutional Practices to Meet Low-Income Community Needs, and companion research report Achieving the Anchor Promise: Improving Outcomes for Low-Income Children, Families and Communities, provide a valuable framework to help the field more clearly focus on what it means for a hospital or university to pursue an anchor mission. As place-based entities that control vast economic, human, intellectual, and institutional resources, anchor institutions have the potential to bring crucial, and measurable, benefits to local children, families, and communities. These tools move the anchor institution conversation from “programs” to “institutional impact” by outlining best practices in economic development, community building, education, health, safety, and the environment, along with potential mechanisms to track progress using already available data. Find Out More»
blogger Roshan Bliss posted about a great new report from AmericaSpeaks on e-petitions and engagement (www.ncdd.org/12504),
A new paper on the use of "clickers" in deliberation from Public Agenda (www.ncdd.org/12362)
We Honor Veterans: Rural Veterans
Describes special considerations for delivering care to veterans in rural communities. Offers resources for more information. Organization: National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
Business USA: Health Care Changes
A one-stop-shop website that provides employers of all sizes information on how the Affordable Care Act may affect businesses and help them compete. Includes a wizard tool that is based on the size and location of the business. Also provides employers informational content on tax credits and other provisions of the law from the Small Business Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Treasury Department. Organization: U.S. General Services Administration
RURAL DATA PORTAL Beta
HAC’s RURAL DATA PORTAL is a simple, easy to use, on-line resource that provides essential information on the social, economic, and housing characteristics of communities in the United States.
The RURAL DATA PORTAL provides over 350 data indictors for your community. Most of the information provided in the RURAL DATA PORTAL comes from HAC tabulations of the 2010 Census of Population and Housing, the American Community Survey (ACS) and Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Data. www.ruraldataportal.org
Join HAC for a webinar introduction and overview of the RURAL DATA PORTAL on Wednesday, September 18, 2013 from 2:00 - 3:00 pm Eastern Time. Register Now
LEARNING
WEBINAR: Asset-Based Economic Development Strategies Webinar, SEPTEMBER 13, 1-2:30 EDT
Leaders of small and rural communities can develop local and regional economies and attract new residents by leveraging common natural environmental, economic, cultural, and physical assets. Learn how it’s done during this webinar on Friday, September 13 from 1-2:30ET that will tell the stories of three communities and their best practices in adaptive reuse of underutilized buildings, supporting clusters of existing or emerging industries, and leveraging natural resources and amenities. This webinar is presented by ICMA in partnership with the NADO Research Foundation and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Speakers: Michael Cain, City Manager of Boyne City, Michigan; Glen Catt, Catt Development, Gaylord, Michigan; Doug Friedlander, Executive Director of the Phillips County Chamber of Commerce; Kimberly Clement, Community Development Officer, Southern Bancorp Community Partners; Lisa Nolder, VP Economic Development and Governmental Affairs, Quantam Renewable Energy (former Executive Director of Prowers County Development, Inc.). Click here to register for the webinar.
FUNDING
Promise Zone update – draft application criteria now available at hud.gov/promisezones
National Indian Health Outreach and Education (NIHOE III) - Application deadline: Sep 22, 2013
Funding for a national Indian organization to conduct outreach and education, and training and technical assistance designed to improve Indian health care and further health reform opportunities.
Sponsor: Indian Health Service
NBCC Foundation Rural and Military Scholarship Programs - Application deadline: Nov 1, 2013
Scholarships to increase the availability of counselors in underserved areas, with the current priority areas of rural and military communities. Sponsor: National Board for Certified Counselors Foundation
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company Foundation Community Service Grant - Application deadline: Nov 1, 2013
Provides funding to dental hygienists for projects aimed at improving oral health or providing oral health education. Sponsor: American Dental Hygienists' Association
AmeriCorps State and National Grants - Letter of Intent (Required): Dec 11, 2013; Application deadline: Jan 8, 2014
Funding for programs that are designed to strengthen communities and solve local problems. Sponsor: Corporation for National and Community Service
American Kennel Club Humane Fund Invites Applications from Women's Shelters that Permit Pets
Grants of up to $1,000 will be awarded to nonprofit organizations for operational support and capital improvements related to the housing and maintenance of pets belonging to domestic abuse victims.... Deadline: Quarterly (November 15, February 15, May 15, and August 15)
RedRover Seeks Applications From Emergency Shelter Organizations to Help Victims of Domestic Abuse and Their Pets
Grants of up $3,000 will be awarded to help victims of domestic violence and their animal companions stay together during times of crisis.... Deadline: October 30, 2013
Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Accepting Applications for USArtists International Grant Program
Grants of up to $15,000 are available to American dance, music, and theater ensembles and soloists that have been invited to perform at international festivals anywhere in the world outside the United States.... Deadline: December 6, 2013
National Art Education Foundation Seeks Applications for 2013 Art Educator Grants - Grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded for programs that aim to promote and improve the teaching of art and/or encourage research and experimentation in arts education.... Deadline: October 1, 2013
W.K. Kellogg Foundation Announces New Family Engagement Initiative - Grants of up to $500,000 will be awarded to public entities and nonprofits to support effective family engagement models that address obstacles faced by low-income families.... Deadline: September 23, 2013 (Pre-Applications)
'Stand Down' Grants to Assist Homeless Veterans
The U.S. Department of Labor announced the availability of $600,000 in "Stand Down" grants that will provide an estimated 10,000 homeless veterans with opportunities to reintegrate into society. The grants are being awarded under the department's Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program. Approximately seventy grants in each of the three fiscal years covered by this solicitation are expected to be awarded. A maximum of $10,000 per multi-day event or $7,000 for a one-day event can be awarded. Stand Down grant funds must be used to enhance employment and training opportunities or to promote the self-sufficiency of homeless veterans through paid work. Applications for Stand Down funds will be accepted from State Workforce Agencies, State and local Workforce Investment Boards, Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs), local public agencies, and non-profit organizations including community and faith-based organizations. All applications for Stand Down grant funding must be submitted to the appropriate State Director for Veterans' Employment and Training (DVET) at least ninety (90) days prior to the event.
Find the address and contact information for each State DVET
Learn more about Stand Down grants and apply
Grants for Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability Initiatives Deadline: December 1, 2013
Funder: The Ray C. Anderson Foundation
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