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The Carsey Forum

Issue #4, March 2006


Contents:

Spotlight on…

Coming Soon!

Other News!

New Projects!

Spotlight on Carsey Affiliate

Tools for Research

Spotlight On

When Jobs Disappear and Don’t Come Back

Hot off the presses! A policy brief on displaced workers – the people who are losing their jobs for good – in rural America will be published this week by the Carsey Institute. The brief, titled “Low Skill Workers in Rural America Face Permanent Job Loss,” has implications for current national policy discussions on trade and globalization. Written by Carsey visiting faculty and Penn State geographer Amy Glasmeier and Carsey’s own Priscilla Salant, this paper is second in a series of policy briefs on rural America funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Find out who the people are that are being displaced and why particular attention should be placed on rural workers in the Northeast and South by downloading the brief later this week at http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu.

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Coming Soon!

Carsey reports on Demographic Trends in Rural and Small Town America

A new report from the Carsey Institute by Kenneth Johnson, sociology professor and demographer at Loyola University-Chicago, dispels outdated stereotypes of rural America and shows what challenges lie ahead for rural and small town “non-metropolitan” America. Among other intriguing findings, the report shows that many high-amenity rural areas are experiencing a growth in population, rural areas are growing more racially and ethnically diverse, and baby boomers continue to move into parts of rural America. This report is the first in a series of research reports on rural America from the Carsey Institute and funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. This much anticipated report will be available to download at http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu by March 31.

Upcoming Seminar on Supporting Individuals with Disabilities

Carsey’s first brown bag presentation of the semester with Penn State geographer Amy Glasmeier introduced a captivated audience to the forces causing major shifts in employment in the nation and New England. Our next brown bag on Supporting Individuals with Disabilities and Elders in the North Country will take place on Wednesday, March 8 at the UNH Memorial Union Building, room 302, from 12 -1 pm. Jan Nisbet, Peter Antal, and Susan Fox – all from the UNH Institute on Disability – will discuss efforts to advance community engagement to support individuals with disabilities and elders. All are invited to attend. A full schedule of this semester’s seminars can be found at http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/seminars.html

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Other News

The Institute Gets a Facelift

Putting our best face forward, the Carsey Institute just released a newly designed and much improved homepage. Now visitors to our website can read in-depth interviews with Carsey researchers on timely topics. This month features sociologist Heather Turner and her insights about the mental health of low income single mothers. The updated page design also offers better up-front access to news on Carsey reports, fellowships, seminars, and projects. Explore the colorful and ever-changing world of Carsey by visiting our new homepage at http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu.

Carsey Plans Policy Leadership Institute for Fall 2006

A three-year grant from Jane’s Trust is supporting a policy leadership initiative for nonprofit leaders in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. Each year, Carsey will select 24 executive directors and emerging leaders (eight from each state) to take part in two Policy Leadership Institutes at the University of New Hampshire. The Institutes will impart high-level skills and knowledge that will help nonprofit leaders to become policy actors and spokespeople for better policies and programs. Working with an Advisory Committee comprised of experts and practitioners from the three states, the Carsey Institute plans to hold the first Institute in October 2006. For more information on the initiative and our advisors, see http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/policyleadership.html

Mil Duncan In the Pressbox

Who would you expect to be happier, a poor white man living in the mountains of Kentucky in his own trailer or an Africa doctor living in the Congo in a small house with 12 family members, if both men are supported by the same amount of dollars each month? While Carsey’s director Mil Duncan doesn’t have the answer to this subjective riddle, her insights on Appalachian poverty were quoted by The Economist in the article examining this question. PBS’s Frontline also tracked her down to talk about why poverty persists in Appalachia in relation to the new PBS film, Country Boys. Most recently, Mil’s insights on policy options to reduce poverty were highlighted in The Observer from the United Kingdom. Reining her in closer to home, New Hampshire Public Radio interviewed Mil about the state’s income gap. Read or hear these interviews at http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/news.html

Spring Brings More Research Seminars for Faculty

Last fall’s Research Development seminars for University of New Hampshire faculty were met with such enthusiasm that we’ve decided to offer two more seminars this spring. On March 29, Suzanne Graham, professor of education, will present an introduction to applied longitudinal data analysis, and on April 21, Bob Woodward, professor of health management and policy and economics, will facilitate a discussion on strategies for responding to reviewer’s comments on grants and journal articles. David Pillemer, coordinator of the research development working group, continues to meet with early career faculty and provide mentorship on navigating the sometimes rough waters of the early years at the university. Workshops take place 12 – 1pm and are held in room G05B Huddleston Hall. Please contact Melanie Higgins at Melanie.Higgins@unh.edu to register or see http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/researchdev.html for more information.

Carsey Invites Students to Apply for Winant Fellowships

In the old days, college students interested in socially relevant careers had to go out into the harsh world during summer break and get unpaid internships. These days, things are different thanks to the John G. Winant fellowship program, which awards $3000 stipends to juniors and seniors interning with New Hampshire nonprofit organizations. The program is competitive, and this year’s applicants must apply by March 28, 2006. Applicants must be New Hampshire residents who are interested in public service. Past fellows have described their experiences as “extraordinary,” “so rewarding,” and “one of the best experiences of my college career.” For application information, go to http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/fellowships.html

Partnership for Effective Nonprofits Fellowship Receives More Support

For the past two years, the Carsey Institute has coordinated the Partnership for Effective Nonprofits Fellowship, which is awarded to one outstanding sophomore or junior with strong writing ability and an interest in the non-profit field. The fellow writes articles that highlight the critical work of local nonprofit organizations. These articles are published in local newspapers, furthering the public’s understanding of the field. This year’s fellow, Meghann McCluskey’06, says the experience has allowed her to “meld my passion for social justice activism with writing.” The Partnership for Effective Nonprofits has awarded funding for another year of the fellowship, and Carsey invites applications by May 8, 2006. For application information, go to http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/journalism.html

Seeking Students with Inquisitive Minds

Each day at Carsey, we journey through numerous federal, state and local data sources to uncover information and analysis critical to families and communities. One day we may learn about the widening gap between the rich and the middle class in New Hampshire, and on another day we may learn about the stress that burdens single mothers. In this dynamic research environment, undergraduates with a curiosity for rigorous social research can explore academic passions and find their career calling. The Carsey Institute is working with the UNH Center for Undergraduate Research to provide students with pathways into Carsey research. Carsey welcomes undergraduates to consider conducting an INCO 590: Student Research Experience with the Institute. Visit http://www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu/studentresearch.html before fall registration.

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New Projects

Forthcoming Report on Substance Abuse in Rural America

This spring, Carsey will release another report in our series on rural America. Karen Van Gundy, assistant professor of sociology at University of New Hampshire, examines data on alcohol and substance abuse and dependence in rural America from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Van Gundy’s analysis shows that about one-in-seven rural Americans reported abuse or dependence problems in 2003. She also finds an elevated risk for underage drinking in rural areas (about 38.4% of rural youth reported drinking alcohol in the past year) as well as other patterns of substance abuse and dependence. Look to the spring issue of The Carsey Forum for an update.

Forthcoming Brief on Predatory Lending

What is predatory lending and why is this issue important to rural America? This question is answered and explored in Carsey’s next policy brief, scheduled for publication in the late spring. Carsey is working with two nonprofit organizations - the Housing Assistance Council and Coastal Enterprises of Maine - to look at mortgage related predatory lending. The policy brief will include an analysis of the most recent Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data for rural America, as well as a more in-depth case study of predatory lending and policy options in Maine. This brief will be published in Carsey’s series of reports and briefs on rural America. Look to the spring issue of The Carsey Forum for an update.

Carsey Explores a Great Big Forest

Chris Colocousis and Sarah Savage, graduate students in sociology working with the Carsey Institute, are exploring the age-old question of “can you see the forest through the trees?’ In partnership with the Northern Forest Center in Concord, Chris and Sarah are bringing together various measures of social, economic, and environmental well-being to try to build a comprehensive index of well-being for the entire northern forest region that stretches through New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Once they piece all these measures together, they can get a clear picture of the entire “forest,” and this tool will allow the Northern Forest Center to monitor change in the region and its relation to particular policies or development strategies.

A New Forum for Discussion on the Changing Face of the Seacoast

Following a popular event on the changing face of the New Hampshire seacoast, the Carsey Institute is now offering a moderated email discussion forum for continued dialogue about growth and development in the seacoast region of New Hampshire and southern Maine. Previous posts to this new forum are available at http://listproc.unh.edu/archives/changing.face. To subscribe to the discussion list, send a message to ListProc@lists.unh.edu and put in the first line of the body of the message: subscribe  changing.face  Your Name

Spotlight on Carsey Affiliate

The Institute on Disability

The federal No Child Left Behind Act put a spotlight on the dropout issue nationally and, in the state of New Hampshire, the issue has become a priority. In 2002, the University of New Hampshire's Institute on Disability worked with the NH Department of Education and the Alliance for Community Supports to implement a dropout prevention and recovery program. The program, APEX (Achievement in dropout Prevention and Excellence), is based on a school-wide systems change model called Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) and an individualized school-to-career service called RENEW (Rehabilitation for Empowerment, natural Supports, Education and Work). Through APEX, Franklin High School adopted the PBIS model and experienced a nearly 400% reduction in its annual dropout rate, from 16.8% in 2001-02 to under 3% in 2004-05. More recently in 2005 the Institute on Disability, working closely with the NH Department of Education, developed a proposal to the U.S. Department of Education to expand the APEX model to 11 high schools. Only two states were awarded grants - New Hampshire and Minnesota. For more information please visit http://iod.unh.edu/projects/APEX.html

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Tools for Research

New Toolbox Offers Snapshot into How Local Economies Work

The Carsey Institute’s New Economic Toolbox offers on-line access to quick socioeconomic comparisons between northern New England counties, the state in which the county resides, and the nation. This site complements Carsey’s indicators web site by showing some of the economic consequences of changing demographic and social conditions and offers planners, real estate professionals, educators, economic development specialists, and others with at-your-fingertips access to a variety of economic indicators. These indicators include annual average and monthly unemployment rates and historical performance on job growth, employment by industry, among others. Try it out yourself by going to http://www.nneindicators.geog.psu.edu

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The Carsey Forum is published by The Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire. Inquires and requests to subscribe and unsubscribe should be addressed to Amy Seif, Forum editor, at amy.seif@unh.edu.