Stimulus Dollars Lift Hopes for Teen Jobs This Summer

Written by Pharoh Martin, National Correspondent | 19 June 2009

WASHINGTON (NNPA) - As summer heats up and yields thousands of unemployed teenagers anxious for a break from school and looking for something to do, Black leaders and state governments are hoping that President Obama's investment in youth initiatives will help put them to work ñ boosting the economy and away from crime.

Summer School Cancellation Stirs Deep Concern in South L.A.

Written by By Leiloni De Gruy, Special from the Los Angeles WAVE | 12 June 2009

LOS ANGELES (NNPA) - More than 225,000 Los Angeles Unified School District families with elementary and middle school students will be forced to find alternatives to summer school this year, following an announcement that the session would be canceled due to declining revenues and the state budget deficit. The move, which is expected to save LAUSD roughly $34 million, will result in the district offering summer school and intersession at a reduced number of high schools, and solely for credit recovery — meaning only an estimated 74,000 students who need the courses to meet graduation requirements are eligible.

Low Income Chicago Children Facing Barriers to Pre-School

Written by By La Risa Lynch, Special from the Chicago Crusader | 12 June 2009

CHICAGO (NNPA) - Three years after former Gov. Rod Blagojevich launched a bold initiative to provide universal pre-school for all 3-and 4-year-olds, a new report shows that children in low-to-moderate income communities are still falling through the cracks. In 2006, Blagojevich created the Preschool for All program that aimed to expand the number of pre-school slots, especially for economically disadvantage toddlers. But a report, called “Why isn’t Johnny in preschool” found that between 40 to 64 percent of preschool-aged children were not enrolled in any structured preschool or Head Start programs.

To the Rescue: National Urban League Bringing Empowerment Fair to Dallas

Written by By Gordon Jackson | 05 June 2009

DALLAS (NNPA) - They don’t pretend to be superheroes. Yet the National Urban League, in conjunction with the Urban League of Greater Dallas and North Central Texas, are determined to come to the rescue for possibly thousands of North Texas residents that have been disproportionately slammed to the ground from the evils of the nation’s economic crisis and severe recession. The Urban League’s super weapon is The Economic Empowerment and Restore Our Homes “Rescue Fair”. It is set for this Saturday June 13, at the Dallas Convention Center, with hopes of helping put a dent into the high rate of unemployment, home foreclosures and health disparities effecting North Texas’ urban communities.