Week Two, Who Knew? PEW!

Part of my struggle to with an online degree has been to cultivate a healthy relationship with my computer. Subscribing to blogs, managing a Google reader, and navigating the basics to write a paper has all been new territory for me. Last week, I subscribed to The PEW Charitable Trust's newsletter. The news from the organization shows up in the RSS feed in my email box....amazing!

I have been working on a policy in our state to add parent education via digital media to a smart phone, iPhone, iPad, or computer for parents to watch while their child is screening. Policy making is not my strong suit and I am learning so much in my "one woman lobby mission" as I go along.

I am asked often to speak at Early Childhood Initiatives all over the state on the importance of investing in Early Childhood programs. Gathering data for these talks has been time consuming. Until now...

PEW, delivers up to the minute research right to my "door" in newsletters full of great information for me as I spend time at our state capitol and visiting with legislators. Here is a link to today's newsletter.

http://www.pewstates.org/research/data-visualizations/proof-into-policy-pre-k-milestones-85899376577

In this piece, each states investment in early childhood programs is reported in millions. When you look at Minnesota's investment in 2005 and compare it to the investment Minnesota made in 2012, you see a slight increase. Compared to other states, the early childhood investment Minnesota is lacking. This is research I can use, this week!

Investing is EC is a safe bet!

The Pew Charitable Trusts is driven by the power of knowledge to solve today’s most challenging problems. Pew applies a rigorous, analytical approach to improve public policy, inform the public and stimulate civic life.

We are an independent nonprofit organization – the sole beneficiary of seven individual trusts established between 1948 and 1979 by two sons and two daughters of Sun Oil Company founder Joseph N. Pew and his wife, Mary Anderson Pew. From its first day in 1948, Pew’s founders steeped the new institution with the entrepreneurial and optimistic spirit that characterized their lives. Early priorities included cancer research, the Red Cross and a pioneering project to assist historically black colleges.

As the country and the world have evolved, we have remained dedicated to our founders’ emphasis on innovation. Today, Pew is a global research and public policy organization, still operated as an independent, non-partisan, non-governmental organization dedicated to serving the public. Informed by the founders’ interest in research, practical knowledge and a robust democracy, our portfolio has grown over time to include public opinion research; arts and culture; andenvironmental, health, state and consumer policy initiatives.

Reference

PEW Charitable Trust mission statement. Retrieved from  http://www.pewtrusts.org/our_work.aspx