- The United Way of America, the largest national nonprofit, has set daring new ten-year goals, which align nicely with the goals of ServiceNation . United Way wants to cut in half the high school dropout rate and the number of struggling families, as well as increase the number of healthy people by a third. This is a timely refocusing: recent reports indicate that one-fourth of high school students do not graduate in four years, one-fourth of families cannot provide for its household, and that two-thirds of young people don’t live healthily. The United Way wants to direct funding to education, income relief, and health care in order to address these problems. The more the better…
(PS: The Washington Post is having an online discussion with the president of the United Way today at 2 pm EST. Send in your questions and comments; see if he answers them!) - Lots of young people are choosing to do service abroad. International programs give teens, adults, and families a chance to live in another country - or continent - while doing good work. (Plus, it allows them to add cool locales to their “Where I’ve Been” application on Facebook…)
- NetSquared (”Remixing the web social change”) has posted an excellent interview with Ellen S. Miller, the co-founder and executive director of the Sunlight Foundation, which uses technology to increase Congressional transparency. Sunlight helps citizens and journalists see what’s really happening behind the curtain on Capitol Hill. (If you dare to look…)
- There are a lot of good social change blogs out there - what are your favorites? Have Fun Do Good is looking for the best; leave them a comment!
“You wouldn’t believe how many volunteers I run into these days.”
(Photo credit: rbracy1943)
