This report was authored by Mathematica Policy Research with funding from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Conducting site visits to eight local sites, this report details findings from the post-summer youth employment initiative, designed as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. States received funding to give States the option to continue to fund work experience opportunities for out-of-school youth ages 18 to 24 for an additional six months.

This report details early findings from an implementation evaluation of the summer youth employment activities funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Authored by Mathematica Policy Research with funding from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, this report provides information on the national context for implementation, the experience of local areas, and lessons on implementation practices.

From Civic Enterprises, the America's Promise Alliance, and Peter D. Hart Research Associates, this report provides findings from a survey of youth ages 16 to 24, who were not enrolled in school, not employed, and not planning to enroll in school in the coming year. Among the findings, 73 percent of respondents stated that they were very confident in being able to reach their goals in life and were optimistic about their futures. Around 75 percent had a goal of finishing high school or college and also accept responsibility for their own future.

Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, North Carolina, Rhode Island, and South Carolina have been awarded three year grants to implement user-friendly and quick-to-deliver public benefit systems. The grants, as part of the "Work Support Strategies: Streamlining Access, Strengthening Families (WSS)" initiative, are largely funded through the Ford Foundation, with additional funding from the Open Society Foundations and the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

The USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, has created two interactive maps that allow users to find specific information about Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) participation rates. Map users can click on each State to learn about the State's participation rate and how given percentage increases in participation rates could affect the State's economy as well as total SNAP and SFSP participant numbers. The maps' homepage also links to the source of each map's data.

This is the monthly newsletter, which is authored by the Division of Youth Services (DYS), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), Employment and Training Administration (ETA). It includes headlines of news from the Department of Labor; funding opportunities; opportunities for youth, youth adults, and teachers; publications; program resources; and a calendar of events.

This brief presents findings, and lessons for policy and practice, from MDRC-conducted studies of five programs that provided earnings supplements and that have been rigorously evaluated using a random assignment research design: the Canadian Self-Sufficiency Project (SSP), the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), Milwaukee’s New Hope Project, the Texas Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) program, and the United Kingdom Employment Retention and Advancement (UK ERA) program. The evaluations primarily focus on the effects of the programs on single parents. SSP, MFIP, and New Hope operated some time ago (primarily in the 1990s), but long-run follow-up data are available only recently. In addition, relatively new evaluation results are available from the more recent Texas ERA and UK ERA programs.

This brief discusses key findings from evaluations of these earnings supplement programs and then provides lessons for both policy and practice that have emerged from these initiatives. While each program had its own set of unique circumstances and lessons (and none is currently operating), the focus here is on common themes across the initiatives. (author abstract)

Broadband serves as a critical foundation for leveraging economic growth, improving education and health care, addressing energy and environmental challenges, promoting civic engagement, and expanding public safety responsiveness. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), recognizing the importance of broadband, has recently developed the National Broadband Plan to expand broadband services across America. The National Broadband Plan provides a strategy for improving connectedness across the nation that will promote economic development; enhance education, health, and public safety services; and improve responsiveness to energy, environmental, and civic engagement challenges. The Plan seeks to improve the accessibility of high speed services to those with the most need. The Plan sets a strategy that will enable more Americans to be connected at affordable prices and at high speeds. In developing this plan, the FCC recognizes that broadband can be the key to opening economic opportunities, improving health and education opportunities, expanding public safety responsiveness, addressing energy and environmental challenges, and promoting civic engagement for those with the most critical need. As such, the Plan will evolve with technological innovation, reflect new connectivity opportunities, and adjust to developing markets.

This article was published by the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education. Using data from a 2008 survey data of EITC-eligible households assisted at Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) sites, authors analyze differences in tax filing between banked and unbanked EITC-eligible households. Results show that unbanked households have a lower likelihood of receiving a federal tax refund for tax year 2007 and the previous tax year (TY 2006). Also, unbanked households have a lower likelihood of receiving tax refunds via direct deposit and a higher likelihood of using check cashing stores.