The prospect of clean, well-paying jobs spurred by green development is attractive to many small Illinois towns. It is important for local leaders to understand this emerging sector of economic opportunity and implement policies that promote green jobs. Unfortunately, since the green movement is a new approach, there is a lot of misunderstanding…

To enhance state-level adult education and employment policy, in 2007 the Joyce Foundation began the Shifting Gears (SG) initiative to assist six states (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin) to integrate adult education, workforce development and postsecondary education policies and improve job opportunities for low-skilled…

As cities across the country and globe continue to generate new solutions to a wide variety of vexing problems, sharing information about what works and what doesn't has become more important than ever. Yet, outside of a few prominent policies, the vast majority of successful municipal experiments never reach a national audience or, for that…

In 2008, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), Bureau of Energy and Recycling, funded a pilot project creating a network of Sustainability Centers. The pilot project demonstrated that networked campus sustainability centers are an efficient mechanism to reach consumers, business, and industry. All 48 community…

The love of learning--that intrinsic desire to gain knowledge and insight into new subjects--was once its own reward. That was altered decades ago when parents started using the proverbial "stick and carrot" to motivate their children to do well in school, or even just show up. Today, educators across the country have taken hold of this…

This publication largely is based upon the testimony given at the hearing held by the Commission on Civil Rights in Cairo, Illinois, in March 1972. Half of the families in the Cairo area have poverty incomes, according to federal standards. Unemployment at 9 percent is nearly double the national average. About a third of the city--county…

Encapsulates a complete lesson plan suitable for secondary, U.S. history, social studies, or African American history courses. Begins with a concise overview of the development of a residential and business community among the African Americans in post-Civil War Cairo, Illinois. Includes teaching suggestions, learning activities, and handouts.…