Poverty Events


Thursday and Friday, Nov. 5 and 6, 2009

Supporting Rural Schools and Communities

The National Research Center on Rural Education Support (NRCRES) will be hosting a national research conference in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.   NRCRES is funded by a research and development center grant from the Institute of Education Sciences with the explicit goal of conducting and disseminating research to enhance educational practice and policy in rural schools throughout the United States.  

Keynote speakers include: Lynn Okagaki from the Institute of Education Sciences; Mark Greenberg from the Prevention Research Center at The Pennsylvania State University; and Rachel Tompkins from the Rural School and Community Trust. 

There will be presentations on the primary research programs of the NRCRES over the last five years, along with breakout sessions that will include the following topics: Early Childhood and Elementary Education, Adolescent Intervention Programs, Supporting Rural Schools and Communities during Changing Times, Distance Education, Writing and Literacy, Teacher Preparation and Educational Leadership, and Transition to Adulthood Issues.

For more information or to register for the conference, visit the NRCRES website. 

Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009

Climate Change: The Ultimate Threat Multiplier

Free Movie Screening and Forum Discussion
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
7-9 p.m., UNC Friday Center

This event offers a compelling look at the impact of climate change on national security and geo-political stability. It features two powerful films that starkly illustrate the daily consequences and long term implications of unabated climate change.

From the most resource deficient communities in the world to the most powerful military force in history, these films demonstrate that no corner of the world lives beyond the reach of climate change.  The first film, Sisters on the Planet, profiles the lives of four women across the globe dealing with the adverse effects f climate change on a daily basis.  One of the four women, Sharon Hanshaw, will introduce the film.

A panel discussion featuring UNC and national experts - including Mayor Kevin Foy, Myles Elledge of the Research Triangle Institute and Dr. Donna Surge of the UNC Geology Department - will further examine the relationship between climate change, national security, and geo-political stability and what it means for us.

The even is free, but space is limited so please RSVP to ClimateForum2009@gmail.com to reserve a seat.

Produced by Oxfam America and The Pew Charitable Trusts.  Climate Change: The Ultimate Threat Multiplier is produced in conjunction with the Friday Center's "What's the Big Idea?" lecture series and in partnership with the UNC Institute for the Environment, the UNC Center for Global Initiatives, the UNC Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity, and the Carolina Women's Center.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Reaffirming the Role of School Integration in K-12 Education Policy: A Conversation Among Policymakers, Advocates and Educators

This conference brings together a wide range of government officials to converse with educators, civil rights advocates, and scholars who support racially and economically integrated K-12 public schools. Participants will learn about racial and socioeconomic integration incentives in current and proposed federal policies, regulations and spending programs. Panelists and audience members also will discuss current integration efforts on the ground that sustain quality integrated schools and stable communities.

Russlynn Ali, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, will brief the audience about DOE policies and programs. Officials from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will provide information about housing initiatives. Convenors represent an extraordinary array of civil rights and education law organizations.

For more information, visit the UNC Center for Civil Rights' website or the conference website. This conference will take place at the Howard University School of Law in Washington, DC.