Southern Rural Development Center
 

Box 9656
410 Bost Extension Bldg.
Mississippi State, MS 39762
Phone: (662) 325-3207
Fax: (662) 325-8915
http://srdc.msstate.edu

 

 

 

Around the SouthJuly 2006, Vol. 2 No. 7

In this Issue . . .


SRDC Publications

  • SRDC Surplus Publications Available Upon Request
    The SRDC is doing some summer cleaning--and you can benefit from it! A list of surplus publications with a request form is available at http://srdc.msstate.edu/publications/06surplus.htm. The publications listed are available on a first come, first serve basis. Available quantities vary by issue. Requested quantities will be honored when possible. There is no charge for these publications.


National Items of Interest

  • Amber Waves Feature: "Meat-Processing Firms Attract Hispanic Workers to Rural America"
    The June 2006 of ERS's Amber Waves includes a feature on how Hispanics increasingly meet labor demand arising from industry restructuring. Read more about this topic by accessing this article on the ERS website at http://www.ers.usda.gov/AmberWaves/June06/Features/MeatProcessing.htm.

  • Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2006 KIDS COUNT Data Book Now Available
    The 17th annual national and state-by-state study profiles the well-being of America’s children and seeks to enrich discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all kids. The annual Data Book ranks states on 10 key measures and provides data on child health, education, and the economic condition of families. This year, the Casey Foundation also looks at the critical role that early childhood development plays in preparing millions of American children for success in school and life and discusses ways to support family-based child-care providers. The 2006 KIDS COUNT Data Book materials can be viewed, downloaded, and ordered (at no cost) by visiting http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/sld/databook.jsp.

  • EDUCATION WEEK Releases "Diplomas Count"
    Diplomas Count: An Essential Guide to Graduation Policy and Rates provides detailed data on graduation rates across the 50 states and the District of Columbia, and in the nation’s 50 largest school districts. Along with a wealth of statistical information, Diplomas Count features closer looks at why high school graduation matters, states’ wide differences in measuring graduation rates, the factors that predict whether a student is likely to drop out, the worth of the General Educational Development credential, and research-backed ways for educators to help more students stay in school and earn diplomas.

    The online version of the report includes "State Graduation Reports," containing policy indicators related to important graduation-rate issues as well as state-level graduation rates for specific subgroups, broken out by race and gender. Another helpful feature is a mapping tool that provides comprehensive data for individual states in the following categories: access to technology, use of technology, capacity of use, state data system, and data access and analysis tools. It also provides ways to compare multiple states' data in all categories, as well as states' overall grades.


  • HUD's Series of Nine Reports to Examine Hispanic Homeownership Gap
    Despite recent gains, a sizeable gap remains between the homeownership rates of Hispanics (50%) and non-Hispanic whites (76%). The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has commissioned a series of nine reports that examine the homeownership barriers faced by Hispanics, as well as strategies that are aimed at increasing Hispanic homeownership. Barriers are found to include Hispanics’ concentration in higher cost urban areas, information gaps about home buying and mortgage qualification processes, and demographic factors such as income, age, education and immigration status. Access the report series at http://www.huduser.org/publications/homeown/hisp_homeownship.html.

  • New Quarterly Information/Policy Series Launched by the RSS: First Issue Focuses on Rural Poverty
    The Rural Sociological Society has just launched a new informaton/policy series. This first issue addresses the problem of poverty in rural America, making note of the set of options that might offer hope in tackling this difficult issue. It is titled, "At the Razor’s Edge: Building Hope for America’s Rural Poor." It is authored by Leif Jensen from Penn State University. Bo Beaulieu, the SRDC Director, is serving as the editor of this exciting new RSS series.

    The primary intent of Rural Realities is to offer a social sciences lens to the host of critical issues impacting rural people and places in the United States and beyond. The aim is to share insights on key issues through the use of sound, social sciences-based research. In other words, Rural Realities is not intended to advocate, but rather serve as a vehicle for sharing quality information on policy options in a format that can prove most useful to policymakers/policy analysts, to foundations, nonprofit organizations, and to others who have an interest in rural issues.

    This issue is available on the Rural Sociological Society website at http://ruralsociology.org/pubs/RuralRealities/RuralRealities1-1.pdf. If you are interested in receiving this publication, please contact the RSS at ruralsociology@missouri.edu to be placed on the mailing list.

  • RSS Releases New Policy Brief Series on Rural Development
    The Rural Sociological Society, in connection with the Southern Rural Development Center and three other Regional Rural Development Centers, recently released a series of briefs based on its book, “Challenges for Rural America in the Twenty-First Century.” The six briefs, each drawn from a different chapter, stress the importance of promoting collective community action and developing the capacity of people and organizations to meet the special needs of rural communities. The briefs synthesize the context and substance of important issues raised in the book and address alternative policy options, with the goal of bringing important research to the policy community. The six briefs address:


Funding Opportunities

  • 2006 Southern Region Sustainable Community Innovation Grants Announced
    The new round of Sustainable Community Innovation Grants have just been announced. A partnership of the Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, the Southern Rural Development Center and the Appalachian Regional Commission, the deadline date for submissions is November 28, 2006. The grant information is available at http://www.southernsare.uga.edu/currentcalls/sci.doc.

  • SRDC's Grant Connections: Rural Development Funding Opportunities
    Volume 8, Number 5, June 2006
    http://srdc.msstate.edu/funding/jun06.htm

    The SRDC staff compiles Grant Connections primarily for the faculty of land-grant colleges and universities in the South to provide funding information in support of activities in agricultural economics, education, human sciences, rural sociology, youth development, and other related disciplines.


SRDC Sponsored Conferences & Trainings


Other Conferences & Trainings


Job Opportunities


Submit Announcements

Job announcements and other items of interest may be sent to Rachel Welborn, rachelw@srdc.msstate.edu, for possible inclusion in future issues.


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courtesy of USDA NRCS.

  

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