Officials Unveil Antiviolence Curriculum, Billboard

Officials Unveil Antiviolence Curriculum, Billboard

BOSTON, Nov. 10, 2014—Officials representing law enforcement, education, and city government gathered at a Roxbury middle school last week to announce an updated version of an acclaimed antiviolence curriculum and unveil a billboard donated at no cost to promote it.

Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley, UMass Boston Chancellor J. Keith Motley, Suffolk Sheriff Steven J. Tompkins, and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh were joined Thursday by students of the James P. Timilty Middle School to announce Overcoming Violence, a teaching tool that updates theUnderstanding Violence curriculum Suffolk prosecutors have presented to thousands of Boston’s youth over the past 10 years.

Overcoming Violence uses an interview documentary, guest speakers, site visits, and group discussions to demonstrate for young people the long-term consequences of their positive and negative choices – especially as they relate to staying in school and choosing the right role models versus using drugs and engaging in violent crime. It will take the place of the curriculum launched by Conley’s office in 2004, and was updated with the help of graduate students in the UMass Boston Master’s in Human Services program, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, Boston Public Schools students, and the Boston Police Department.

“The most effective antiviolence program is education,” DA Conley said. “Young people prepared for middle school, high school, and college are at a significantly lower risk of committing a violent crime or being the victim of one. By demonstrating the importance of school and the consequences of crime,Overcoming Violence has the potential to divert kids and teens from ever becoming involved in the criminal justice system.”

“I am proud of UMass Boston’s important part in this collaborative effort,” said Chancellor Motley. “For the next few months, our messages of peace and positivity will be up in the skies, visible to students on their way to school, drivers on the expressway, people looking out of their windows at home.  It’s a meaningful and powerful expression of our shared commitment to overcoming violence, and promoting peace, in our city.”

“I'm proud to be part of this coalition of agencies because, while we are all individually committed to reducing violence, together we can have a profound impact on our respective communities,” Sheriff Tompkins said. “At the Sheriff's Department, our efforts have been to provide resources to those already in the system to help them to not recidivate, while moving young people away from incarceration and toward education. The Overcoming Violence curriculum is another tool in the tool belt we can use.”

“The Overcoming Violence curriculum uses powerful stories to help young people absorb and understand that every action has consequences,” said Mayor Walsh. “But this isn't just about raising awareness; this is about showing young people that everyone cares about their future. Addressing violence in our city is clearly a complex issue, and our success depends on our collaboration, just like the collaboration that went into this program. Working together, we are taking strides to overcome violence in our City.”

Where Understanding Violence was presented to middle school and high school students,Overcoming Violence specifically targets a middle school audience to reach city youth earlier in their lives. Seventh graders at the Timilty School will be the first to receive the new curriculum over the next several weeks, and a billboard promoting it was unveiled outside their school at last week’s event. That billboard is one of several to be posted free of charge by Clear Channel Communications; the others will be posted at:

•           Dorchester Street and E. 8^th Street in South Boston

•           Blue Hill Avenue and Walk Hill Street in Dorchester

•           Blue Hill Avenue and Fairway Street in Mattapan

•           Dorchester Avenue and Hoyt Street in Dorchester

•           Saratoga Street and Bremen Street in East Boston

•           Cambridge Street and Brighton Street in Charlestown

•           Brighton Avenue and Cambridge Street in Allston

•           River Street and Central Avenue in Hyde Park

•           Washington Street and Metropolitan Avenue in Roslindale

To learn more about Overcoming Violence, or to request its presentation at a Suffolk County school or youth group, visit www.SuffolkDistrictAttorney.com/overcoming-violence.

CUTLINE:

Students at the James P. Timilty Middle School in Roxbury welcome Suffolk County District Attorney Dan Conley, Suffolk Sheriff Steve Tompkins, UMass Boston Chancellor J. Keith Motley, and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh at the unveiling of a billboard to promote Overcoming Violence, a six-week curriculum created to steer young people toward education and positive choices rather than violence, drugs, and gangs.

Health Insurance Marketplace offers tool to help consumers review their plan options for 2015

Health Insurance Marketplace offers tool to help consumers review their plan options for 2015
Consumers should visit the HealthCare.gov window shopping tool to learn about their plan choices. This year there are even more plans on the market than last year.

Beginning this week, consumers can visit HealthCare.gov to review detailed information about each health insurance plan offered in their area before applying ahead of open enrollment, which starts November 15, according to an announcement made today by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Marilyn Tavenner. With more issuers offering coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace this year, the majority of consumers will find more affordable options for themselves and their families. By answering a few simple questions, such as location and family size, consumers will be able to compare plans and get an estimate on how much financial assistance they may qualify for when shopping for coverage, without needing to submit an application.

“Consumers can prepare for open enrollment by visiting HealthCare.gov and using the window shopping feature to see what plans will be available in their area,” said Administrator Tavenner. “Using this tool, consumers can compare plans, covered benefits, and physician and hospital networks before the Marketplace annual open enrollment period starts on November 15. New features will give consumers a comprehensive picture of the plans in their area so they can choose the one that’s right for them.”

CMS is working to improve the consumer experience by making the shopping experience easier. Last year, a consumer had to answer nine questions before being able to view their plan options, this year a consumer can start looking at plans after entering just their zip code. Consumers can answer a few simple questions relevant to them to get an estimate on how much financial assistance they may qualify for when shopping for coverage. The window shopping tool has also been optimized for access through a smart phone or tablet. Consumers can also review their options at a more convenient time by emailing or sharing a link to a plan’s information. Premium estimates are more accurate due to more robust data in HealthCare.gov, such as rates adjusted for tobacco use, which are being included in the estimates provided by the tool.

Window shopping remains the single most popular section on HealthCare.gov and regularly has three times the amount of traffic than any other page on the Marketplace website. CMS has improved the scalability and performance of the tool for high volumes of traffic. Additionally, the site has gone through usability and mobile testing that has been key in improving the website’s features.

Open Enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace begins Nov. 15, 2014, and runs through Feb. 15, 2015. Consumers should visit HealthCare.gov to review and compare health plan options and find out if they are eligible for financial assistance, which can help pay monthly premiums and reduce out-of-pocket costs when receiving services. All consumers shopping for health insurance coverage for 2015— even those who currently have coverage through the Marketplace — should enroll or re-enroll between November 15 and December 15 in order to have coverage effective on Jan. 1, 2015.

Consumers can find local help at: Localhelp.healthcare.gov or call the Federally-facilitated Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596. TTY users should call 1-855- 889-4325. Translation services are available. The call is free.

To preview plans in your area after the new feature is live, visit: https://www.healthcare.gov/see-plans/

For more information about Health Insurance Marketplaces, visit: www.healthcare.gov/marketplace

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Boston parents: 

School Choice Season for the 2015-16 school year is underway

Families can use the upgraded discoverbps.org to find school choices; 

schools open for visits on Saturday, November 15

BOSTON — School Choice Season is underway the Boston Public Schools – when families have many opportunities to get to know their school options before registering in January. To help families in their search, BPS has unveiled a new version of our online tool, www.DiscoverBPS.org, and will host its second annual Showcase In Our Schools event on Saturday, November 15.

“If last year is any indication, when we had more than a thousand people visit our website on the day it launched, DiscoverBPS.org will again be an invaluable tool for families,” said BPS Interim Superintendent John McDonough. “We are excited that this year’s enhancements do even more to help families consider a school’s ‘fit’ factor, and will also provide more information for English Language Learners and for students with disabilities and about their possible school choices.”

BPS launched DiscoverBPS.org last year to help families understand their options under the Home-Based school choice plan, which offers families a list of schools built around quality and proximity to where they live. This year, new functionality includes more sorting preferences, tabs for ELL and SPED options, the opportunity to compare schools side by side, and more.

Once families have their list of options, they are encouraged to visit the schools on Saturday, November 15, when all schools serving grades K0-8 will be open from 9am to 1pm for “Showcase in our Schools,” a citywide open house event. Families can drop in to any school to take a tour, talk to staff and get answers to their questions. 

At the high school level, principals, teachers and staff from our high schools will gather at Madison Park Technical Vocational High School at 75 Malcolm X Blvd. in Roxbury for the High School Showcase on Thursday, December 4, from 6-8pm to answer questions from parents and students. 

In addition to those Showcase opportunities, every BPS school will also offer at least three School Preview Days, now through January 9, when families may visit more schools on their lists. Information about the Showcase events and schedules for the individual School Preview Days can be found online at bostonpublicschools.org/register, by phone at (617) 653-8040, or in person at any BPS Welcome Center.

“It’s important that parents visit their school options to discover which ones are the best fit for their child,” McDonough said. “In the last few years we have strengthened academics at every level and are making investments in arts, music, athletics and state-of-the art technology. We also have the some of the very best teachers and school leaders in the nation. Every school has something unique to offer. By stepping inside, parents can get a great sense of whether they can envision their child becoming an important part of that school’s community.”

BPS is also holding 19 information sessions across the city to help families and community partners learn more about how the Home-Based school choice plan works:

· Brighton: 6pm, Tuesday, December 2: Faneuil Library, 419 Faneuil St.

· Charlestown: 6pm, Thursday, November 13: Harvard/Kent School, 50 Bunker Hill St. (Chinese, Spanish interpretation available)

· Downtown: 6pm, Monday, November 3: Quincy Elementary School, 885 Washington St. (Chinese interpretation available)

· Dorchester: 6pm, Wednesday, November 12: Saint Peter’s/Cv Unido, 278 Bowdoin St. (Cape Verdean Creole interpretation available)

· Dorchester: 10am, Tuesday, November 18: Dorchester Welcome Ctr., 1216 Dorchester Ave. (Spanish, Cape Verdean Creole interpretation available)

· Dorchester: 6:30pm, Tuesday, November 18: Saint Ambrose Church, 240 Adams St. (Vietnamese interpretation available)

· Dorchester: 6pm, Wednesday, November 19: Adams St. Library, 690 Adams St. (Spanish interpretation available)

· East Boston: 6pm, Thursday, November 13: Mario Umana Academy, 312 Border St. (Spanish interpretation available)

· East Boston: 8:30am, Tuesday, November 18: Guild Elementary School, 195 Leyden St. (Spanish interpretation available)

· Hyde Park: 6pm, Monday, November 10: Hyde Park Library, 35 Harvard Ave. (Haitian Creole, Spanish interpretation available)

· Jamaica Plain: 6:30pm, Thursday, November 13: J. F. Kennedy School, 7 Bolster St. 

· Jamaica Plain: 6pm, Monday, December 22: Connolly Library, 433 Centre St. (Portuguese, Spanish interpretation available)

· Mattapan: 10am, Thursday, November 6: Mattapan Welcome Ctr., 5 Mildred Ave. (Haitian Creole, Spanish interpretation available)

· Mattapan/Dorchester: 6pm, Thursday, November 20: Sant Bel VI Haitian Health Ctr., 6 Frontenac St. (Haitian Creole, Spanish interpretation available)

· Roslindale: 6pm, Wednesday, December 10: Roslindale Welcome Ctr., 515 Hyde Pk. Ave. (Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Spanish interpretation available)

· Roxbury: 6pm, Thursday, November 6: O’Bryant School, 55 Malcolm X Blvd. (Chinese, Somali, Spanish interpretation available)

· Roxbury: 6pm, Wednesday, December 17: Roxbury Welcome Ctr., 75 Malcolm X Blvd. (Somali, Spanish interpretation available)

· South Boston: 6pm, Wednesday, November 5: BCYF Condon Community Ctr., 200 D St.

· West Roxbury: 6pm, Thursday, November 20: West Roxbury Library, 1961 Centre St. (Spanish interpretation available)

Youth Turnout in 2014 Preliminarily at 21.3%, Comparable to Recent Midterm Elections

Youth Turnout in 2014 Preliminarily at 21.3%, Comparable to Recent Midterm Elections

Exclusive CIRCLE Analysis Shows that At Lease 9.9 Million Young Americans, 18-29, Voted in Tuesday’s Election

Medford/Somerville, MA – Youth vote experts from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement (CIRCLE) – the preeminent, non-partisan research center on youth engagement based at Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service – today released an exclusive, preliminary youth turnout estimate showing that at least 9.9 million young Americans (or 21.3%), voters ages 18-29, cast a ballot in Tuesday’selections across the country.   

The number of young voters in Tuesday’s election is quite comparable to the turnout seen in other, recent midterm elections.  The estimate during this same time for youth turnout during the 2010 midterm election was at 20.4% of young voters (or around 9 million young people, ages 18-29).

“In terms of both youth turnout and vote choice, 2014 looks like a typical midterm election year as far as youth are concerned. Young people made up a similar proportion of voters in 2010,” said Peter Levine, Associate Dean of the Tisch College.  “Although this was a wave election for the GOP, youth still tended to vote Democratic. In the national exit poll data on House races, 18-29 year-olds preferred Democratic candidates by 54% to 43%. In many close Senatorial and gubernatorial races, youth preferred the Democratic candidate, and in some states, like Florida, they were the only group that did.”

The day-after youth turnout estimate compiled by CIRCLE’s team of youth voting experts is based on exit polls, the number of ballots counted, and demographic data from the US Census and is subject to change. In past years the National Exit Polls (NEP), conducted by Edison Research, have been adjusted after an election; for example, the estimate of the proportion of youth in the 2010 electorate was adjusted twice after the election. Additionally, in three states, less than 95% of precincts have reported. As the number of ballots counted increases, so will youth turnout, unless the share is adjusted downward.

Levine continued, “The fact is that 2008 was an exceptionally strong year for Democrats, when youth support for Barack Obama set the all-time record in presidential elections. The change from an extraordinary presidential year to a rather typical midterm year hurt the Democratic Senate incumbents from the class of 2008.”

For a full breakdown of the youth vote turnout, as well as historical data comparisons and further sourcing information for the data, please visit here.  Further information on the youth share of the electorate can be found, here. CIRCLE will released additional analysis of the youth vote over the next week.

 “For Republicans, the lesson is they can be competitive among younger voters, although nationally, they still lag behind with that group, and in some states, the Democratic tilt of young voters may pose a problem in years to come.  For Democrats, the message must be to re-engage with young people, who had provided more support in 2008 Senate contests,” Levine concluded.

Important narratives to consider regarding young voters include:

· Young Voters aren’t a Monolithic Group: Diversity in Race, Gender, Socio-economics and Educational backgrounds.  In recent years, youth political support has differed by race, ethnicity and gender.

· What happened in youth-heavy districts and states? Did campaigns adequately perform the outreach necessary to reach young voters?

· Youth show less interest in being affiliated with a particular political party.  Although they have a tendency to be liberal on social issues, a range of candidates in all parties could vie for their votes.  How did these tendencies play out among campaigns in 2014?

· Do controversial ballot measures like marijuana legalization or same-sex marriage boost youth voter turnout? New analysis shows that ballot measures alone do little to impact turnout numbers amongst youth in those states. 

** To speak to CIRCLE’s youth vote experts for interviews and/or analysis throughout the week, please contact:  Kristofer Eisenla at kristofer@lunaeisenlamedia.com or 202-670-5747**

Throughout this election season, CIRCLE’s 2014 Election Center has offered a myriad of new products providing comprehensive analysis of young voters, both nationally and in targeted states and congressional districts across the country.  Some of these products include:  an Interactive Congressional District Map and Interactive State-by-State Voting Map; as well as The Youth Vote in 2014:  Congressional House Races to Watch and 2014 Midterms:  Young Voters in Competitive Senate Races.