Small Business Friendliness in CT Improved to D+ in 2013, Data Shows

Connecticut’s small business climate is improving – slowly.  That’s according to the 2013 Small Business Friendliness Survey by Thumbtack.com, in partnership with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which ranked the state #35 for overall small business friendliness.

The 2013 study draws upon data from over 7,000 small business owners nationwide and shows that Connecticut improved its overall grade slightly, rising from a 'D' in 2012 to a 'D+' in this year's study.

Although the state struggled overall, the study authors reported, it received high marks in several categories. Some of the key findings for Connecticut include:

Connecticut earned an 'A' for the state's small business training and networking programs, which ranked among the top-5 nationally. Business owners were critical of Connecticut's regulatory systems, giving the state a 'C' in this category, although this was an improvement from the 'D+' grade received last year.

Among its neighbors, Connecticut ranked just behind New York (which had trailed Connecticut in last year's study) and Massachusetts, but ahead of Rhode Island for overall small business-friendliness.

The state’s overall grades, and comparison with last year, in the 11 categories compared in the survey:

D+         Overall friendliness (D last year)

D+         Ease of starting a business  (C last year)

B            Ease of hiring (C last year)

C             Regulations  (D+ last year)

B-            Health & Safety  (C+ last year)

C-            Employment, labor & hiring  (D+ last year)

C-            Tax code (D last year)

C             Licensing  (D+ last year)

D+          Environmental (D+ last year)

C-            Zoning (C+ last year)

A             Training & networking program

The study aims to learn what small businesses believe constitutes a healthy political and regulatory climate by having them rate how it is to do business in their specific location along various metrics.

Over 99% of U.S. employer firms qualify as small businesses, and they employ half of all private sector employees. Over the past two decades, almost two-thirds of net new private sector jobs have come from small businesses, and that number has accelerated in recent years.

The thumbtack survey also compared the age and size of the businesses with those of the general business population. The Small Business Administration reports that 69% of small businesses are at least two years old, and 51% are at least five years old.  The survey sample is very close to these numbers, with 76% over two years old and 57% at least five years old.

According to US Census data, 91.6% of small businesses have between one and four employees. Another 3.8% have 5-9 employees, and 4.6% have 10 or more employees. The survey respondents followed a very similar distribution: 89.3% have between one and four employees, 6.7% have 5-9 employees, and 4% have 10 or more employees.

Some of the key findings at the national level include:

• Professional licensing requirements were 30 percent more important than taxes in determining a state's overall business-friendliness, confirming the findings from last year's study. Furthermore, this year's research revealed that 40 percent of U.S. small businesses are subject to licensing regulations by multiple jurisdictions or levels of government.
• Utah was the top rated state, and Austin, TX was the top rated city. At the other end of the spectrum, Rhode Island and Newark, NJ were the lowest rated state and city.
• The ease of obtaining health insurance was an important factor for many businesses. One-third of small business owners rated obtaining and keeping health insurance as "Very Difficult," versus only 6 percent who rated it "Very Easy."
• Small businesses were relatively unconcerned with tax rates – more than half of small business owners felt they pay about the right share of taxes.

The top 10 states were Utah, Alabama, New Hampshire, Idaho, Texas, Virginia, Kansas, Colorado, South Carolina, Georgia, Minnesota, Nevada and North Carolina. Professional/nonprofessional services make up a large share of Thumbtack’s clients, so fewer manufacturers and retailers were surveyed, which may have impacted the survey results.

"It is critical to the economic health of every city and state to create an entrepreneur-friendly environment," said Dane Stangler, director of Research and Policy at the Kauffman Foundation. "Policymakers put themselves in the best position to encourage sustainable growth and long-term prosperity by listening to the voices of small business owners themselves."

Task Force Report on State Response to Alzheimer’s Nears Completion

Thirty-one states have published a plan to respond to what advocates describe as the “escalating crisis” of Alzheimer’s Disease. Connecticut may be next, and is one of 13 states currently in the midst of developing plans.

The Connecticut Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association was among the leaders in crafting and shepherding legislation in the 2013 General Assembly session to create a task force to study the care provided to persons diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and dementia in the state.  That Task Force has been up and running throughout the fall, and is poised to announce its recommendations next month, just ahead of the start of the 2014 legislative session in February.

The 23-member task force of key agencies and community stakeholders convened in September, under the auspices of the Legislative Commission on Aging, to prepare findings and recommendations on ways to improve early detection, better coordinate health care services, set training requirements for health care providers and other professionals, services for early-stage and younger onset, and support to family caregivers.

The Task Force was co-chaired by State Commissioner on Aging Edith Prague and Rep. Joseph Serra of Middletown.  Members included Laurie Julian of the Alzheimer’s Association in Connecticut and other diverse community stakeholders appointed by legislative leadership and representatives from state agencies including the Department of Public Health, Department of Emergency Services, Department of Banking, Department of Labor and Department of Social Services, as well as six current legislators.

Over 5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, and as many as 16 million will have the disease in 2050. Nearly one in every three seniors who dies each year has Alzheimer’s or another dementia. The cost of caring for those with Alzheimer’s and other dementias is estimated to total $203 billion in 2013, increasing to $1.2 trillion (in today’s dollars) by mid-century. Between 2000 and 2010, nationally, the number of people who died as a result of breast cancer, prostate cancer, heart disease, stroke and HIV all declined, while the number of people who died with Alzheimer’s increased by 68 percent.

In Connecticut, there were 820 deaths due to Alzheimer’s Disease in 2010, there are more than 63,000 individuals with Alzheimer’s in nursing homes in the state and it is estimated that 68% of nursing home residents have a cognitive impairment. As of 2010, there were an estimated 2,800 people between age 65-74 with Alzheimer’s in Connecticut, 30,000 between 75 and 84, and 37,000 age 85 or older.

The task force, in accordance with the legislation, will make recommendations in areas including:

• services provided to persons diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and dementia; including persons with early-state and early-onset of Alzheimer's disease, and such persons' family members and caregivers
• legislative policy changes to better serve such persons, family members and caregivers;
• coordination between state agencies and private community-based health care providers to serve such persons, family members and caregivers;
• case management services for such persons, family members and caregivers;
• the transition of such persons from one health care facility to another; and
• the placement of such persons in community-based settings or health care facilities other than nursing home facilities, when feasible.

The state legislature acknowledged the growing numbers of residents impacted by the disease, passing the bill unanimously earlier this year, with 67 co-sponsors. It was signed into law in June by Gov. Malloy.  The Alzheimer’s Association has been actively involved in the effort. The organization’s   Connecticut chapter is based in Rocky Hill, with regional offices in Hamden, Norwalk, Norwich and New Milford.

In accordance with the legislation, the task force report is due to be published early next month, according to officials at the State Legislative Commission on Aging.

18 Connecticut School Districts Named to Advanced Placement Honor Roll

Eighteen Connecticut school districts have been named to The College Board’s 4th Annual AP District Honor Roll — a list of 477 districts across the U.S. and Canada being honored for increasing access to AP (Advanced Placement) course work while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on AP Exams.

Reaching these goals indicates that these districts are successfully identifying motivated, academically prepared students who are likely to benefit from rigorous AP course work, according to The College Board.

The Connecticut school districts include public schools in Berlin, Brookfield, Cheshire, Clinton, East Hampton, Ellington, Enfield, Fairfield, Greenwich, Killingly, Monroe, Newtown, Southington and Wallingford, as well as Regional School Districts 8 (Hebron, Andover, Marlborough), 14 and 18 and the Diocese of Bridgeport.

Most of the districts had received similar recognition in previous years; new to the list are Wallingford, Regional Districts 14 (Woodbury and Bethlehem) and 18 (Lyme and East Lyme), Killingly, Greenwich, Clinton, Fairfield and Enfield and the Diocese of Bridgeport. A year ago, there were 26 Connecticut school districts recognized on the AP District Honor Roll.

 AP is a rigorous academic program that offers more than 30 courses in a wide range of subjects and college-level assessments developed and scored by college and university faculty members and experienced AP teachers. According to the College Board, a score of 3 or higher on an AP exam represents the score point that is predictive of college success and college graduation. The AP courses offered various by school district, but often include biology, chemistry, physics, Spanish, U.S. history, English literature, and calculus.

Helping more students learn at a higher level and earn higher AP scores is an objective of all members of the AP community, from AP teachers to district and school administrators to college professors, officials at The College Board point out. They noted that many districts are experimenting with a variety of initiatives and strategies to determine how to simultaneously expand access and improve student performance.

Inclusion on the 4th Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on the examination of three years of AP data, from 2011 to 2013, for the following criteria.

• Increased participation/access to AP by at least 4 percent in large districts, at least 6 percent in medium districts, and at least 11 percent in small districts;
• Increased or maintained the percentage of exams taken by African American, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native students, and;
• Improved performance levels when comparing the percentage of students in 2013 scoring a 3 or higher to those in 2011, unless the district has already attained a performance level at which more than 70 percent of its AP students are scoring a 3 or higher.

In 2013, more than 3,300 colleges and universities around the world received AP scores for college credit, advanced placement and/or consideration in the admission process, with many colleges and universities in the United States offering credit in one or more subjects for qualifying AP scores.

Regional School District 14’s Superintendent, Jody Ian Goeler said, “It is wonderful to see so many of our High School students challenging themselves to take and succeed in our most rigorous courses. It is a strong indication our Board of Education’s advocacy for these programs is well placed and providing excellent opportunities and results for our students.”

Greenwich High School Principal Chris Winters recently commented that “Our participation in AP  classes is at a 10-year high, and the average score has remained unchanged and at very high levels. For the first time, over 50 percent of Greenwich High School have passed at least one AP exam during their four years.”

Nationwide data from 2013 show that among African American, Hispanic, and Native American students with a high degree of readiness for AP, only about half of students are participating. These 477 districts, The College Board indicated, are committed to expanding the availability of AP courses among prepared and motivated students of all backgrounds.

Hartford Hospital Will Devote Annual Fundraiser to Mental Health

The call to action regarding mental health awareness and treatment, which intensified in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook Elementary School murders a year ago, now has a strong local voice for the New Year.  Hartford Hospital is kicking off a campaign to end the stigma of mental illness at the annual Black & Red Gala on January 25, 2014 at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford. The goal is to obtain 5,000 pledges, spreading the message that changing attitudes can begin to change minds.

Proceeds raised at this year’s Black &Red will benefit the Institute of Living (IOL) at Hartford Hospital. The IOL will be better able to respond to this national call to action with improved access to mental health care for adolescents and young adults –a critical need not only in Connecticut, but throughout the nation. Support will help carry out critically needed research, offer increased services and treatments, and provide much needed education to those impacted by mental illness.

An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. In addition, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada. Many people suffer from more than one mental disorder at a given time.

Mental health stigma can be divided into two distinct types, according to the Hartford Hospital website:

• social stigma is characterized by prejudicial attitudes and discriminating behavior directed towards individuals with mental health problems as a result of the psychiatric label they have been given.
• perceived stigma or self-stigma, is the internalizing by the mental health sufferer of their perceptions of discrimination and perceived stigma can significantly affect feelings of shame and lead to poorer treatment outcomes.

The annual gala – Hartford Hospital's lead fundraising event - will feature entertainment by Barenaked Ladies, winner of two American Billboard Music Awards and two Grammy nominations.

Individuals attending the event will be asked to sign a “pledge” to...

• Show compassion by reaching out to those in need of help. I will not let anyone suffer in silence.
• Have the courage to speak up and challenge stereotypes and attitudes. I will not tolerate or perpetuate stigma.
• Teach by sharing my own experiences with mental illness and encouraging others to share their stories with me. I will learn in order to change.
• Demand a change in how we view and address mental illness. I will help lead the way.

The pledge, and additional information about mental illness and the Hartford Hospital initiative, is now available on a new webpage on the Hospital’s website, at www.stopthestigma.org   Individuals do not need to attend the event in order to sign the pledge – that can be accomplished directly on the website.

 “We will be looking to our employees of Hartford Hospital and across the Hartford HealthCare system to take the pledge. As a healthcare leader in the community and the state, it is our duty to set the example and stop the stigma associated with mental illness. Together, we can do it,” said Stuart Markowitz, M.D., President Hartford Hospital and Hartford Region, Senior Vice President Hartford HealthCare.

Harold (Hank) Schwartz, M.D., Hartford HealthCare Regional Vice President, Psychiatrist in Chief, Institute of Living at Hartford Hospital, says for some people, a mental illness may be a lifelong condition, like diabetes. “However, as with diabetes, proper treatment enables many people with a mental illness to lead fulfilling and productive lives. By helping combat the stigma associated with mental illness, we can help increase the number of people that seek treatment.”

Examples of common mental illnesses include bipolar disorder, depression, PTSD, schizophrenia, OCD, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, ADD/ADHD, autism and Asperger’s.  CT by the Numbers has previously reported on research underway at the Institute of Living.

A year ago, over $1,000,000 in net proceeds was raised at the Black & Red gala for Hartford Hospital’s transplant services.

Connecticut is Nation’s Fourth Most Innovative State, Data Reveals

Connecticut is ranked as the nation’s fourth most innovative state, in a new analysis from Bloomberg Technology.  The state’s ranking was based on factors including education, professionals in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, state research and development spending, and technology companies.

The state’s overall score in the analysis, 76.45, is just behind top-ranked Washington’s 83.25, California’s 81.97 and Massachusetts’ 80.93. States were ranked on a scale of zero to 100 in six factors, and received an overall score that was an average of the six. Because productivity consisted of two sub-factors, each was weighted 50%.

 Connecticut’s ranking was based on the following factors:

• STEM professionals as a percentage of state population: 2.72% (CT ranked #7)
• Science and tech degree holders as a percentage of state population: 10.2% (CT ranked #6)
• Utility patents granted as a percentage of U.S. total: 1.74% (CT ranked #17)
• State government R&D spending as a percentage of U.S. total: 2.79% (CT ranked #8)
• Gross state product per employed person: $114,891 (CT ranked #5)
• Three-year change in productivity: 0.88% (CT ranked #32)
• Public tech companies as a percentage of all public companies based in the state: 17.65% (CT ranked #17)

Sources of the data include Bloomberg, Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Science Foundation, U.S. Census, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.  The analysis was updated in November 2013, and the rankings were published this month.

The remainder of the top 20 innovative states were:

5. Oregon 6. New York 7. New Jersey 8. Colorado 9. Maryland 10. Minnesota 11. Virginia 12. Texas 13. Utah 14. Arizona 15. North Carolina 16.  Illinois 17. Pennsylvania 18. Kansas 19. New Hampshire 20. D.C.

At the bottom of the list of innovative states were Louisiana, Tennessee, Wyoming, Mississippi and Arkansas.

College Coaches Are Highest Paid Public Employees in 40 of 50 States, Including CT

When UConn announced the hiring of Bob Diaco as new head football coach earlier this month few flinched at the compensation – a reported five-year $8 million contract.  Diaco, who served on the Notre Dame coaching staff as the defensive coordinator for the past four years and the assistant head coach for the past two, was the 2012 winner of the Frank Broyles Award, given to the top assistant college football coach in the country and was the first Irish assistant to receive the prestigious award. He was a semifinalist for the award in 2011.

Earlier this year, the Yankee Institute for Public Policy compiled a list of the highest paid state employees, and three UConn coaches led the list:

• 1. Calhoun, James A., Men's Basketball Head Coach, UConn $2,865,769
• 2. Auriemma, Geno, Women's Basketball Head Coach, UConn $1,829,052
• 3. Pasqualoni, Paul L., Football Head Coach, UConn $1,613,920  (dismissed as coach earlier this fall)

As it turns out, that is not unusual.  According to data compiled by the website Deadspin, the ranks of the highest-paid active public employees in states across the country include 27 football coaches, 13 basketball coaches, one hockey coach, and  10 state employees with responsibilities outside of athletics.  That’s 80 percent of the states with a public employee salary roster led by a coach.

Perhaps surprisingly, the states of New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine are among those where a college president, law school dean medical school dean or department chair top the state employee salary list.  In Rhode Island, it is the men’s basketball coach, and in Connecticut, with the retirement of Jim Calhoun, the leader is now women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma.

Last December, UConn and head men's basketball coach Kevin Ollie, a 1995 UConn graduate,  announced a new agreement to run from January 1, 2013 through April 15, 2018.  Under the coaching contract, Ollie receives a base salary of $400,000 per calendar year and for 2013 he will receive $800,000 for institutional speaking engagements and media related appearances for a total of $1,200,000, according to the University's announcement. The payment for institutional speaking engagements will increase by $50,000 each year. Ollie's total compensation for each year of the agreement will be: 2013-$1,200,000; 2014-$1,250,000; 2015-$1,300,000; 2016-$1,325,000; 2017-$1,340,000; 2018-$502,500 (annualized from Jan. 1-April 15).

The website reports that “looking at data from 2011-2012, athletic departments at 99 major schools lost an average of $5 million once you take out revenue generated from "student fees" and "university subsidies.”

Rounding out the top 10 list in Connecticut, as of 2012:

• 3. Onyiuke, Hilary Chief, Division of Neurosurgery UConn Health Center $1,030,732
• 4. Nulsen, John Director, Center for Advanced Reproductive Services, UConn Health Center $917,373
• 5. Makkar, Hanspaul Chief, Division of Pediatric Dermatology, UConn Health Center $916,600
• 6. Whalen, James Vice Chair, Dermatology UConn Health Center $884,602
• 7. Laurencin, Cato CEO, Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, UConn Health Center, $701,576
• 8. Herbst, Susan ,President, UConn $612,500
• 9. McFadden, David, Chief, Department of Surgery, UConn Health Center $576,923
• 10. Manuel, Warde Athletic Director UConn $551,305

New Haven Is Among Most Walkable Cities in America, Ranks #8 Nationwide

New Haven is one of America’s most walkable cities, with 11.2 percent of commuters walking to work, the 8th highest percentage in the nation, among cities with populations of at least 100,000.  The top 10 list of Most Walkable Cities, published by GOVERNING magazine, notes that many of top communities are in the Northeast, and that communities across the country are stepping up efforts to enhance alternative ways of commuting from home to work. The top cities were Cambridge, MA (24.5%), Columbia , SC (20.7%), Berkeley, CA (18.1%), Ann Arbor, MI (15.5%), Boston, MA (15.5%), Provo, UT (12.2%), Washington, DC (11.9%), New Haven, CT (11.2%), Syracuse, NY (11%) and Providence, RI (10.8%).

Overall, 67 percent of New Haven commuters use their car, 11.2 percent walk, 4.8 percent bike or use other modes of transportation, and 1.7 percent work from home., according to the data developed from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Communities Survey, which included 300 metropolitan areas.

Nationally, only 2.8 percent of workers primarily commuted by walking last year, a figure that remains mostly unchanged from recent annual estimates, GOVERNING reported.

Among the New Haven walkers, 36 percent are age 16-24, 52 percent are age 25-44, 9 percent are age 45-64 and 2 percent are age 65 or older.  The median age of walk commuters is 27.8, according to the date.  In categorizing individuals, a person’s longest distance traveled is used, so those walking tp transit stations are designated as public transportation commuters, even though a portion of their daily commute involves walking.

Among Connecticut’s most populous cities, in Bridgeport 4.3 percent of commuters walk to work; in Stamford the figure is 4.7 percent, in  Hartford 7.9 percent, and in Waterbury 2.6 percent.

Percentage of Drivers Age 85 and Older: Connecticut Leads USA

Connecticut has more than double the percentage of licensed drivers age 85 and older than any other state in the nation, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

In the Land of Steady Habits, 5.1 percent of all drivers – a total of 152,233 people – were age 85 or older, ranking Connecticut at the top of the state-by-state ranking.  The second place state, Maine, had 2.34 percent of its licensed drivers in that demographic.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports that 29 states and the District of Columbia have additional license renewal procedures for older drivers, often age 65 or 70 and older.  In Connecticut, people 65 and older may choose a 2-year or 6-year renewal cycle. A personal appearance at renewal generally is required. Upon a showing of hardship, people 65 and older may renew by mail. There are no additional requirements for older drivers, according to the Insurance Institute.

Bloomberg ranked the U.S. states and the District of Columbia on the percentage of licensed drivers ages 85 and older, using data from the Federal Highway Administration.  (The data was for 2011, the most recent year available.)

The Age 85+ Rankings (percent of licensed drivers)

1.  Connecticut        5.10%
2. Maine                   2.34%
3.  Alabama              2.23%
4. Vermont              2.22%
5.  Minnesota          2.11%
6. New York            2.09%
7. Nebraska             2.02%
8.   South Dakota     1.99%
9.  Florida                  1.98%
10. Pennsylvania     1.98%

Rhode Island ranked #11, New Jersey was #15, Massachusetts was #17 and New Hampshire was #28 among states in our region.

Although they only account for about 9 percent of the population, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics show senior drivers account for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities and 17 percent of all pedestrian fatalities, ABC News reported last year.

The network cited a report by Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh and the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety that found the rate of deaths involving drivers 75 to 84 is about three per million miles driven – on par with teen drivers. Once they pass age 85, vehicular fatality rates jump to nearly four times that of teens.  The Insurance Institute reports that the increased fatal crash risk among older drivers is largely due to their increased susceptibility to injury, particularly chest injuries, and medical complications, rather than an increased tendency to get into crashes.

An Institute study of a Florida vision test requirement for drivers 80 and older found that 80 percent of those eligible to renew their licenses attempted to do so, and 7 percent of them were denied renewal because they failed the vision test. Of those who did not seek renewal, about half said they thought they would fail the vision test.

CT State Employees: More Women Than Men, Mostly Middle-Aged

Of Connecticut’s 54,903 state employees in 2013, most were female, and between 40 and 60 years old, according to new demographic data released by the Office of Legislative Research based on information provided by the Office of State Comptroller’s CORE-CT data management system.

The breakdown comes just after indications that state governments across the country are growing at a considerably slower rate than the private sector – which is true in Connecticut as well, where public sector jobs have been shed in recent years.

According to the state employee data:

• Female state employees outnumber male state employees by 1,986
• There are 9,277 employees aged 50 through 54 – the largest age group of state employees. 55% of them are female
• 60%of state employees are between 40 and 60 years old.
• 53% of the employees between 40 and 60 are female
• 50.2% of state employees under 40 are male
• 4% of state employees are age 65 or older
• 58.8% of state employees age 70 and over are male.

The data includes employees of all three branches of government, higher education institutions, and quasi-public agencies.

Earlier this month, GOVERNING magazine reported that there hasn’t been much growth in the government sector nationwide – both federal and state governments – even as other sectors of the economy are reflecting positive growth as compared with a year ago.

A few of the nation’s larger industries have fared better than others, such as professional and business services (+3.5 percent) and construction (+3.1 percent). Total non-farm employment increased by 1.7 percent.

Meanwhile, state and local government employment hasn’t budged, the magazine reported, increasing just 0.2 and 0.4 percent, respectively. The federal government has shed an estimated 92,000 positions, a reduction of 3.3 percent.  The Labor Department reported this month that the national unemployment rate fell to 7 percent in November – a five-year low.

In Connecticut, it has been widely reported that state government had about 1,200 fewer full-time equivalent positions mid-year 2013, compared with January 2011.

Charts:  Office of Legislative Research, GOVERNING magazine

Newtown High School Students Win International Public Health Education Contest

Each year, about 3.5 million children die before their 5th birthday due to preventable diseases, mainly diarrhea and acute respiratory diseases.   According to survey data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey, over 15 percent of schoolchildren in some countries say they rarely or never wash their hands before eating.

Those facts spurred a group of Newtown High School student to action.  They participated in the World Health Organization’s Touching Lives School Talent International Contest.  The one-minute educational video they produced was selected by a jury of international experts as the winning entry in the middle/high school age category (age 10-16) and was the only United States-based entry to win its category.

The Newtown Public Health class submitted the video at the start of the school year, and it was selected this fall among the winners in various age categories.  Their video now appears on the website of the Pan American Health Organization, and has begun to appear on other public health websites, including the Connecticut Public Health Association.  It was designed, written and produced in the opening weeks of school, just prior to  the mid-September entry deadline.

Experts point out that “just rinsing your hands is not washing.” In order for hands to be clean, soap and water must be used, for at least 20 seconds. Handwashing with soap is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrheal and acute respiratory infections. Together, they are responsible for the majority of all child deaths, officials report.

Turning handwashing with soap before eating and after using the toilet into an ingrained habit could save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention, cutting deaths from diarrhea by almost half and deaths from acute respiratory infections by one-quarter, experts predict.  They also point out that a vast change in handwashing behavior is critical to meeting the Millennium Development Goal of reducing deaths among children under the age of five by two-thirds by 2015.

The educational video is preceded with the words “A Message from Newtown High School’s Public Health Class” filling the screen. It then begins with a male student gently singing over a strumming guitar, reminding viewers of the importance of hand-washing in rhyming lyrics, including urging viewers to “always think, 20 seconds at the sink.”  The video then features a variety of voices repeating “20 seconds” in nearly a dozen world languages.  It concludes by suggesting “don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution.”

The video was edited by Amylee Anyoha.  Students in the Newtown High Public Health Class included Jess Amante, Maddie Erhardt, Enea Musaka, Sarah Craig, Kelly O’Connell, Chris Beaurline, Sydney Allen, Gabby Durkin, Tim Krapf, Amanda Paige, Taylor Strolli and Heather McKeown.

In the 2013 #TouchingLives School Talent International Contest, students could work individually or in a group, and all the countries in the Americas, were eligible and encouraged to develop songs, videos, illustrations, written compositions or any other expression of art promoting hand washing. The contest was, according to organizers, “about giving your personal touch to change the world.”