More Nonprofits = Less Unemployment, Study Finds; CT in 2nd Tier of States

Communities with better civic health have weathered the recent recession far better – and experienced considerably smaller increases in unemployment – than other communities that faced similar economic circumstances, according to a new report by the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC).  Counties across the nation that were rich in nonprofit organizations lost considerably fewer jobs than the low-nonprofit counties, the study revealed. A state-by-state analysis by the organization placed Connecticut in the second tier of states in both the density of nonprofit organizations, and social cohesion (interacting with friends and neighbors), the two measures used in the study.  Connecticut ranked between #11 and #20 in each category,  just outside the first tier, top-10 states.

For individuals who held jobs in 2008, the odds of becoming unemployed were cut in half if they lived in a community with many nonprofit organizations rather than one with a few nonprofits, even if the two communities were otherwise similar, the study found.  Among the New England states, Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont placed in the top ten.

Overall, counties with more nonprofits per capita prior to the recession had lower unemployment in 2006. And while almost all of the counties lost jobs during the recession years, the counties with more nonprofits per capita lost fewer jobs between 2006 and 2009. Both patterns remain even when holding education, median income, housing prices, and other economic factors constant, according to the report.  Counties ranking in the top 10% in nonprofit density experienced an increase of only 2 percentage points in their unemployment rate between 2006 and 2009, compared with 5.1 percentage points for the counties in the bottom 10% in nonprofit density.

These results suggest – according to the report - that nonprofits may bring economic benefits by directly employing people and also by changing the economic climate of the whole community. Nonprofits support civic engagement and social cohesion; in turn, when citizens feel committed to their communities and connected to their fellow residents, they are more likely to make decisions that boost local employment.

The study used statistical models to investigate the relationship between civic health and unemployment in the 50 states, 942 metro areas, and more than 3,100 counties since 2006.  NCoC was chartered by Congress in 1953 to harness the patriotic energy and national civic involvement surrounding World War II. In 2009, Congress  expanded the organization's Civic Health Assessment to become the nation’s largest and most definitive measure of civic engagement.

Five CT Fortune 500's highly ranked for Board governance

Connecticut headquartered Xerox, Stanley Black & Decker, and General Electric are among the highest ranked U.S. publicly traded companies for the capacity of their boards of directors to govern well, according to a new report. Xerox, the document-processing and data services outfit based in Norwalk, was No. 12 on JamesDruryPartners' second annual report measuring the governance capacity of America's Fortune 550 companies.  New Britain toolmaker Stanley Black & Decker was No. 29 and Fairfield industrial conglomerate GE was No. 33.  Also highly ranked was Stamford's Pitney Bowes, No. 35, and Hartford-based health insurer Aetna Inc. was No. 39.

The study is based on a new methodology by which each director's business acumen, and the board's total business acumen, can be valued as a predictive indicator of a board's governance capacity.  JDP, based in Chicago, said its research measures governance capacity -- the board's "capacity to govern well", not governance effectiveness.  "Whether the board uses that capacity effectively is a separate question," said JDP Chairman and CEO James Drury.

Long Island Sound Coastal Clean-up Volunteers Get Ready

Save the Sound staff have been diligently preparing for the 27th annual International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) that kicks off on Saturday, September 15, 2012.  It's Save the Sound’s tenth year as the Connecticut coordinator for Ocean Conservancy's worldwide cleanup effort and the organization, a project of the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, has planned nearly 40 volunteer events over the next few weeks. Details about upcoming volunteer cleanups are listed on the Save the Sound website's calendar, including events in Stamford, Darien, Norwalk, Westport, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Stratford, Milford, West Haven, New Haven, Branford, Madison, Clinton, Westbrook, Waterford, New London, and Groton.

Long Island Sound contributes more than $9 billion to the regional economy each year.  Last year, Save the Sound brought together 2,665 volunteers, who removed more than 29,000 pounds of trash from 54 miles of coastline.

Long Island Sound is one of the nation’s great estuaries, a place where fresh water from inland waterways flows into salt water from the ocean.  The Sound is a vital economic and recreational resource and provides habitat for diverse animal and plant life.  With 10 percent of the nation’s population living within 50 miles of the Sound, pollution is one of the biggest issues threatening the health of the Sound and the plants and animals that live there.

This year Save the Sound organizers are hoping to get even more people involved, and additional information is available on Facebook, or by emailing Save the Sound's Kierran Broatch at kbroatch@savethesound.org or (203) 787-0646, x113.

Nursing Numbers Highlight Need for More Educators, Nurses

Embedded in an interview with Lynn Babington, dean and professor in the School of Nursing at Fairfield University, featured in the latest issue of Hartford Business Journal, are a stream of statistics about nursing and our aging population that are worth noting:

• People 65+ represented 12.4 percent of the population in the year 2000 but are expected to grow to be 19 percent of the population by 2030.
• The average age of the registered nurse in this country is 48 years old. As the population ages and continues to live longer and chronic health conditions increase, there is a growing demand for nurses in all care settings.
• There are a shortage of doctorally prepared nurses and an aging faculty workforce. The average age of nursing faculty in the U.S. is 57 years old.

If these stats spark your interest in the professional, take a look at the Department of Public Health detail on education programs available in Connecticut, and the latest numbers on how they're doing.

Build It and They Will Come (or Stay); Sports Broadcasting Grows in CT

Fiscal incentives offered by the State of Connecticut are propelling the sports broadcasting to a critical mass in Connecticut. led by veteran ESPN in Bristol but increasingly joined by fledgling and long-established companies taking advantage of the tax breaks and taking root across the state.  The Connecticut Post is reporting:

• Back9Network received an aid package that includes a 10-year, $750,000 loan at 1 percent interest, a five-year, $250,000 job-creation loan at 2 percent interest, and a $100,000 matching grant.  Facilities will be built in downtown Hartford.  (It also can take advantage of state laws set up to help bring media and film companies here that include a 30 percent tax credit for expenditures made in Connecticut.)
• ESPN and NBC Sports last year were given deals as part of Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's "First Five" program, set up for the first businesses to agree to create 200 jobs over two years or invest $25 million in Connecticut and create 200 jobs over five years.  NBC Sports' package includes tax incentives and a $20 million low-interest loan.
• ESPN, which last year announced plans to build a second digital center in Bristol, received at 10-year, $17.5 million loan, up to $1.2 million in job-training grants, and up to $6 million in tax exemptions on capital equipment and construction materials for that expansion.

The YES Network, the #1 Regional Sports Network in the country, has had production facilities based in Stamford for a decade, and ESPN took root in Bristol in 1979.

EnvisionFest Hartford on September 29 Set to be Record-Setting Celebration

On one day in Hartford later this month, people can participate in setting a Zumba world record, climb 96 historic steps saluting soldiers and sailors lost generations ago, and be among an anticipated 1,000 bicycle-riders and walkers in the Capital City.  The event?  The iQuilt Partnership and supporting arts, businesses and community organizations are coordinating EnvisionFest Hartford on September 29.  It is a city-wide event filled with hundreds of free activities and countless opportunities to experience the vibrant arts community and get a sneak preview of the planned transformation along the proposed GreenWalk.

Among the scores of events:

• A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to break the current world record for the largest Zumba class, previously set by 3,105 participants in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. The challenge is set for 1 p.m. and is perfect for children of all ages, especially those with a competitive spirit! Parents and grandparents will also love the cardiovascular benefits Zumba has to offer.
• Learn the living history, connection to the Civil War and current efforts for restoration of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch just across from the State Capitol near the Bushnell Park Carousel. Climb 96 steps for amazing views of Hartford. Free tours conducted 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• The EnvisionFest celebration starts with Bike/Walk Connecticut’s Hartford Parks Tour, where an estimated 1,000 riders will begin their tours on Elm Street at 9 a.m.

New Law, New Program: Accelerated Master's In Early Childhood Launched

The University of Saint Joseph – formerly Saint Joseph College - is launching an accelerated master of arts degree in Early Childhood with Teacher Licensure for Nursery to Grade Three.  The new format responds to a shortage of licensed teachers in early childhood education, along with a new state requirement: as of July 13, 2013, new licensed teachers must hold the Nursery-Grade 3 license in order to teach kindergarten. Partners in the new program at the West Hartford institution include the nationally recognized University of Saint Joseph School for Young Children and the acclaimed Wintonbury Early Childhood Magnet School in Bloomfield. Each will host pre-school and kindergarten clinical experiences, and outstanding area elementary schools will provide clinical experiences for grades 1-3.

Details of the new degree program include:

• The 30-credit accelerated program is designed to be completed in one year (August-August) and includes a 10-week teaching placement and a 5-week practicum.
• Successful candidates are eligible to continue with a 3-credit course in Educational Research in fall 2013. Candidates who complete the cohort for the Nursery-Grade 3 license will be granted a tuition scholarship for this course.
• Comprehensive exam taken in spring 2014 for completion of the master of arts degree
• Candidates who complete all requirements participate in the university’s commencement in May 2014
• Accepting a maximum of 15 people in the 2012-2013 cohort

The Early Childhood Special Education Accelerated Program (ECSE/AP) combines the university’s Connecticut State Department of Education approved Early Childhood/Special Education program for teacher licensure with newly expanded clinical experiences to provide an intensive, research-based, practitioner-oriented teacher preparation program.

85th Birthday Parties Abundant in Connecticut

Getting older every day – that has been Connecticut’s story.  Between the 2000 Census and 2010 Census, Connecticut’s over-65 population increased 7.1 percent and over age 85 population increased 32.1 percent.  That compares with a 4.9 percent increase in the state’s overall population.  And the over-85 population growth exceeded the national average increase. Those over 65 – numbering just over half a million - now make up  4.9 percent of the state’s population, a larger percentage than a decade ago, and those over 85 are 2.4 percent of the population – about 85,000 people -  also a jump from the previous Census data.  Only five states - Rhode Island, North Dakota, and Iowa, at 2.5 percent, and South Dakota and Pennsylvania, at 2.4 percent like Connecticut- have as large a percentage of their population over age 85.

The state Commission on Aging – listing Connecticut as the 7^th oldest state in the nation by median age - predicts that between 2006 and 2030, Connecticut's older adult population is expected to increase by 64 percent.  They also note that the state spends over $2 billion (13% of the state budget) annually on long-term care services and supports through Medicaid; 65% is spent on institutional care, 35% on community-based care.