Nanticoke Students win NASA Challenge, Will Send Soil to Stratosphere

NASA has selected students from Greater Nanticoke Area High School as the winners of their TechRise Student Challenge.

The TechRise Student Challenge invites schools from around the country to think of experiments to launch on NASA-supported test flights.

Soil samples from across the country will be placed in a flight box and sent to the stratosphere, where conditions will be monitored in comparison to the surface of Mars.

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Private Equity in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Health Care

There has been growing investments from private equity firms in the Greater Philadelphia Region concerning health care, with mixed outcomes.

In a 2023 survey from the American Medical Association, more than half of polled physicians considered private equity ownership a worse alternative to independent ownership.

WHYY discusses how private equity functions in the health care industry, outcomes, and how this is changing the face of Pennsylvania-wide care. 

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Philadelphia Seniors Left Vulnerable by Agency Failures

In 2021, the Pennsylvania Department of Aging directed its focus to the Philadelphia Corporation for Aging (PCA) over staffing shortage concerns.

The PCA is ranked worst in the state for regulation compliance, with data showcasing delays in investigations and other operations for elder care.

Spotlight PA discusses data found on Philadelphia seniors, as well as overarching concerns on staffing in elder care facilities.



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Developing Climate-Resilient Green Affordable Housing with Flexible Loans

Natural Disasters are becoming a more prevalent threat to national housing, with rising temperatures and increasing weather events threatening energy affordability.

Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and green banks can help support housing developers with flexible loans and climate-conscious feedback on creating communities that can withstand a changing climate.

The Urban Institute explores how flexible loans and green mentorship may allow for more accessible and affordable energy and housing communities. 



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How Black Farmers are Sowing Seeds of Racial Justice, Liberty, and Equity

In 1997, Black farmers filed a lawsuit against the Department of Agriculture (USDA), where several strategies to discriminate against Black farmers were exposed, and guided advocacy groups like NBFA to begin work on reparations and land restoration.

Black farmers make up less than 2% of the nation’s farming population, a drastic decrease from historical trends.

Brookings Research explains the decline of Black farmers as a result of marginalization, and the current fight to reclaim an equitable farming industry. 



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Child Care and Development Fund: CCDBG and CCES Explained

The largest federal funding source for childcare is the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), which is distributed to communities across the nation to assist low-income working families with care options.

The Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) and the Child Care Entitlement to Sates (CCES) both works to subsidize the cost of childcare.

The Bipartisan Policy Center explains origins, requirements, and operations of CCDBG and CCES, as well as how this funding is processed. 



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