Can’t believe it’s 2015 already? We can’t either.
Here's a rundown of what caught our attention (and yours) most last year.
Child development
One of our most popular posts ever is on childhood brain development. But new research on emotional intelligence revealed how to use that knowledge of brain development to help kids choose delayed gratification (i.e. resisting the cookie), which can set them up for success later in life.
Kids behind bars
We wanted to know how much time is too much for kids in prison, and also how Michigan standards compare to other states. Juvenile justice will be an increasing focus of our work this year, send in your questions now for our call-in-show next Thursday, January 15 at 3:00 p.m.
Foster care
With Michigan’s child welfare system under federal monitoring, we examined what foster care is really like in Jennifer Guerra’s riveting documentary Finding Home.
Kids and race
We examined how kids are being taught about current events and police brutality. We also heard how black students are learning how to code switch between “Black” and “Standard” English to increase their chance at better grades.
Making information accessible to everyone..
… through Infowire, State of Opportunity’s newswire. We launched the project last March to fill meet the news needs of low-income families. So far we’ve covered topics like how to find mental health services for kids, getting a juvenile record cleared, and applying for health insurance as a former foster youth. You can subscribe to Infowire posts by emailing infowire@michiganradio.org or send us ideas. We're always looking for stories to cover.
What's up in 2015?
We'll be taking a deep dive look at first generation college students and increasing our coverage of mental health and alternative education models. What else should we cover? What would you like to see from State of Opportunity? Share your stories, questions, and ideas here.
