Search results for: First Focus

Original Source A year ago, Jean and Steve Case's teenage daughter asked a question that inspired her parents to reassess their entire approach to philanthropy. Steve, one of the cofounders of AOL, had taken her- one of his five children-to mingle with Bill Clinton and…

The familiar sounds of the famous Mexican songs “Cielito Lindo” and “Los Machetes” filled the air last Wednesday morning at Orozco Community Academy in Chicago, as eighth grader Adan Ramirsez strummed his guitarron with fellow students in the school’s new Mariachi band before an invited…

By Robert Felton KIPP charter schools, a national network of schools targeting low-income, minority areas, will be the focus of a research study to evaluate its impact on students. KIPP (Knowledge Is Power Program) was founded in 1994 to serve predominantly black and Hispanic communities.…

By Ruma Kumar The pressure for elementary schools to show progress under No Child Left Behind has come at a cost - less time is being devoted to social studies, science, art and music. But time for reading and math has received a substantial boost,…

One evening last spring, as a fierce north-easter tore through the New York region, Gara LaMarche settled in to watch The Sopranos and bake batches of muffins. The next morning, baked goodies safely stowed in Ziploc bags, he set off for the offices of The…

A CHILD'S calendar has many long hours out of school. Afternoons, weekends, and summers offer some children rich experiences and adventures. But for other children these hours are wastelands of idleness, junk television, and opportunities to get into trouble. Fortunately, two state legislators want to…

As nonprofit institutions have seen donations and investments grow spectacularly in recent years, the urge to keep the money rolling in is being supplemented by a new pressure: make it flow out faster. Politicians, consultants, watchdog groups and even some philanthropists say that foundations, universities,…

The Atlantic Philanthropies’ approach to funding in ageing, including its emphasis on advocacy, is outlined in this speech by Gara LaMarche, Atlantic’s President and CEO, at the Annual Meeting of Grantmakers in Aging in San Diego, California in November 2007. When I was asked a…

The rights of immigrants must be protected and foundations can use their unique strengths to play a leading role such as funding public education and civic engagement, said Gara LaMarche, The Atlantic Philanthropies' President and CEO, in this speech at the European Foundation Centre Meeting…

STEVE INSKEEP, host: Schools in New Orleans are approaching the end of the first real academic year since Hurricane Katrina. Some schools still struggle to cope with broken infrastructure; new students returning in the middle of the year; the inability to serve hot lunches; and…