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Innovators Insights




  • Arts and Economic Development
  • Defense Services
  • Public Assistance
  • Housing
  • School Violence
  • Public Transit
  • Social Services to Specific Populations
  • National Law Enforcement
  • Traffic Control
  • Technology
  • Juvenile Justice
  • Public Health

  • New Publication: The End of Government...As We Know It: Making Public Policy Work
 
March 23, 2007
What's New
Ash Institute and IBM Create New International Awards Program
Nominations accepted through April 30, 2007

IBM and the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government have created a $100,000 award program to recognize the world’s most transformative government programs.

All levels of government—central, state, local, tribal, and territorial—are eligible to apply for recognition of programs that cover the full scope of government activity, ranging from healthcare, education and social services to national security. Learn more.

Arts and Economic Development
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City sees artists as economic force: Attracting new talent, vibrant community of studios is city's goal

03/08/2007 | The Blade (Toledo, Ohio)

Toledo, Ohio, has launched an initiative to draw on the energy of artists to revitalize the city and its surrounding neighborhoods. Research indicates that cities with vibrant arts scenes are attractive to employers, and local artists can serve as a pool of creative talent for area businesses. About 30 artists each year will be eligible for low-interest or forgivable loans and relocation allowances. Simultaneously, the city will raise the visibility and the marketability of Toledo's native artists. 

Defense Services
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U Gamers go to war: Pentagon enlists university researchers to develop video-training programs to hone troops' fighting skills

03/09/2007 | Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minnesota)

The University of Minnesota is developing video games that could soon help military personnel perform more effectively. Federal funding will help the university, and over 60 other universities, to conduct research within various fields to aid the U.S. military. These next-generation simulations will help researchers study human behavior in combat, ensuring that lessons learned will lead soldiers to think faster, shoot straighter, and operate more efficiently in the real world.

Public Assistance
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Partnership is as all about what's best for at-risk children

03/15/2007 | The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Partners for Our Children combines data produced by researchers at the University of Washington's School of Social Work, the experience of the state Department of Social Health Services, and philanthropic monies to improve the social services provided to at-risk children in the state of Washington. Experts will analyze existing policies, develop best practices, and educate social workers and parents under the new program.

Housing
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Mortgage fraud targeted by FBI, lenders group; Warning notice to be issued to borrowers

03/09/2007 | The San Diego Union-Tribune

Alarmed by the sharp rise in mortgage fraud--and aware of the impact that mortgage lending and the housing market have on the nation's economy--the FBI and the Mortgage Bankers Association are partnering to create stronger safeguards against illegal practices, committed by industry insiders and borrowers. Both organizations have agreed to create a national fraud warning notice system and to issue notices to borrowers reminding them that such frauds are punishable by high fines and jail time. The Mortgage Bankers Association is also supporting a nationwide standardization of licensing requirement for bank loan officers.

School Violence
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Gym, lunch, drug testing; State at forefront of screening programs

03/11/2007 | Herald News (Passaic County, NJ)

Taking advantage of federal funding available since 2003, many school districts in the state of New Jersey have adopted strict drug and alcohol testing measures, especially for teenagers who drive to school or participate in sports or club activities. School officials are emphasizing the preventive, rather than the punitive, aspects of the testing and argue that it will help reduce delinquent behaviors and violence.

Public Transit
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MARTA: Put your ad here; Transit agency gets noticed with innovations

03/13/2007 | The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Seeking to improve its financial situation, MARTA, the regional transit system of Metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, has adopted unorthodox ideas for raising revenue by selling advertising. In marketing campaigns directed to youthful riders, MARTA was the first in the nation to put televisions in rail cars, series of promotional images in subway tunnels, and glow-in-the-dark advertisement materials around buses so that they can serve as moving billboards, even at night.

Social Services to Specific Populations
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States try GPS to protect social workers

03/15/2007 | Stateline.org

Mississippi and Alabama want to protect their social workers by equipping them with GPS tracking devices that contain panic buttons. Social workers often find themselves in the midst of stressful situations, and the recent slaying of a social worker during a home-visit in Kentucky has motivated many agencies to find ways to increase the security of their staff.

National Law Enforcement
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New police team targets human trafficking

03/07/2007 | Press Association Newsfile

The United Kingdom has established a new police unit targeting criminal gangs who smuggle women to London to work as sex slaves. The Human Trafficking Team--composed of experts in organized immigration crime, financial investigations, and the exploitation of women--will identify and confront traffickers who import thousands of people, mostly women, for forced labor in the sex industry or as domestic servants.

Traffic Control
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New 'smart crosswalks' and stop light installations enhance community safety

03/01/2007 | US States News

In parts of Los Angeles, crossing the street wil become safer due to the installation of "smart crosswalks." When pedestrians push the crosswalk button, sensor posts on both sides of the street will detect if someone steps on to the sidewalk, triggering a series of road-embedded flashing LED lights. If someone presses the button without crossing, the lights do not flash. Alternative systems have automatic activation when a pedestrian walks into the street.

Technology
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Nanotechnology could improve health, water in developing nations

03/05/2007 | States News Service

Nanotechnology, the control of matter at the molecular and atomic levels, is being touted as the solution for many developing world ills. Possible applications include treating disease, making clean water readily available, storing energy, and improving agricultural productivity. Many developing countries, such as India and Brazil, are allocating funds to incubate their nanotechnology industries.

Juvenile Justice
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In-home program helping juvenile offenders

03/04/2007 | The Union Leader (Manchester NH)

A new program, Excel, gives New Hampshire judges the option of sentencing juvenile offenders to three months at the state's reformatory, followed by intensive treatment and counseling when they arrive home. The program returns youthful offenders to their communities as quickly as possible and offers an alternative to long-term residential care. Officials expect the program to help place offenders on the fast track to rehabilitation, as well as save the state several hundred thousand dollars a year.

Public Health
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For squirrels gone wild, city plans a turnoff; Santa Monica has a new plan to stop a breeding frenzy among the fuzzy rodents in Palisades Park

03/05/2007 | Los Angeles Times

To stem the sharp growth in squirrel population in Santa Monica's Palisades Park, officials will be giving these rodents birth control shots that stunt their sexual development. Squirrels can sometimes carry rabies or host fleas, possibly posing a public health problem. In the past, officials have tried poison and gassing to control the population, but have turned to the non-lethal solution as a more compassionate alternative.

New Publication: The End of Government...As We Know It: Making Public Policy Work

The End of Government by Elaine Kamarck explores the revolution in governance, from a traditional, bureaucratic approach to new models more in keeping with the information age economy. Learn more.

Newsletter produced by: Brendan St. Amant and Vanessa Ruget (researchers and writers); Joellen Secondo (editor).

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