In Seattle, WA, construction companies often build "green" structures, buildings that are made of recycled materials, rely on alternative sources of energy such as solar power, and use relatively little energy. With the passing of a new law earlier this month, Washington is the first state in the nation to require that new prisons, offices, schools, colleges, and all other publicly funded buildings incorporate "green" design. Although these environmentally friendly structures cost more to construct, state officials believe the buildings will save money in the long run by reducing energy costs.

The Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services has provided $48,000 towards an experiment that preempts homelessness by actively targeting prison inmates exhibiting signs of mental illness. Instead of simply searching and treating the currently homeless, Waukesha and Racine County social workers will proactively travel to jails to help at-risk inmates schedule mental health counseling, link them to resources that can guide them in procuring needed medications, and help them arrange housing after their release. Both counties have demonstrated their ability to continue the project after the initial funds are depleted.

Amidst the growing trend of prepaid cards, the State of Maryland is considering a program to implement debit-like "payroll cards" for state workers. Instead of receiving a paycheck every period, the employees will obtain electronic credit, with instant access to cash at ATMs and the ability to pay bills online. The program is targeted toward workers without checking accounts (10 million households nationwide have no bank accounts), hoping to transform the "unbanked into the quasi-banked." With the application of an existing technology, the proposed program wants to replicate the success of prepaid cards as used by the private sector and some government programs that distribute various types of state assistance.

Unlike typical suspensions, where students face unstructured--and often unsupervised--time, suspended students in Carroll County, MD, can go to CLASS. The Community Learning and Suspension Service Program (CLASS) is a voluntary program that offers suspended students a chance to learn how to manage behavioral problems that often lead to suspension. In addition to counseling, CLASS focuses on academics and community service. Tom Kirk, the program's facilitator, asserts that this intervention shows "...a 17 percent reduction in suspensions for the first three-quarters of this school year over the same time the previous year."

Community assistance programs have been around for a long time - they take different forms, target an assortment of community-based issues, and have varying degrees of success." Joint-use" school initiatives attempt to increase the reach and success of community assistance programs through partnering with local schools. Joint-use school efforts recognize the potential of schools to become integrated neighborhood centers that promote social interactions, raise awareness on public heath issues, and enhance service delivery. They take advantage of existing assets to fulfill critical individual and community needs beyond the primary educational mission of the facility.

Linden Elementary School in Columbus,OH, has opened a health clinic on its campus that "serves anyone who shows up" but primarily treats students, their families, and school staff. The clinic is open on Wednesday afternoons and staffed by employees from OhioHealth, an Ohio-based, not-for-profit healthcare corporation. Carole Olshavsky, the district's senior executive in charge of capital improvements stated, "We're looking for any opportunity to bring the community into the schools in terms of services, so that the new schools become somewhat centers of community."

The Park Federal Savings Bank is scheduled to open a full-service branch inside the Curie Metro High School in Chicago. The "Curie Branch" project is a partnership between Chicago Public Schools, Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law, and Park Federal Savings Bank. Ten Curie High student-bankers are being trained to operate the bank and serve on its advisory board. The main goal is to provide low-income communities with access to financial institutions. The students will become catalysts in promoting financial literacy and investment skills within their households and communities. According to Dory Rand, supervising attorney of the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law's community investment group, "The student bankers will experience hands-on career education, while helping to demystify banks for many in their community."

Read about these winners of the Innovations in American Government (IAG) Awards:

School Based Youth Services Program

In 1991, an IAG award went to the New Jersey School Based Youth Services Program, the first statewide initiative placing free comprehensive social services in or near secondary schools. By offering an accessible "one-stop shop" of vital social services, the program reached out to hundreds of students reluctant to approach community centers, either out of inconvenience or fear of stigmatization. Within a year of its inception, the program served one out of every three teens in the participating school districts; half of these students were considered at high risk of dropping out. The program has been adopted in Iowa, Kentucky, and California.

Parent and Child Education Program

Kentucky's Parent and Child Education Program (PACE) won an IAG award in 1988 for addressing the generational cycle of poor academic achievement, a root cause of the 60 percent non-graduation rate in its 52 school districts. Parents attended adult education and parental guidance classes, while the children attended pre-school programs and worked with early childhood education specialists. In PACE's second year, nearly 50 percent of the 1,000 participant parents had passed a General Educational Development test.

Family Learning Center