To reduce the number of car collisions, public officials and automakers in the United States, Europe, and Japan are investing in advanced technologies such as on-board intelligence and smart highways. For example, the U.S. Department of Transportation is supporting the development of "dedicated short-range communication" systems, which alert drivers if another car is running a red light, an emergency vehicle is approaching, or if it is unsafe to take a left turn. Such technologies are particularly attractive because they offer boundless potential for improving safety without costly infrastructure changes.

This year, Connecticut began a statewide initiative to get kids offline and outdoors. Dubbed No Child Left Inside, the program seeks to combat the climbing levels of nature deficit disorder, a term that refers to the physical and psychological consequences suffered when children spend more time in artificial environments than they do with nature. Connecticut's Department of Environmental Protection is coordinating activities such as "The Great Park Pursuit," a game that takes hundreds of families to different state parks and forests for the chance to win a grand prize at the end of an eight-week competition.

Believing that older Americans will thrive in an atmosphere resembling their own homes, the Green House Project is advising the nationwide construction of communal complexes that house 10 to 12 seniors each. As an alternative to institutional and impersonal nursing homes, residents sleep in their own bedrooms, share family-style meals, and perform household tasks from linen folding to light landscaping. In this model, care providers are accorded more responsibility and greater respect.

Syracuse's school district will train its high school athletes to serve as mentors and educate younger students about gender violence through the Mentors in Violence Program (MVP). Emphasizing the important leadership positions that athletes play in the school community, MVP strives to instill a healthy school environment by teaching skills and approaches that they can use to defuse volatile situations and influence others.

To combat stereotypes about homelessness and encourage people to volunteer time and donate money, government officials in different communities are organizing public awareness campaigns. The Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition (SNRPC) Committee on Homelessness, for example, is airing television spots that draw attention to the plight of homelessness, emphasizing that "it could happen to anyone." Similarly, the city of Dubuque in Iowa declared November "Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month," and is planning blanket and food drives, a welfare system simulation, and other events to increase awareness, raise funds, and provide assistance.

Because it is never too early to start thinking about winter weather, the Colorado Department of Transportation has enlisted new technology to battle hazardous conditions. Before venturing out, snow plow drivers enter air and pavement temperatures into a monitor mounted in the cab; the computer then combines its analysis with real-time weather forecasting to determine the best way and time to clear the roads, as well as the optimal type of anti-icing mixture to be used.

Some educators, recognizing both the diverse applications of mathematics and the interdisciplinary learning styles of their students, are teaching mathematics within cultural contexts. Supporters of ethnomathematics argue that American Indian, African-American, and Latino students' perceptions of mathematics can change drastically when they recognize the place it played in their culture, in everything from hairstyles to jewelry.

Waukesha County has instituted a new alcohol treatment court with the help of a $450,000 federal grant. Rather than serving jail time and risking a relapse, third-offense drunk drivers are connected with treatment providers who keep track of their progress, as well as their employment and personal life issues. Participant compliance is monitored with an electronic bracelet designed to measure alcohol consumption. Program violations can lead to jail time as punishment.

A pilot project launched in the Chesapeake Bay watershed allows factories and sewage plants to meet pollution-reduction standards by buying credits from environmentally conscious farmers. The aim of this federal initiative is to reduce pollution while financially supporting farmers who work to reduce the amount of harmful nutrients in local waterways. Before the measure, pollution credits, which remain controversial despite their popularity, could only be exchanged between polluters themselves.

Guitars in the Classroom, a nationwide program, brings the sound of music into public elementary and middle schools by providing regular classroom teachers with music integration curriculum, music lessons, and, of course, a free guitar. Some teachers can return to the classroom and, after only one lesson, create a song that educates in new ways, connecting to the diverse learning styles of young students.


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