Is the American dream dying in Michigan? Can our education system resuscitate it?
Earlier this year, the 21st Century Education Commission issued a warning: Our education system is not preparing our young people to compete with their peers in other states and developed nations. As the report explains: “It is a harsh judgement, but an unavoidable one based on achievement data. Until we are honest about current performance […]
On the Road: PSC uses its nonprofit expertise to sow economic seeds in the Sunshine State
Like Michigan, Florida is well known for its thriving tourism industry. But did you know that its nonprofit sector also plays a prominent role in the state’s economy? PSC’s Melissa Gibson confirmed that fact for the Florida Nonprofit Alliance when she and her project team completed an analysis examining the size and contribution of charitable […]
Is Michigan’s environment on the federal chopping block?
Earlier this spring, President Trump proposed significant cuts to environmental spending at the federal level. Michigan’s legislature then followed suit with its own substantial state-level reductions, effectively delivering a one-two punch to our state’s environment. Hear what PSC senior vice president Julie Metty Bennett — fresh from completing an impact analysis on behalf of the […]
Cancer continues to have devastating effects on Michiganders
According to the National Cancer Institute, in 2014, there were 14.5 million people in the U.S. living beyond a cancer diagnosis; this number is expected to reach almost 19 million by 2024. In honor of these courageous individuals — and because June is cancer survivor awareness month — we pulled together some figures to help […]
Does zoning matter? It does to Michigan’s natural rivers
Okay, we admit it. Zoning isn’t sexy. People don’t swap stories about it around the office water cooler or make witty posts about it on Facebook. But to those who care about preserving and protecting Michigan’s waterways, it’s an important piece of the resource management puzzle. Just ask the Kent Conservation District, which is working […]
PSCers don their vagabond shoes for an early childhood project in New York
In the dead of winter, when most Michiganders are dreaming of trips to sunny Palm Springs or steamy Key West, PSC vice president Jeff Guilfoyle and consultant Eric Pardini were logging more than 700 cold, but not too snowy, miles across Western New York to hear from parents, early childhood educators, child care providers, nonprofit […]
Michigan’s Infrastructure: How Bad is it?
These days, it seems like everyone — whether inside or outside of Michigan — is talking about infrastructure. In late January, for example, news sources reported on a preliminary list prepared by President Trump’s transition team that included about 50 possible priority projects across the country — three of which are in Michigan — that […]
PSC Launches New Bright Ideas
In January 2017, we refreshed our brand, giving PSC a refined focus and sunny new look. Now, we’re doing the same for Bright Ideas. To start, we created a new tagline: What 45+ policy geeks are thinking, reading and doing. That’s because Bright Ideas is our muse – a place where we can not only stay […]
The U.S. Department of Education: What does it do?
The highly publicized confirmation of Michigander Betsy DeVos as the country’s education secretary left many people wondering what exactly that position entails. Who better to explain the role of the U.S. Department of Education—and what Secretary DeVos will be responsible for—than PSC vice president Michelle Richard? https://vimeo.com/210464743