Ending Hunger in America, 2014 Hunger Report Full Report | Page 191

CHRISTIAN STUDY GUIDE – 2014 HUNGER REPORT SESSION 4: MULTIPLIERS TO MAXIMIZE RESULTS The Application 1. Imagine that your group has just been charged with spending $250,000 for the public good. Divide your members into three smaller groups. Ask group 1 to read Support Entrepreneurs in Low-Income Communities in Chapter 1, pages 51-54. Group 1 should prepare to advocate for the $250,000 to be invested in a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI). Meanwhile, ask group 2 to read “Human Capital Development” in the Introduction, pages 24-27, paying special attention to the paragraph that begins, “College can make a world of difference…” and Figure i.11, “Estimated Baccalaureate Degree Attainment.” Group 2 should prepare to advocate that the $250,000 be invested in college tuition for very low-income students. After Groups 1 and 2 offer their arguments, ask the members of Group 3 to decide how the money should be spent and explain the basis for their decision. 2. Read the section entitled “Early Education” in Chapter 3 on pages 99-100 and look at the map in Figure 3.7 to find the percentage of 4-year-olds provided with early education in your state. How do you feel about the data for your state? Next, visit the website for the National Center for Children in Poverty’s “50 States Demographics Wizard” at http://www.nccp.org/ tools/demographics/. Enter your state. Choose “child’s age” as your area of interest; choose “characteristics as denominator.” Then click the “create table” button. How do your state’s statistics compare to the national figures? Should your state be making different investments? Discuss how to share this information with your congregation. The e-connect Find the infographic on investment in early childhood education on the Issues page at www. hungerreport.org/issues. Share the image on Facebook, Twitter, or other social networks and ask your friends and followers to name ways that getting a head start is good for children, families, and for the country. www.bread.org/institute? Richard Lord ? 2014 Hunger Report? 181 n