The California Symposium on Poverty
Symposiums
2011 | 2010 | 2009
2009 California Symposium on Poverty: Consequences for Society, Implications for Policy
October 14 – 15, 2009
Sacramento, CA
Day 1: Wednesday, October 14, 2009
General Session
Introduction to the Problem
In the opening session, participants learned of the depth and breadth of poverty in America and California, including its impacts not only upon those living in poverty but also upon others. This session introduced the themes and issues to be discussed over the next two days. Hilary Hoynes, Professor in the Department of Economics at the University of California, Davis and the co-editor of the "American Economic Journal: Economic Policy," provided the keynote.
- Michael Steinman & Students from Village Academy High School
- Hilary Hoynes; Professor, Department of Economics, University of California, Davis
Mini-Plenary Session
Poverty and Health: Brain Development, Chronic Illness and What Communities can do to Foster Health
Links between poverty and health are more profound than we knew. Participants learned about ground-breaking research into the impact of poverty on brain development and discussed the interrelationships between poverty, nutrition and child health.
- Mark Kishiyama; Postdoctoral Fellow, Human Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory
"But Does It Work?" Separating Myth From Truth in the Evaluation of Child Anti-Poverty Interventions
Funding may be short now but, then again, isn't it always? When there is never enough to begin with, funding should go to those programs that have been proven effective. Which ones work?
- Carol Emig; President, Child Trends
- Judge Erica Yew
- Philip B. Uninsky; Executive Directory, Youth Policy Institute
General Session
Redefining the Problem, Poverty Measures
This general session examined the very definition of "pverty," and the significant impact this definition has on public policy. Participants learned the origin of our current method of measuring poverty, why it may be an inadequate and misleading indicator for the 21st century and what is being done to address it.
- Mark Levitan, Ph.D., Director, Poverty Research for the City of New York's Center for Economic Opportunity
- Susie Smith; Director, Insight Center for Community Economic Development
Day 2: Thursday, October 15, 2009
Mini-Plenary Sessions
Crime and Poverty: Causes, Effects and Strategies for Breaking the Cycle
This session will examine the interrelationships among crime, incarceration and poverty. What happens to families when a family member is incarcerated, and what happens when he or she is released? What systems have demonstrated success in interrupting the cycle, in shutting down the revolving iron gate?
- Carol Burton; Executive Director, Centerforce
Immigrant Families: Ensuring Success for America's First Generations
Participants discussed how poverty impacts America's newest residents. What the data demonstrates – you may be surprised – and which approaches to working with immigrant families have demonstrated success.
- Robin Koralek; Research Associate, Urban Institute's Center on Labor, Human Services and Population
Twelve Years into TANF: Now What? A Discussion of the Current System and What Must Change
Welfare changed "as we knew it," and what happened? A distinguished panel of national experts described the results of this massive social experiment – and offered perspective on what needs to change to improve future outcomes.
- Liz Schott; Senior Fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Minimum Wage: Job Loser or Wage Gainer? Latest Research and Debate
In this session, participants considered research that sometimes produces contradictory results: Does a minimum wage increase result in lost jobs? What is its impact on a local economy, and what is the net result of its competing effects? A spirited discussion from both sides of this key economic issue was held.
- Liana Fox; Columbia University & Danilo Trisi, Research Associate, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
- David Neumark; Professor of Economics, University of California-Irvine
The New Demography, the New Economy and the New Inequality: Tackling Poverty in a Time of Crisis
Poverty may know no boundaries, but different environments require different solutions. Rural, urban and suburban communities face different challenges in confronting poverty, and this nationally-known expert will provide new perspectives on how to overcome poverty – werever it resides.
- Manuel Pastor, Jr.; Professor, Geography and American Studies & Ethnicity, Universtiy of Southern California
Children Left Behind: How Poverty and Achievement Interact in Education
From the earliest stages in a child's life, poverty may impact the ability to succeed. Participants heard the latest research that examines disparities in early learning, the impact of "dropping out" on both students and society, and new school readiness programs that are having a profound impact on children and their schools.
- Tamara Halle; Senior Research Scientist, Child Trends
- Russell W. Rumberger Ph.D.; Professor of Education, Gevirtz Graduate School of Education, University of California-Santa Barbara
General Session
Successful Stragegies and Models
Arguably, California is not doing as much to fight poverty as other states, and the United States is not doing as much as other countries. In this general session, Elaine Zimmerman of the State of Connecticut will discuss their comprehensive approach to battling poverty, and Martin Nary of Barnardo's will discuss the results of efforts to reduce child poverty in the United Kingdom.
- Elaine Zimmerman; Executive Director, Connecticut Commission on Children