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A Woman's Nation featured in Jones New York Fall 2010 Ad Campaign

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 11:40:00 -0700

A Woman's Nation, part of the Shriver Report, is featured in Jones New York's Fall 2010 Ad Campaign.

For more information, please visit: www.awomansnation.com and www.americanprogress.org.

DSG Sacramento's Karen Skelton on the Work/Life Balance in this Month's Comstock Magazine

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 11:27:00 -0700

Dewey Square's Karen Skelton addresses the work/life balance and how employers are adjusting to more gender equality in this month's Comstock Magazine. Discussing the findings of "The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Changes Everything", Skelton tells Comstock that companies are adapting to increased roles for women in the workplace. Says Skelton, "The majority of today's employers still need to accept that there is more than one way or one place that work can get done. The good news is it's no longer heretical to talk about flex schedules or family leave, but the U.S. is still far behind other countries on this subject, and we've become less competitive for it."

New Report: The Financial Aid Challenge in Community Colleges Press Conference

Mon, 17 May 2010 09:41:00 -0700

Community colleges are a critical part of our nation’s education system, serving nearly half of all undergraduates in the United States who are working to earn the degrees and training needed in today’s increasingly competitive job market.

Yet millions of dollars in financial aid are left on the table each year by eligible community college students who do not apply for need-based student aid.

The College Board Advocacy & Policy Center will hold a news conference on Wednesday, May 19, 9:00 am in Washington, D.C., at the National Press Club to release a new report on financial aid challenges.

Please join us as expert educators, policymakers and advocates highlight successful practices and the ways current and potential community college students can take greater advantage of existing financial aid.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010
9:00 am ― 10:15 am
National Press Club
Holeman Lounge
529 14th Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20045

Speakers include:

Gaston Caperton, President, The College Board
George Boggs, President, American Association of Community Colleges
Marc S. Herzog, Chancellor, Connecticut Community College System
Charlene Dukes, President, Prince George’s Community College
Ronald Williams, Vice President, The College Board

Space for this free event is limited. To RSVP, please contact fyung@collegeboard.org with your name, affiliation and email address.

The College Board Advocacy & Policy Center
The College Board Advocacy & Policy Center was established to help transform education in America. Guided by the College Board’s principles of excellence and equity in education, we work to ensure that students from all backgrounds have the opportunity to succeed in college and beyond. We make critical connections between policy, research and real-world practice to develop innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges in education today. advocacy.collegeboard.org

National Lab Day Teams With the White House for National Launch

Wed, 12 May 2010 07:51:00 -0700

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 12, 2010

Courtney Cohen
202-777-0677
ccohen@deweysquare.com

Samantha Israel
212-610-5668
samantha@nationallabday.org

NATIONAL LAB DAY TEAMS WITH THE WHITE HOUSE FOR NATIONAL LAUNCH

Multi-Year Initiative ENCOURAGES Hands-On Learning in Schools TO IMPROVE Science and Math education

Washington D.C. - Today, National Lab Day (NLD) joined with Obama Administration officials to participate in hands-on discovery activities at schools throughout the Washington Metropolitan area. As a part of National Lab Day's official launch, today's events highlight the wide range of projects and matches between K-12 classes and experts achieved through the NLD website - www.nationallabdday.org.

Administration officials including Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden; White House Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra; Director, Domestic Policy Council Melody Barnes; Undersecretaries of the Department of Energy Kristina Johnson and Steve Koonin; Director, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) John Holdren and NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenko are participating in classroom projects at Washington, D.C.-area schools to engage students and encourage discovery through hands-on projects in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

"National Lab Day is a phenomenal program which has already brought together more than 4000 volunteers to work with educators and students across the country," said Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. "Too often our students think of math and science as something to read about but today's launch exposes them to new career fields and shows that learning can be fun, hands-on and engaging."

"National Lab Day is proud to bring together partners from the Administration, education, science, and artistic communities to promote inquiry-based learning," said Jack Hidary, National Lab Day Chairman. "Today's launch will benefit students, educators and our local communities by connecting K-12 kids with top experts and enabling them to learn through experimentation and discovery. The collaborations occurring across the country through our website - www.nationallabday.org -- will inspire the next generation of innovators."

National Lab Day is a multi-year initiative launching today. This year-round, nationwide effort promotes hands-on learning through collaborations between K-12 classes and working professionals. The NLD website matches these students for collaboration with scientists, engineers, IT professionals, architects, and other experts who currently work in those fields. Launched in beta this past January, National Lab Day is already working with more than 1,000 schools in all 50 states to promote learning through exploration.

The grassroots effort is in response to President Obama's call to action less than six months ago for federal scientists to get involved in educational opportunities such as the NLD project. The Department of Energy, National Institutes of Health (NIH), NASA, and the National Science Foundation (NSF), NSTA, ACS among others, have all responded to the President's call with direct outreach to their scientific communities and employees.

Governors have also joined in to support National Lab Day, and there are now projects in every state, as well as Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands taking place. In California, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said, "National Lab Day is just what we need to get our kids interested in learning about how the world works and how we can make it a better place."

Partners and sponsors of National Lab Day include the MacArthur Foundation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, National Science Teachers Association, National Institutes of Health, American Chemical Society, National Science Foundation, the Motorola Foundation and HP.

NLD has also partnered with The Creative Coalition to bring arts and entertainment leaders into the classroom in support of hands-on learning. Through this partnership, actors such as James Kyson-Lee, Rachael Leigh Cook, Erin Cummings and The Creative Coalition co-president Tim Daly have joined with students for hands-on discovery learning modules.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation fully supports National Lab Day in a mutual effort to improve the quality of education for students across the country. "The Bill and Melinda Gates foundation applauds National Lab Day for increasing access to math and science education and emphasizing the important role that inquiry-based learning plays in developing a holistic educational environment in our schools," said Steve Barkanic of the Gates Foundation. "The Gates Foundation remains committed to this project and to the fundamental principal that access and exposure will prepare our children to compete in a global economy."

"Practical, hands-on experiences in the science and technology fields help prepare students for these critical needs. STEM issues are more important to our country today than ever in our history," said Former Secretary of Education Richard Riley. "National Lab Day is a great way to put high priority on engaging students in the excitement of science, technology, engineering and mathematics."

Great teaching, volunteerism, and allowing kids to tinker in the classroom are essential ingredients for generating excitement and a desire to learn math and science. Today is a great first step in this multi-year initiative to improve the quality of STEM education that is so critical to America's future" said Hidary.

Leaders who have pledged their support for National Lab Day include several governors such as Martin O'Malley of Maryland, Jennifer Granholm of Michigan, and Beverly Eaves Perdue of North Carolina; as well as several school and university chancellors such as Joel Klein for New York City schools, Robert J. Birgeneau of UC Berkeley, Michelle Drake of UC Irvine, President of the University of California Mark G. Yudof, and Charles Reed of California State University; astronaut and physicist Sally Ride; and Yahoo! CEO Carol Bartz among others. Click HERE to see their statements.

To learn more about National Lab Day, please visit: www.NationalLabDay.Org.

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Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is Here!

Mon, 03 May 2010 09:22:00 -0700

President Obama proclaimed the month of May Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and the festivities have already begun:

APIA Vote is holding a discussion on The New Faces of Leadership at the NEA tonight from 6 - 8 PM with Secretaries Mineta, Locke, Chu, Veterans Affairs Assistant Secretary Tammy Duckworth, and Sonal Shah of the Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation. DSG's Vida Benavides is an Event Chair. For more details, please see: http://www.apiavote.org/newfaces

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke also released this Youtube on AAPI Heritage Month:

Eric Schnure on White House Correspondents' Association Dinner

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 10:39:00 -0700

DSG's Eric Schnure was featured in an ABC News piece on this weekend's White House Correspondents' Association Dinner:

Eric Schnure, a veteran political speechwriter and comedy writer, said that one direction Obama could go is to play off of the recent reports about tense relations between the White House and the reporters who cover it.

"That's safe ground for him to joke about because it touches folks in the audience and it allows him to be self-deprecating, which obviously works so well in these events," Schnure said.

Sure, Obama could go too far - a joke last year about the gathered reporters all voting for him fell a bit flat, perhaps because it hit too close to home to a sensitive press corps.

"That's the secret to all humor, isn't it? Doing that delicate dance," Schnure said. "Finding the right tone and the right balance. I would think that without touching on that or acknowledging that, it because a bit obvious in its absence."

Such routines require a significant amount of preparation, rehearsal and guts. So why do politicians ever agree to do this? Why take a chance at jokes falling flat and routines bombing?

"There is a tradition to doing these things, a prestige to do these kinds of events," Schnure said. "I think the driving force is that politicians are in the business of having people like them and it's not as much getting laughs as it is being liked."

Schnure said that even with a potentially cynical crowd like the Washington press corps, it is still a crowd that wants to see the president pull off a successful comedy bit.

Arts Community Calls on Congress to Suport S.T.E.M. Learning in the Classrooms

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 08:35:00 -0700

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2010

CONTACT: Dennis St. Rose
P: 212-512-8570
DStRose@TheCreativeCoalition.org

CONTACT: Courtney Cohen
P: 202-777-0677
ccohen@deweysquare.com

ARTS COMMUNITY CALLS ON CONGRESS TO SUPPORT S.T.E.M. LEARNING IN THE CLASSROOMS
Members of The Entertainment Community Tout National Lab Day on Capitol Hill - The Year-Long Initiative to Promote Innovation and Discovery for Students in STEM Classes

Washington, D.C. - Today members of The Creative Coalition partnered with National Lab Day (NLD) for a Congressional luncheon to bring attention to the need for student-learning through discovery and exploration, particularly in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office sponsored the event which was held at the Capitol Visitor's Center.

The Creative Coalition and The National Lab Day organization share a strong belief that learning - whether in the arts or in the technical fields - is best achieved through a hands-on approach. Investigation and examination leads to creativity and invention.

"The Creative Coalition is proud to collaborate with National Lab Day in sponsoring today's Congressional luncheon because the same tools used in drama and art classes can be applied in STEM education. We share a common goal to create a holistic learning environment in schools across the country," said Robin Bronk, The Creative Coalition CEO.

Today's luncheon is part of The Creative Coalition's Advocacy Day and featured Co-Presidents Tim Daly and Dana Delany as well as supporters, Tom Fontana, Steven Weber, Adrian Grenier, Patricia Arquette, Omar Epps, Marlon Wayans, Cheryl Hines, Richard Schiff, Wendie Malick, Gloria Reuben, CCH Pounder, and Barry Levinson.

"We are so pleased that The Creative Coalition has joined us in our efforts. Inquiry-based learning allows students to more fully develop problem-solving skills. These young minds are America's next generation of innovators and business leaders. We have an obligation to provide them with the most conducive environment to thrive," said National Lab Day President Jack Hidary. "We hope to build upon this partnership with The Creative Coalition as a way to get students engaged and excited about arts and science and call on Congress to help pave the way with funding and incentives for students."

National Lab Day is Wednesday, May 12th - but the concept is more than just one day. It is a year-round, nationwide effort to encourage collaboration with experts (scientists, engineers, architects, etc.) who currently work in those fields and the classrooms in which those concepts are being taught. National Lab day is working with more than 1,000 schools in all 50 states and building to 10,000 active, collaborative-projects around the country by the end of the year.

The Creative Coalition was founded in 1989 by progressive leaders of the entertainment community who were compelled to use their celebrity to advocate for more comprehensive funding for the arts. Recognizing the importance of arts education in schools, The Creative Coalition brings its members to Capitol Hill annually to better inform Congress of the essential nature of all types of arts education.

The Creative Coalition (www.thecreativecoalition.org) is the premiere 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan social and public advocacy organization of the arts and entertainment community. Founded in 1989 by prominent members of the creative community, The Creative Coalition is dedicated to educating and mobilizing its members on issues of public importance, primarily public education, the First Amendment, and arts advocacy, and is headquartered in New York City.

To learn more about National Lab Day, please visit: www.NationalLabDay.Org.

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Statement from Melanie Hudson, executive director of the Children’s Health Forum, on the Passing of Dr. Hooks

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:36:00 -0700

Today, I join with the Board of the Children’s Health Forum to mourn the loss of our beloved founder and chair, Dr. Benjamin Lawson Hooks, the inspiration and driving force behind our mission to ensure a brighter future for all children. Our thoughts and prayers are with his cherished wife, Frances, and the entire Hooks family.

We also celebrate the life and legacy of a selfless and determined leader, an iconic founding father of the civil rights movement, a champion for justice and fairness, and a voice for the voiceless, that is embodied in his work with the Children’s Health Forum.

When Dr. Hooks created the Children’s Health Forum in 2002, he brought with him a lifetime of wisdom and understanding in how to enact lasting change and impact people’s lives for the better. His leadership on behalf of all people, regardless of race or circumstance, carried forward to the work of CHF, and in partnership with the late Secretary Jack Kemp they molded an organization that fights every day to protect the most vulnerable children and keep them free from the scourge of disease.

Dr. Hooks often remarked, “If I can help somebody along the way, then my living will not have been in vain.” It is impossible to count the numbers of people he helped throughout his life, many of whom may never know his name but will feel his impact every day. The spirit of Dr. Hooks will live on in the lives of so many, and the Children’s Health Forum will redouble ourselves to carrying out our mission inspired by this American hero and friend.

Karen Skelton Makes Capitol Weekly Top 100 List!

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:53:00 -0700

DSG's Karen Skelton made Capitol Weekly's Top 100 List today! And our very own Steve Smith got a pat on the back in the write-up, too:

96. Karen Skelton, Dewey Square Group
Skelton made her mark in Washington as a confidant to Al Gore. But as the head of Dewey's California operation, Skelton has built a practice with close ties to First Lady Maria Shriver. The firm also has close ties to the state labor federation, thanks to Steve Smith, another Dewey principal who brings hard-nosed California campaign experience to the firm.

For the full list, check out: The Capitol Weekly Top 100 List

DSG Honors the Legacy of Dr. Benjamin Hooks

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 08:17:00 -0700

Image courtesy of © CHF

The AP just reported the death of Dr. Benjamin Hooks, founder of The Children's Health Forum, and former executive director of the NAACP. He died early Thursday morning at his home in Tennessee at the age of 85, following a long illness.

Dr. Hooks served in the Army during World War II and used the GI bill to attend DePaul University in Chicago when no law school in the South would admit him. He went on to serve as the first black judge since Reconstruction anywhere in the South on the Tennessee Criminal Court in 1965 and served as the first black FCC commissioner in 1972. In 1977, Hooks became the director of a 200,000-member NAACP facing a $1 million deficit; by the time he left it in 1992, the NAACP was debt free and its membership had grown by several hudred thousand.

For more on Dr. Hooks' remarkable life, please see: Benjamin Hooks Dies; Led N.A.A.C.P.

Dr. Hooks receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President George W. Bush in 2007:

Earth Hour: A Recap

Mon, 12 Apr 2010 09:37:00 -0700

The Capitol building in Albany, New York, during Earth Hour 2010. Credit: © WWF / Emerson.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) turned to DSG in the summer of 2009 to assist with one of their annual premier projects, Earth Hour.

Earth Hour is a global event in which millions of people turn off non-essential lighting for one hour as a symbolic call to action on climate change. With the help of DSG, the 2010 event on March 27 at 8:30 p.m. became the most successful WWF has ever held. Not only did citizens and landmarks participate as usual, but also Governors and State Legislatures who showed their support by dimming the lights in Governors' Residences and State Capitol Buildings.

As a result of DSG's work and utilization of our extensive network of state affiliates, 33 states became official Earth Hour participates - more than five times the number than participated in the past, helping to make the Earth Hour 2010 movement the largest public demonstration to support climate issues in history.

For more information on DSG's work on this project, please email: dc@deweysquare.com.

For more great photos of landmarks around the world participating in Earth Hour, please see the following Boston Globe Earth Hour 2010 post in its Big Picture section: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/03/earth_hour_2010.html.

WaPo: Soaring Hispanic population will have a political impact

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 11:41:00 -0700

David Broder featured National Council of La Raza in a recent piece on the impact the census may have in measuring the Latino community's growing political power. He explores the "mixed signals" Latinos receive from the larger community, through their gains in "health care, children's welfare, and education" as well as the backlash they see on illegal immigration.

The Latinovations team provides communications support to the National Council of La Raza. For more information on Latinovations' work with the NCLR, please email dc@deweysquare.com.

DSG Sacramento Collaborates with California Arts Council

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 05:45:00 -0700

The CA Franchise Tax Board recently announced that the cost for vanity license plates known as Arts Plates is largely tax deductible. DSG Sacramento is teaming up with the California Arts Council to create a campaign to spread the word, as increased revenue from these plates will go directly to the arts in the state that needs it most - California is dead last among all states in per capita funding.

Check out the California Arts Council Web site for more information and get your plate today!

For more information on DSG's work on this project, please contact Sacramento@DeweySquare.com.

Earth Hour is TONIGHT: Lights Out at 8:30 PM

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 06:56:00 -0700

Earth Hour/La Hora Del Planeta is upon us, and it'll be lights out at DSG tonight as we take a stand against climate change. Join us!

Jill Alper Makes 2010 Aristotle Campaign Dream Team!

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 14:34:00 -0700

Jill Alper, a Principal at Dewey Square, received great news today: the 2010 Aristotle Campaign Dream Teams were announced and Jill was one of two campaign managers chosen for the Democratic Dream Team!

"I am thrilled to be the one to tell you that the Aristotle staff has voted you onto the 2010 Aristotle Republican/Democratic Campaign Dream Team," John Aristotle Phillips, CEO of Aristotle International, wrote. "Most everyone nominated had lots of campaign experience and there were many terrific credentials and accomplishments to sift thru. However the deciding factor in most cases had a lot to do with a more basic attribute. We asked ourselves with whom we would most want to work on our next campaign. And that was you."

Congratulations, Jill, on earning the respect of everyone at Aristotle, and even more admiration from your Dewey Square Family!

Cardona Featured on Politico's Health Care Arena

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 13:24:00 -0700

Maria Cardona shares her thoughts on the passage of the Health Care bill in Politico's Health Care Arena:

Tonight's vote is nothing less than a stunning victory for the American people. After more than a year of contentious debate, where opponents of health care reform engaged in exaggerations, misinformation, disinformation and in many cases outright lies, finally legislators came to the conclusion that politics is not about getting elected for the sake of getting re-elected, politics is about making peoples' lives better. And that ideal triumphed today.

Millions of American families will sleep better from here on out knowing they will be able to provide their children health coverage that is affordable and that protects them even if they have a pre-existing condition. It provides millions more with coverage that was out of their financial reach until today. And it reduces the deficit and bends the cost curve of a system that was spiraling out of control and that was putting Americans and America's small businesses on the path of financial ruin if we did nothing.

It was not an easy task or an easy vote but it was an essential task and the right vote for those who voted for it. They and this president have no doubt made history tonight. And Americans will be better off because of it.

CNN: Maria Cardona on Health Care; Maria Cardona Discute la Reforma del Cuidado de Salud

Mon, 22 Mar 2010 08:33:00 -0700

DSG Principal and Head of the Public Affairs practice discusses the importance of passing Health Care Reform on CNN en Español.

Maria Cardona, de la firma el Dewey Square Group/Latinovations y que encabeza la oficina de Asuntos Públicos, discute la importancia de apoyar la reforma del cuidado de salud en la cadena de television CNN en español.

Benavides to be Honored at Ron Brown Center Alumni Dinner

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 09:53:00 -0700

The Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic Development at St. John's University will hold its 12th Annual Dinner on Friday, April 9, 2010. This year marks the 40th Anniversary of Secretary Brown's graduation from St. John's Law School and the honorees, selected by the center and its student organizations, all have a connection with Mr. Brown.

DSG's Vida Benavides, who is being honored by the Asian Pacific American Law Students Association for her work on Civil Rights issues and the AAPI community, worked with Mr. Brown at the Democratic National Committee in the early '90s. Mr. Brown founded the constituency division at the DNC, where Ms. Benavides later served as the Director of Constituency Outreach. "It is because of him that we were able to grow as a party, and I as a person," she stated quite candidly while discussing the dinner.

Other honorees include:

Rodney E. Slater
Partner, Patton Boggs LLP
Black Law Students Association

William A. Ramos
Director of Intergovernmental Affairs
U.S. Department of Commerce
Latin American Law Students Association

Anurag Varma
Of Counsel, Patton Boggs LLP
South Asian Law Students Association

Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP and AXA Equitable Legal Department
Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights
and Economic Development Trailblazer Awards

The Ronald H. Brown Center's mission is to engage in legal studies, research and outreach focusing on issues that affect the lives of underrepresented people while simultaneously educating law students to be leaders on issues of racial, economic and social justice. It is named after Ronald H. Brown, a St. John's law school alumnus, who served as the first African American Secretary of Commerce and the first African American Chair of the Democratic National Committee. Tragically, Secretary Brown lost his life in a plane crash while on a trade mission in 1996.

Ron Brown Scholar Program

St. John's University School of Law

Congratulations to Participant Media on The Cove's Oscar!

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:30:00 -0800

DSG congratulates Dewey Digital client Participant Media on winning an Oscar for Best Documentary Award for their film, The Cove!

Participant Media was founded in 2004 by former ebay executive Jeff Skoll, with the vision of creating quality entertainment about meaningful issues. In 2005, Participant's inagural slate of films included North Country, Syriana, Good Night, And Good Luck and the documentary Murderball. In addition to The Cove, this year's films include The Informant!, starring Matt Damon and Joel McHale, and Food, Inc., which was also nominated for Best Documentary Feature.

Kudos to our friends at Participant Media!

Click here for the acceptance speech.

For more information on Dewey Digital and its work with Participant Media, please contact Heidi Nel at: hnel@deweysquare.com.

I KNOW: DSG Helps CDC Act Against AIDS

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:32:00 -0800

The CDC just launched "I Know", a social media campaign encouraging African-Americans aged 18 to 24 to talk more openly about HIV, at Clark Atlanta University. Part of the CDC's Act Against AIDS initiative, I Know features a PSA, web site, Twitter, Facebook and forthcoming videos to spread its message. There is also a text messaging component, recognizing the most widely used means of communication by this target audience. Dewey Square is proud to be a part of this effort!

For more information, text "IKNOW" to "44144".

Check out the video on Youtube below: