Steve David, the college’s advocacy director, coordinates the trip.

“There’s this thing that I see happen when students go in and touch the legislative process directly,” he said. “That really gives them this sense of efficacy, and also this sense that they belong in these spaces.”

Rochelle Sparks is currently pursuing her master’s degree in social work, focusing on mental health and substance abuse. Her focus on mental health was inspired by her daughter’s struggles, and so she chose to go on the trip to learn more about her options.

“She’s the first one in my family that has been diagnosed [with a mental health condition],” Sparks said of her daughter. “I had no clue of what that looked like, or how I was going to proceed with helping her and supporting her.”

A goal of the program is for individuals to see themselves in new professional spheres. To do this, David said, students choose the issues they want to explore on the trip.

“We ask them, ‘What issues do you care about?’ And then I place them in advocacy groups based on the things they want to talk about,” David said. “It’s us having a plan to give them the structure and the scaffolding to be able to do that work effectively. Their interests drive the issues we pick.”

Once the groups arrive in Washington, they meet with the offices of at least three Ohio elected officials. Altogether, this year’s D.C. Fly-In was able to meet with both Ohio senators and 14 out of the 15 Ohio representatives.

In addition to time with the legislators, the program also focuses on professional development. The College hosts a reception for the students to meet and interact with other university alumni in the area and a DC careers panel to expose students to careers in government and advocacy. 

“One of the coolest things for me was that this was the first year that folks that had been on the trip with us before, are now working in some of these legislative offices,” David said.

For Sparks, the trip has helped her better realize what she wants to do with her education. She’s gained a greater understanding of how the legislative process works and the options she has going forward.  

“As I took this trip and I learned, I was excited about this space and what I see myself doing at the federal level,” she said.

The program is impactful and continues to inspire students to do what they are passionate about. Sparks encourages any interested social work student to participate.

“With the guidance of this team, we are put in spaces that I don’t think a lot of people are very knowledgeable about, but that they can make a difference in,” Sparks said.  

David said this program is what Ohio State is all about.

“This [is] ‘Education for Citizenship.’ This is how we teach students, by giving them the opportunity to actually touch these systems,” he said. “This is how education happens: letting students take things they care about and talk about them directly.”

Pending Ohio State Board of Trustees approval, the university will lease the property and Battelle will provide funding to renovate the historic former Indianola Middle School at 420 E. 19^th Ave. Under a ground-lease, Metro Schools would operate the building as a middle and high school, adding a second location to its portfolio for a public STEM school – science, technology, engineering and math. The organization also operates the Metro Early College High School at 1929 Kenny Road in Columbus.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the university to partner with the State of Ohio, Battelle and Metro Schools to reopen a beautiful building near our own campus and invest in the future of STEM,” said Jay Kasey, senior vice president, Ohio State’s Office of Administration and Planning. “Ohio State looks forward to continuing to work with neighborhood representatives to bring this positive addition to the University District.”

Metro’s Kenny Road location will become an elementary school after the Indianola building is renovated and opened in 2024.

Ohio State purchased the former Indianola Middle School in 2017. The former city school had been vacant since 2010. Under the proposed agreement, Ohio State will lease the school that sits on 9.38 acres to Metro Schools for 30 years at no cost. Pending approval from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, Battelle and the commission will provide matching $15 million investments to renovate the building for its new use.

“Our founder envisioned an enterprise that leveraged science to reinvest in our community’s future,” said Wes Hall, Battelle’s vice president of philanthropy and education. “Metro Schools inspires and prepares students to enter today’s STEM economy and the project announced today lays the groundwork for a new expansion of that vision to help more students succeed.”

When open, the school will educate up to 1,200 students; the Kenny Road Metro school educates 970 students. Seats will be held for students who reside within the University District. Metro Schools also maintains a student body made up of 50% of students from the Columbus City School district. Interested families can sign up for notification about future enrollment opportunities here.

“We believe every student deserves a quality STEM education,” said Meka Pace, superintendent of Metro Schools. “This new opportunity, made possible by our founding partners, will mean more young people from this growing, diverse community can join our Metro family.”

Metro’s expansion is part of Battelle’s philanthropic mission to offer STEM educational opportunities to students in central Ohio. Metro opened in 2006 as one of the first STEM schools in Ohio through a partnership with Ohio State, Battelle and some Franklin County school districts. Students from all over central Ohio apply to join the school, which has a diverse student body, recorded a 100% graduation rate since opening, and has seen almost all graduates enroll in college.

Indianola Middle School was designed by Howard Dwight Smith, the architect of the Ohio Stadium “Horseshoe,” St. John Arena, Columbus City Hall and many other buildings of note on campus and in Columbus. It opened in 1909 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

“Secretary Fudge’s decades of work to protect and uplift the most vulnerable among us, advance social justice and expand opportunity exemplifies our university’s motto: ‘Education for Citizenship,’” said President Kristina M. Johnson. “She is a true inspiration to her fellow Buckeyes and to the next generation of civic leaders; our entire Ohio State family is honored to be entrusted with the important record of her legacy of public service and civic activism.”

The Fudge collection includes materials related to the secretary’s terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, including legislative files, correspondence, speeches, audiovisual materials and artifacts. 

Fudge earned her bachelor’s degree in business from Ohio State and law degree from the Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall School of Law. She is a past national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a member of its Greater Cleveland Alumnae Chapter.

During her time in Congress, Fudge focused on legislation related to voter protection, equitable access to quality public education, child nutrition programs and access to healthy food, and civil and human rights. Before serving in Congress, Fudge served in the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office and was elected the first African American and first female mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio. 

Fudge’s papers will become part of the Ohio Public Policy Archives (OPPA), a special collection of the Ohio State University Libraries. OPPA compiles, preserves and makes accessible the unique historical materials documenting the immediate and long-term impact of Ohio members of the U.S. Congress. 

The Fudge collection will be open to students, faculty and the general public for research five years following the secretary’s departure from public office and after the papers have been sorted and arranged by archivists. 

For further information, contact Carly Dearborn, Public Policy Archivist, at 614-247-1605 or dearborn.8@osu.edu.

In written testimony, the university’s 16th president acknowledged the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the state’s budget and thanked Gov. Mike DeWine and lawmakers for the commitment to higher education.

“The operating budget before you is an important component for Ohio’s higher education institutions as we produce more and more graduates who are eager to make their marks in the world and have the skills they need for the jobs of tomorrow that will power Ohio’s economy in the 21st century,” she wrote.

Johnson reported to the committee that the university has been open for in-person learning since autumn 2020 and plans to expand campus activity in the fall. She said the university remains committed to delivering an affordable education to develop graduates who will meet the demands of the state’s future workforce.

“For example, the newly minted bachelor of science in engineering technology degree will help Ohio businesses fill plant manager roles with specific needed skillsets,” she wrote.

Johnson advocated for some modifications to the budget to support the university’s mission. She requested that funding for State Share of Instruction (SSI), the main source of legislative support to Ohio State for operating costs associated with teaching and learning, increase by the rate of inflation each year of the two-year budget. The proposed budget would increase the SSI subsidy by 1.0% in the first year and 0.9% in the second year of the biennium.

The proposed budget includes an increase of $500 per eligible student in the Ohio College Opportunity Grant (OCOG) program over two years. Johnson asked lawmakers to provide OCOG eligible students a $500 increase in each of the two fiscal years.

Johnson requested that funding for the university’s Cooperative Extension program and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) remain at current levels, and also recommended current-level support for the Ohio Sea Grant Program, which works to protect Lake Erie and coastal resources in the state.

Johnson also requested that funding for clinical teaching and clinic support programs remain at current levels.

Finally, Johnson asked for continued public support for the university’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Johnson noted more than 80% of practicing veterinarians in Ohio graduated from the college.

“I would remind the committee The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine is the only vet med college in Ohio, and I ask that you retain this appropriation,” she explained.

The Ohio State University has teamed up with the City of Columbus and Legal Aid Society on “Opportunity Port,” a project to empower those with criminal records to begin the record sealing process. The project is being developed as the university’s finalist in the Alliance for the American Dream competition.

Opportunity Port will be an online and mobile-friendly platform to help those with criminal records easily get help to seal those records. Starting in Franklin County, Opportunity Port plans to increase the number of record-sealing applications submitted from 1,500 in 2019 to 15,000 by 2022.

The Opportunity Port project can help many people access their rights and eliminate barriers, according to Hannah Miller, Opportunity Port team lead and legislative assistant with the City of Columbus and the Legal Aid Society of Columbus.

“Discriminatory enforcement and policies in the criminal justice system account for the disproportionate number of Black and Brown residents with criminal records," said Miller. "The consequences of that record persist – landlords won’t rent to you, the government won’t lend you money for college and most employers won’t hire you. It's a vicious cycle that exacerbates racial inequality.”

Miller says filing a record-sealing application is complicated and requires information and skills that many citizens do not possess. And even though sealing records results in higher wages, housing security and increased economic productivity, fewer than 7 percent of those eligible apply.

Miller works for Columbus City Council member Rob Dorans, who says the Opportunity Port project can help fill a tremendous need in the community.

“In early 2019, I volunteered at a Clean Slate Clinic, and when I showed up there were hundreds of prospective clients, rather than our typical few dozen,” said Dorans. “Apparently, the invite for the clinic went viral on Facebook and folks packed the basement of the Legal Aid office trying to get help. Right there I knew there had be a better way to get people in the pipeline for record sealing.

“That’s when the idea for Opportunity Port was born and when I joined Columbus City Council a few months later I began working with local leaders and policy experts about how we could create something here in Columbus to meet the need of the community and hopefully help folks move beyond their past mistakes.”

Ohio State’s Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity is also a partner in the project. Kyle Strickland, senior legal adviser at the Kirwan Institute, says initiatives are needed to make it easier and not harder to for people to reenter society.

The Kirwan Institute will conduct research and evaluation on the project.

“When people use the app, they’re going to plug in their information and we’ll track key factors like wages, employment status and other measures of socioeconomic health, before and after they seal their record,” said Strickland. “We’ll see if the intervention of Opportunity Port has made a difference.”

Ohio State is one of four public universities participating in The Alliance for the American Dream, a collaboration created by Schmidt Futures aimed at generating innovative ideas to bolster the middle class. Other partner universities are Arizona State and the universities of Utah and Wisconsin.

Schmidt Futures is a philanthropic initiative, founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt, that finds exceptional people and helps them do more for others together. The organization knits talent into networks, bet on the most promising ideas through diverse forms of competition and support, and equip people to scale through partners and modern tools.

Over the next two months, the finalists from each university will continue to refine their proposals. They will present their projects to Schmidt Futures on Sept. 10. 

Teams of community members and Ohio State faculty began working on developing proposals for the competition in late 2019. The ideas were presented during ‘The Evening of Big Ideas,” in January. In addition to Opportunity Port, the other Ohio State semi-finalists selected to move forward after the January presentations included “119 Power to the Patient” and “Readyskill”.

With this second cycle of grant funding, Ohio State will continue to provide high-quality early childhood education and services to Columbus families in low-income households through 2024.

In 2014, Congress appropriated $500 million to fund Early Head Start Child Care Partnership grants nationwide, including $16.5 million to Ohio State, with a goal of partnering with existing child care centers and family child care home providers to raise the quality of early childhood education in the most vulnerable neighborhoods with the highest rates of poverty.

Housed in the Schoenbaum Family Center, Ohio State’s partnership program, known as OSU-EHS, has gained national attention for its unique model, and was featured in January by the Bipartisan Policy Center as one of the top 12 programs in the nation.

“Our staff is passionate about this work and believe that all children, regardless of their zip code or life circumstances, deserve high-quality early education and supportive services to create a successful start in life,” said OSU-EHS director Sherrie Sutton.

The program serves 160 children in 11 child care centers and eight family child care homes. In addition, families of the children also receive comprehensive support through OSU-EHS’ network of 19 university and community agency partners.

By leveraging experts within the community, OSU-EHS is able to provide comprehensive services to address the holistic needs of families, an important two-generation approach proven to improve outcomes for young children. With 80% of the enrolled families earning $800 or less per month, social workers assist with connecting families to critical resources as well as educational and workforce development opportunities while also providing counseling and crisis intervention services.

OSU-EHS also provides significant support to the child care and home partners. In addition to enhanced funding, OSU-EHS has purchased classroom furniture and materials, curriculum and playgrounds for each center. With a focus on quality, the program offers professional development alongside practice-based coaches who work with classroom teachers. For the last three years, the home providers were sent to the National Association for Family Child Care Conference, where one attendee said, “I finally feel like I am part of something and am respected as a professional.” As the program enters the next five-year cycle, 84% of the program’s child care centers and home providers are rated in Ohio’s Step Up to Quality rating system at three stars or higher, and 55 of the teachers have advanced their education.

Reflecting on her time in Ohio State’s Early Head Start program, one mother said that she came into the program during a time when her family was facing many challenges, including homelessness.

“I am a single mother with two children, a toddler and a preschool-aged child. (My family) faced many challenges in 2017. I know that there are many other single parents facing similar challenges to those I experienced. Unfortunately, many times we slip between the cracks and don’t receive the assistance we need.

“I felt empowered because I knew that despite all of my struggles, I was able to keep (my children) in a stable learning environment. I had the peace of mind of knowing that they were receiving high-quality child care. I feel truly blessed to have been a recipient of this program and I look forward to continue watching my children flourish under their care.”

In addition to numerous community partners, Ohio State units involved in the collaborative program include the College of Education and Human Ecology, College of Nursing, College of Optometry, Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic and Nisonger Center.

By Jay L. Zagorsky, The Ohio State University 

(Note: Zagorsky is currently at Boston University.)

John Adams believed the fourth of July should be filled with ‘illuminations from one end of this continent to the other.’ AP Photo/Richard W. Rodriguez

In the eyes of many Americans, the Fourth of July is a day for parades, barbecues and, of course, fireworks.

The tradition got its start at the beginning of our nation’s history after the Founding Fathers met in Philadelphia to write and sign the Declaration of Independence. A day after the Continental Congress adopted the declaration on July 4, 1776, John Adams – soon the second U.S. president – penned a letter to his wife Abigail, declaring that Independence Day “ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shews, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more.”

One year later, Philadelphia celebrated the anniversary with fireworks – or “illuminations,” to Adams – plus a parade commemorating Independence Day.

So with that in mind, here are four fascinating sets of facts about fireworks.

Firework use is growing

Americans shoot off almost 1 pound of fireworks each year for every adult.

And this figure has grown rapidly in recent years, from half a pound per adult in 2000. In 1976, the United States’ bicentennial, the figure was just one-sixth of a pound annually.

A reason for the big increase is the steady reduction in state prohibitions against individuals using fireworks. Today only Massachusetts completely prohibits individuals from owning and using any type of fireworks. The other states all allow usage in some form.

The most recent states to allow fireworks are New Jersey, Delaware and Iowa, whose new law legalizes fireworks around the 4th of July and New Year’s Eve only.

Fireworks are also illegal in many urban areas, like New York City.

Because states are now permitting individuals to purchase and possess fireworks, there has been a large shift from professional to amateur use. Back in 2000, roughly one-third of all fireworks were set off during professional displays, the kind that light the skies of cities around the world on holidays like New Year’s Eve and national celebrations. By 2017, professional displays comprised less than 10 percent.

Sparklers cause a large share of fireworks-related injuries. Maria Symchych/Shutterstock.com

Firework prices have fallen

Just because more regular Americans have been shooting off fireworks doesn’t mean prices have surged. The vast majority of the fireworks shot off in the United States are manufactured overseas, mainly in China.

Each shipment of fireworks brought into the U.S. includes a detailed invoice that shows the price the importer paid. These invoices show fireworks prices, after adjusting for inflation, are cheaper today than in the mid-1990s.

In 1996 it cost about $1.37 in today’s terms to import 1 pound of fireworks. By 2017 the price had fallen to just $1.13 a pound. That means pound-for-pound fireworks are less than half the price of the hot dogs many people are grilling this 4th.

Accidents and injuries

Fireworks are dangerous – hence the reason so many states had banned them previously.

And as we’ve exploded more bottle rockets, firecrackers and Roman candles, fireworks-related injuries have increased as well, though they are still far below the rates we saw back in the mid-1980s when cities and states began banning their usage.

Back in 1986, fireworks injured about 6.6 out of every 100,000 people. Since 1986, injuries have steadily fallen as government regulations made them safer. In 2008, the rate was down to 2.3 people.

But as states have relaxed restrictions, the injuries have started increasing again. The latest figures for 2017 show a rate of 4 people per 100,000.

In addition, there’s also a big gender divide in who suffers the most injuries. Men experienced about 70 percent of fireworks-related injuries for the one-month period from June 18 to July 18, 2017.

Beyond such statistics, however low, every year there are horrible stories of both children and adults being maimed and killed. So it’s always important to exercise caution when lighting what amounts to a low-yield missile.

Fireworks now must meet higher standards

One reason that injury rates have fallen in the first place is because of the federal government’s Consumer Product Safety Commission.

This organization regulates fireworks under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. It banned the sale of the most dangerous fireworks, such as M-80s and cherry bombs, in the 1960s.

Today, it is working to lower injury rates again by requiring manufacturers to adhere to higher standards. In February 2017, for instance, the commission passed several of what I believe are common sense regulations for firework manufacturers to make their products safer.

For example, faulty fuses have caused many injuries, such as when some burned rapidly and ignite a rocket too quickly, preventing the holder from moving away in time. Other fuses actually take too long to ignite, leading people to investigate whether it needs to be relit just as the firework explodes in their face. So the commission now requires all fuses to ignite fireworks three to nine seconds after being lit.

The commission also now requires fireworks to have bases that are wider and support more weight so they do not tip over after being ignited. This prevents fireworks from firing off horizontally, becoming missiles that bounce along the ground and potentially hit spectators.

It also now bans hazardous materials like lead from the powder inside fireworks. This ensures people downwind from the explosions are not poisoned by breathing the smoke.

Common sense

As more states loosen restrictions on fireworks this Fourth of July, millions more people will follow the exhortations of John Adams and celebrate by shooting off “illuminations.”

But if you do plan to shoot off a few rockets or more advance fireworks, use some common sense, especially if children are around.

Whether you are lighting fireworks, watching them explode above you or just hiding from the noise, try to have a fun and safe Independence Day.

This is an updated version of an article originally published on June 29, 2017.

Jay L. Zagorsky, Economist and Research Scientist, The Ohio State University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

It is a summer tradition for President Michael V. Drake to travel around the state with students, staff and supporters of Ohio State.

Drake surprised new students at the Red Pig Inn in Ottawa to get the tour underway. He spoke to students, guests of the restaurant and staff at the family-owned barbeque restaurant.

For students on the tour, it’s a chance to learn more about the state and show appreciation for those who love the university.

“The state tour is really an opportunity to go out into the communities, go to local businesses, do service projects and reach out to alumni to really show that we appreciate them and all they do for Ohio State and really see what makes up the state of Ohio,” said Megan Schmidt, a third-year new media and communication technology major.

The caravan celebrated the university’s sesquicentennial at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library and Museums in Fremont. Ohio State has scheduled a series of events during the 2019-2020 academic year to mark the 150th anniversary of the university’s founding.

The event at the Hayes library was a fitting part of that celebration. In 1870, when Hayes was Ohio’s governor, he pushed Ohio General Assembly to create a land-grant university under the Morrill Act.

“We’ve stayed true to that mission of being able to be a place where the sons and daughters of the people of our community could be educated in ways that would allow us to advance that community forward,” Drake said.

Drake’s visit to Mercy Health – Tiffin Hospital is part of a partnership to help improve the health of citizens in the Buckeye state.

In November 2018, Ohio State and Mercy Health launched the Healthy State Alliance to tackle Ohio’s critical health needs. The new partnership is addressing the opioid epidemic and increasing access to cancer and transplant care.

The tour also included a stop at the North Central Agricultural Research Station in Fremont, where scientists are working to improve core Ohio crops – tomatoes in particular. Work there has included research to develop tomato varieties high in lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that may reduce the risk of prostate and other cancers. Those tomatoes are being used by Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center in their work to find better ways to prevent and treat disease.

The research station also focuses on managing pests, plant diseases and weeds and finding profitable crops and varieties for farmer partners in the state. For instance, research there has helped growers and food processors identify high-quality cabbages for Ohio’s sauerkraut industry.

Stops at the Campbell Soup Supply Company facility in Napoleon and at Marathon Petroleum’s corporation headquarters in Findlay allowed tour travelers to learn more about businesses that support Ohio. For some students on the tour, it was eye-opening.

“I’m not originally from Ohio. I came straight from home to Columbus and I haven’t seen what the rest of Ohio looks like,” said Amun Mehta, a second-year operations management major. “To really interact with the communities around me, it’s been totally life-changing. I think I had a severe lack of appreciation for how much they really do for us. It was really cool to figure out what goes on behind the scenes and what makes us who we truly are.”

The first leg of this summer’s state tour wrapped up with a stop for ice cream at Jer-Zee Drive-In in Marion. The second leg of the state tour is scheduled for early August. Drake will also be on the road next week with the university’s annual Roads Scholars Tour.