Newsletter
Disrupt Issue
Summer 2023
Truth and Consequences
America has been experiencing a period of mass supervision, and it’s due time for a disruption. As of December 31, 2016, 6.6 million adults were being supervised by the U.S. correctional system. With the highest incarceration rates in the world, it’s no wonder we are a global phenomenon to other nations. But what can research do to tackle one of the machines most supported by poverty in America?
Up at Night
"I’m sure you’ve heard us LEO folks refer to our provider partners as 'poverty’s fiercest adversaries.' Certainly true. But at least for the rest of this issue, let’s think of them as 'poverty’s fiercest disruptors.' Innovative organizations bringing solutions to upend poverty and brave enough to put those solutions to the test."
Calling Poverty's Fiercest Adversaries
We have been busy leading our newest Cohort of partners through the research design process. This summer, our partners presented their completed research designs at Workshop 2, which is all about our partners taking a moment to share the incredible work they’ve done to this point, the ins and outs of their intervention, and why they are committed to building evidence. Here’s a look at each of these 11 awesome organizations!
What the Experts Say
The Evidence Movement is working thanks to bipartisan support and the dedication of social service providers.
Research, by design, is meant to ask and answer questions. A big or, perhaps, THE big question in U.S. social policy is: what works to reduce poverty? Evidence-building, an actionable form of research, has gained traction in the past decade. The idea is to find innovative ways to improve the lives of vulnerable populations, test for impact, and, if proven effective, scale programs broadly and widely.
Future Learnings
Child maltreatment and foster care are factors that predict a dismal cycle of intergenerational poverty and instability. Here at LEO, we have the privilege of partnering with several providers who have designed inventive, community-based solutions that counteract these patterns, and disrupt the cycle of poverty for children in foster care.
Forming the Future
The intern dungeon—as we have affectionately dubbed the basement room where LEO interns sit each day—is full of the most interesting economics majors that I have ever met.
Leah loves philosophy. Clara is a Chinese double major, and Halle talks in Spanish half the day to keep her skills sharp. We have two applied mathematics majors, one of whom also added an art history minor. In addition to discussing LEO projects on housing or education, we fill our afternoons by contemplating the question hovering over all our heads: “How will we use our academic interests to forge a meaningful career path?”
Force for Good
A collection of a few short highlights on the latest LEO happenings.
