Critical Value The Urban Institute

Vaccines work -- but they only work if people get them. How can communities make sure that as many of their residents get vaccinated as possible? Host Justin Milner talks with Urban Institute researcher Leandra Lacy; Luis Garcia, director of technology and analytics at El Buen Samaritano; and Treshika Melvin, advocacy, training, and power building director at Springboard to Opportunities, about how to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence, especially in areas where racial and ethnic disparities exist. This episode was produced with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Related Links: Partnering for Vaccine Equity Leveraging Community Expertise to Advance Health Equity Emerging Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic for Building Urban Health Equity

Equitable community engagement and development can seed systems change that supports long-term health and well-being within communities. Host Justin Milner talks with Urban Institute researcher Laudy Aron; Maggie Super Church, vice president for healthy and resilient communities at the Conservation Law Foundation; Vedette Gavin, senior research consultant at the Conservation Law Foundation; and Robyn Gibson, resident researcher and site coordinator for the Healthy Neighborhoods Study, about what equitable community engagement and development looks like in practice. This episode was produced with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
 
Related Links:
Blame Policies, Not Places, for Poor Health
What’s Different When the Community Collects the Data?
Driving Systems Change Forward: Leveraging Multisite, Cross-Sector Initiatives to Change Systems, Advance Racial Equity, and Shift Power
Mutual Accountability Is the Key to Equity-Oriented Systems Change
Healthy Neighborhoods Equity Fund
Healthy Neighborhoods Study
New Insights On How Philanthropy Can Improve Community Health

All young people need support and a runway to independence to develop into thriving adults. For those without this support, that’s where public safety net programs come in⁠—but the safety net has substantial gaps and barriers that make access challenging for young people. Host Justin Milner talks with Urban researcher Heather Hahn, young people who’ve interacted with the safety net, and employees at youth-serving organizations to understand how to improve safety net programs for 14-to-24-year-olds in ways that meet their basic needs and build on their strengths.
Related Links:
Young People and the Safety Net
Young People’s Lived Experiences with Safety Net Programs: Insights from Young People and Youth-Serving Organizations
Understanding the Challenges Young People Face in Navigating the Safety Net

As the nation aims to recover from the pandemic, policymakers have the opportunity to implement policies that build toward a more inclusive, equitable society. Host Justin Milner talks with Urban Institute researcher Kimberly Burrowes; Jon Kher Kaw, senior urban development specialist at the World Bank; Ernesto Falcon, senior legislative counsel at the Electronic Frontier Foundation; and Richard Sewell, deputy director for digital infrastructure for the Welsh government, about how innovative policies and programs from abroad could inform initiatives in the United States. This episode was produced with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Related Links:   
From the Streets to Citizen Spaces 
Lessons from Superfast Cymru for Broadband Access in the United States 
Lessons from Abroad for an Inclusive Recovery from the COVID-19 Pandemic 

Registered tech apprenticeship programs create vital pathways for diverse candidates to enter the tech industry, supplying companies with needed talent while advancing the crucial industry goals to cultivate an inclusive tech workforce. Host Justin Milner talks with Urban Institute researchers Diana Elliott and Fernando Hernandez-Lepe; apprentices Chrystal Yeoman and Jed Beddo; and Sarah Boisvert, founder and CEO of Fab Lab Hub and New Collar Network in Santa Fe, New Mexico, about common challenges stakeholders face when developing tech apprenticeships, how tech apprenticeships can address skills and opportunity mismatches between employers and workers, and how apprenticeships can increase diversity in the tech industry.

It’s been 17 months since the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed our lives. It has been difficult, but we have found some outlets helped us reflect on, and even escape, our current reality. On this episode with guest host Jacinth Jones, you’ll hear from Urban staff about the books, miniseries and podcasts that have been getting them through since March 2020.
Related Links:
WandaVision, The Death of Vivek Oji, The Vanishing Half, The Kite Runner, The Atomic Habits, A Gentleman in Moscow, Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, Maintenance Phase, The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Let the Record Show: A Political History of ACT Up New York, 1987 to 1993