My bureaucratic 'task' was the process of getting a restraining order.

Briefly summarize the bureaucratic 'task' that you selected.

Narcissa and I decided to open an Italian restaurant. We filled out papers necessary to have a business, selling, and having a license.

Give an overview of your process

First we filled out registration for our tax number to fill out the business license. Those are important to own a building and cash checks. Then we filled out the DBA, the Fictitious Name of our restaurant, then the EIN, Employer Identification Number is important if you want people working under your business. Afterwards we completed the Seller's Permit to sell things at our business.

Reflect upon the paperwork that you needed to fill out. Was it straightforward, easy, difficult, perplexing, etc.

Our paperwork wasn't hard, it was straightforward to complete.

If you could change one thing about the bureaucratic process that you flow charted, what would it be and why?

Something I would change is to lower the prices for all the documents needed for a selling business. I'm sure it's hard for small businesses to start because of money.

Why do you think the systems have become so complicated?

I think it became complicated so people who are dedicated to their business will work hard to start it. Owners who do things carelessly is wasting money.

Other thoughts, reflections, feedback.

It was hard to find the documents online to fill out.

Flow Chart: Applying for Welfare benefits

Welfare: How Do I Get On Welfare?

Eligibility: To be eligible for welfare, one must be a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted to the country for permanent residence, have little to no income. When a person applies for welfare, his/her citizenship is reviewed as well as each household member before access can be granted. A social securities number is required for all applicants. Social securities numbers will be needed not only for the applicant, but the each member living in the household of the applicant.  Work requirement vary depending on the state an applicant. Some states provide work and/or training programs. Work is not always required for some applicants. For example, an individual in a single-parent household, with a child under 12 months old, may be temporarily excused from work requirements. Temporarily or permanently disabled recipients, and those involved in substance abuse programs are also excused from work. Applicants attending college may be exempt from work as long as their education meets welfare requirements.

Application Process: all applicants must complete the welfare application. You may download the application, then mail for processing. Or, you can find your nearest “human services” or welfare office and fill out an application in person. An online application is also available.  If you need help with the application, contact your caseworker for assistance. Your caseworker will tell you which programs you are eligible for. Some programs may require documentation to prove your income, bills, marital status, and other information. After you’ve submitted all necessary documentation along with your application to your caseworker, he/she will submit the paperwork and let you know if you are eligible.

http://www.lucidchart.com/documents/view/4d07be86-c19c-4c33-8639-52000af90ae1

Adoption Flow Chart

My partner and I decided to choose adoption for our bureaucratic task. We first researched Adoption. We looked for steps and qualifications. We tried to find paper work but to receive the paperwork you have to contact an agency. The way the paperwork was described seemed difficult but within reason. There is a lot to do. Regardless of how awesome you may think your family is or how perfect you filled out paperwork the agency and lawyers have almost all of the say if you’re a good fit for adopting a child. 

If I could change anything about my bureaucratic function and the process, I would want to contact a person who adopted a child.  This would give me a chance to get a more realistic point of view on adoption and get information about the process that wasn’t available from researching.

From Dianna:

"Every child in every school in the US will have the opportunity to become a new global citizen"- that is what we believe at NGC (www.newglobalcitizens.org) and that's what I'll be sharing about next Monday, Dec. 20th.  Leadership takes many forms and develops many skills; but  leadership at an international service level is in many ways one of the highest levels one can partake in.  We'll be facilitating a discussion on accomplished international leaders of all ages and across all borders.  We'll define what it means to be an international leader.  And we'll discuss what it takes to step up and become a leader- to create positive change- right here, right now.

Today's students aren't the leaders of the future....they are leaders TODAY."

X and Y bands, Scaer Library, Feel free to eat your lunch while you listen.

For my third recipe I made Arroz Con Leche. This was the hardest recipe I made. I think that I may have messed up on the directions when I made it because the consistency was very liquidly, like soup, when was supposed to be thick, like pudding. I think it was like this because it didnt cool before I served it, if I had let it cool it might have thickened up more. I hope you enjoy my post!

Recipe provided by: http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/02/arroz-con-leche-rice-pudding/

Ingredients:

- 1 cup long grain rice

- 2 cinnamon sticks

- 2 strips lemon zest

- 3 whole cloves

- 4 cups water

- 1 egg

- 3 cups whole milk

- 1/4 teaspoon salt

- 1 tablespoon vanilla

-1 can condensed milk

Step 1: Soak rice, cinnamon sticks, lemon zest, cloves, and water in a sauce pan for an hour

Step 2: After one hour, heat the rice on high until it boils, then turn it to a simmer and let it cook for 10-12 more minutes.

Step 3: While the rice is cooking beat the egg in a bowl and add the milk. Mix well. 

Step 4: Add the milk and egg mixture, condensed milk, salt, and vanilla extract to the rice for 25-35 minutes or until desired consistency. 

Step 5: Enjoy!

P.S. I suggest going to the link I posted to see what the arroz con leche was supposed to look like. 

The Entrepreneur’s Pyramid of Success: 

Building Blocks for Winning in Entrepreneurship

The Science Leadership Academy Boys Basketball team registered their first victory of the season on Tuesday with a win over the Arts Academy @ Benjamin Rush, 71-52. SLA was led by junior Sam Kabangai with 16 points and junior Tyler Hankinson with 13 points and 10 assists. SLA was leading at halftime 33-24, and then put the game away, out-scoring Rush 22-12 in the third quarter.

Come out and cheer on SLA on Friday, Dec. 17th as the Rockets take on Douglass. Go SLA!

Photo: Freshman Sterling Perry lays it up against Rush. (Photo credit: Ayanna Robinson)

Dear Senator Anthony Williams,     

          My name is Morgan Craig-Williams, and I am a senior at Science Leadership Academy. I live in Southwest Philadelphia and from what I believe you represent me.  This message is in regard to the trash that clutters the street within your jurisdiction. I am concerned about what our streets may look like in 3 years from now if we don’t take care of the problem. I feel like a lot of people have overviewed this situation before yet none have really addressed it, which is why I wanted to let you know there are teenagers who really want to help make a difference.     I would like a cleaner Philadelphia and want the trash clean up just as rigorous in the urban areas as they are in the city. We have the resources to make that happen even if there are a couple of community service projects put in place to clean up one street at a time.    I am willing to put together a group within my school’s community but I can’t do it all by myself. I believe with help from you and getting the right resources to advertise, this can become a wonderful thing. Lots of time you see kid sin jail suits cleaning up parks, community service for punishment. I want teenagers and adults even children to be able to walk along their streets a not have to be worried about stepping on a dirty needles or junk food trash.     Please consider what I am trying to start in my community; I would be very thankful if you took time out of your busy schedule to review all options.

            Sincerely,

                            Morgan Craig-Williams

              To further my lobbying for a cleaner Philadelphia, I was thinking about talking to someone from Build-On. Maybe teaming up with an already established community service project and making an event through them would be better than starting form scratch.

Parents, students and teachers are all invited to hear the ensemble play and to enjoy refreshments afterwards.

It’s almost time to begin to take action.  I’ve gather the information and the motivation, now all that is left is to put the plan into motion to make sure they do not lower the drinking age too 25.  After finding out a lot of information, I have come to the conclusion that the best way to reach the senate is through rallies and demonstrations.  I chose this because I’ve seen other forms of gaining attention in action, such as petitions, phone calls and emails, and I know from personal experience that using such methods in this situation would only delay the process.

The 1^st thing I plan to do is spread the word about my cause.  There can’t be a rally if people don’t know what they’re rallying for.  The second thing I need to do is draw the attention of the media.  Although some people may disagree with this at first, any publicity is good Publicity. The next thing I would do is search for a good time and date to have the rally and where.  There are many factors for this so I need to think carefully.  Because my father knows Mayor Nutter, I might be able to get him to support me or help me in some manner when doing this for real. As time marches on the  and the days for until this project insues, im growing more anxious for the day to arrive. 

Another approach worthy of consideration, nay, of being enacted is to create little, adorable, perhaps comical films to be put on youtube. This will spread awareness and hopefully interest in the matter. This will lead to a meeting with various relevant people solidifying the explanation of its importance, a meeting that will involve the lawmakers to whom I have been sending letters. (Most likely just one letter, perchance two if pushed to such limits.)

One other approach I am considering to spread the word is a Dear Stranger campaign. I place festively designed envelopes with letters inside telling of my cause throughout the city and allow curious individuals to peak inside. I am tossing the idea around.

So far we have not received any responses. Until we do, we will keep sending emails. We are starting small and hopefully we will soon enough be able to contact Arne Duncan, Bob Brady, Mayor Nutter, & Arlene Ackerman directly.

We are writing to discuss the current voting system on both a National and State level.  As young adults, we are new to the voting process, and concerned with voter turnout.  We believe that voter turnout is significantly tied to voting accessibility.  Analyzing the PA voting system, as well as contrasting it with that of others, we have developed a few suggestions for improvement.  Respectfully, we hope you will take them into due consideration.  

State Elections are held on the same day as National election, the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November.  Most people are not aware why voting is held on this day, but we are.  Tuesday was nationally standardized as (Vice-) Presidential election day in 1845 by law, and smaller elections followed suit.  It was designated as such for reasons that are not applicable today.  That Tuesday was meant to be convenient for citizens of the time, and chosen because it would not interfere with any religious observances and was the day before market day.  Due to the fact that it took so long to travel, most people were already in town.  

However, this method is completely outdated and no longer serves the practical function that it did in 1845.  Voter turnout is suffering.  When a system allows for more lenience, people will respond.  In the 2002 general election, Pennsylvania was ranked 40th in voter turnout, whereas Oregon ranked 6th.  Oregon utilizes mail-in voting, a much more flexible system.  

Recently, several states have either adopted or introduced voting reform.  One example in particular stood out to us.  San Francisco just passed a piece of legislation, “Proposition 1,” which would enable polls to open on the Saturday preceding. Those who found it inconvenient to vote during the day Tuesday, could instead vote on the weekend. New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg responded enthusiastically with his own support and own proposal. He wants to include early voting to make the system more flexible.  Pennsylvania could work in a likewise manner.  If Pennsylvania adopted a similar policy, voter turnout would improve greatly.

It would behove our State to have a voter system like this, and it would make voting for both us and the general public a much easier process.  Consider suggesting this plan, and PA will be grateful.  

Sincerely,

Sophia Moreno

&
Robert Glynn

Robbie and I are humorously wondering if we will receive an email back from a real person, or a generic “thank you concerned citizen.”  We’ll see.  Best of luck.

Email to the Organization:

Dear Pro life, 

I am doing a project in school about how/ and who can reduce the number of abortions each year, all over. There are some people with in the state of PA that would like to see this happen as well and can spread that news to higher powered authorities in the state and all over. Abortion is something that i see as a major crime, and should be treated as a crime. 

I have been researching about the effects that it has on specific people, and why. also i have been really looking into who is for and against it so i can know who will  help and who will not. There are a couple of senators that are really into not having the government support anything that has to do with abortion and taking a life. Even the President of the United States is for not having the govt. pay for any kind of abortion related activity within the US, and that can be a major changing factor for winning this battle sometime in the future. 

There is a lot to be thinking about in that there are a lot of factors that only one can seem capable of completing. There are things that I as a young adult can only complete in this challenge.  I need to know what i can be doing, and even if i can be doing anything to further help the organization of pro-life, to thence and further produce a positive effect on the people who are trying to make this problem get better in the future. 

-Graham Davis. 

I have already sent the email, and will be following up with them in the future. 

My partner and I have been working on our lobbying group that is in support of the Child Nutrition Act 2010. Through out the years, obesity has become a common problem in the United States and it was important that our government took a stand in reducing obesity. It was significant that they included schools in their plan because majority of the children spend most of their time in a educational setting while they also receive school lunches. Our lobbying group has followed the process since the renewal plan has been brought  on the table.  

The second recipe I made was rice crispy treats. This recipe was not very advanced but my brother needed them for one of his classes so I volunteered to help him make them. The funnest part was cooking with my brother and the bars turned out well to. One mistake I made in this recipe was turning the stove on too high and burning the marshmallows so next time I make this I will make sure not to have the temperature too high. I hope you enjoy my blog post!

Ingredients: There are only three ingredients that you need for this recipe

-Rice Krispies 

-Butter

-Marshmallows

Step 1: Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan

Step 2: Add pack of Marshmallows

Step 3: Stir marshmallows over medium heat and add half a box of rice krispies

Step 4: Mix the rice krispies with the melted marshmallows and pour into pan

Step 5: Let cool and enjoy!

I had a hard time researching my topic much further than I had before. I just couldn't find anything about the funding for drug and alcohol recovery programs. But with some help from Ms. Laufenberg, I found that there is a division of the Philadelphia city government called the Office of Addiction Services<http://www.dbhmrs.org/office-of-addiction-services>, a part of the Department of Behavioral Health and Mental Retardation Services<http://www.dbhmrs.org/about-us/>. The Office of Addiction Services (OAS) does actually fund many programs dealing with drug and alcohol issues. 

This was a big deal for me. Now that I knew where the existing funding for these programs was coming from, I could start to find out whether it was enough. We found a list of mental health and substance abuse resources on the website for the Mayor's Office of Reintegration Services for Ex-Offenders<http://www.phila.gov/reentry/SA_MH.html>. I formulated some questions and went down the list, calling each relevant program. These are the questions I decided to ask the recovery programs after I explained who I was and why I was calling:

1. Have you been able to sustain your program using the funding that you are receiving from the government?

2. What are some of the other funding sources you have?

3. How would you benefit from more government funding? (Would you be able to provide more holistic treatment?)

4. Is there anyone you could recommend me to talk to who is also concerned about this funding?

Most of the numbers I called were actually out of service. However, I did end up speaking with a few people. I first spoke with someone from CATCH Inc. and from Interim House. Both of those conversations left me with a sense of frustration. When I asked what they could do with more funding, I heard ideas of community integration activities, education and job skills, safe housing, parenting help and better therapy and counseling. Holistic treatment seemed to be a luxury, to expensive to be attainable. 

It was nearing the end of the day when I received a call back from the director of social services at an organization called CORA<http://www.coraservices.com/>, where I had left a message with a secretary. CORA focuses on children and family, an area where addiction prevention is equally important as treatment. I spoke with this woman for a while and learned a lot about some of the needs of programs like CORA. While the government does provide funding, it is most definitely not enough. They only fund certain things, and many things that are crucial to holistic treatment are not included in the funding. After speaking with me for quite some time, she told me that she would like to invite me to a meeting about the topic the next day! She told me her name, Mary Doherty, and told me that she is a member of the advisory board of the Office of Addiction Services. I still can't believe how this worked out. I got permission from my teachers, made the confirmation call, and found myself at CORA services at 2pm thursday afternoon.

Of course I didn't know what to expect, but I never could've imagined the next few hours. It turns out that the meeting was a government committee of about six women who are in the process of writing a document to request increased funding for intervention services for Philadelphia's children and youth. They are working on exactly what I am interested in lobbying for. I listened to them discuss the issues and key people for about two hours, taking copious notes and soaking in the information. I was just amazed that I had the opportunity to witness firsthand exactly what I had tried so hard to understand. Then, as the meeting was coming to a close, I was surprised even further. 

Ms. Mary Doherty asked me if I could shed some light on the topic. (I still don't quite know how to address her, because all the women treated me with such respect that I felt like an equal.) All of a sudden, I found myself the center of attention, being asked question after question that I wasn't sure I had the answer to. They wanted to hear from me, a high school student, the member of the population they are trying so desperately to reach. They wanted to know why do teenagers go get help? Why don't they? Who do they feel safe talking to? Where to they feel safe asking for help? If they have gone through an addiction, what worked? What didn't? I didn't have a clue. But I told them, I could ask. So Ms. Doherty is going to email me a bunch of questions and I'll post a survey on SLA talk, or maybe even on facebook or something. Hopefully we'll get a lot of responses. :] As far as lobbying goes, I'm going to ask the committee specifically what direction I should take with it, who I should contact and what I should ask for. I've been invited back to the next meeting, which will be in January. I'm so excited for where this is going to go, and thankful for this amazing opportunity I've been given.

Over The Next few weeks I will be composing a letter addressing Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown concerning the issue of gaining more funding for recreation centers in Philadelphia. From the letter I hope to set up a meeting to collaborate in writing a bill to propose to Mayor Michael Nutter. The next step would be to go out to all the recreation centers in Philadelphia and ask for their support and with that ask them to participate in a short movie showing the importance of the recenter in the community.

I will post the video on all major video streaming websites and on the SLA blogs. After the video I will draft up some flyers to promote the cause, recruit my friends to pass them out, and try to get signatures to petition for more money recreation centers. Within the next few months I would like to submit an article to the Philadelphia Inquirer talking about the progress my team  has made and what we would like to accomplish in the future.