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As awareness over the dangers of brain trauma increases, school districts, states and even the federal government are looking at ways to minimize the dangers in youth athletics. With new policies and training in place, the hope is that those working with youth sports will more effectively learn to recognize and treat the symptoms of concussions. Take a look at how some groups are tackling this problem head-on to minimize the risk to the youngest athletes in this country.

What is a Concussion?

One of the first goals in educating the general public about the dangers of concussions is to first explain what a concussion looks like. According to the , a concussion is caused by either a direct blow to the head or a blow to the body that jars the head. The impact or jolt interferes with normal brain function. Although a concussion is classified as a mild form of traumatic brain injury, it is still serious – particularly if the individual suffers more than one in a season.

This video discusses student concussions in sports activities.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a concussion might include loss of consciousness, although this occurs in only about 10 percent of all concussion cases. Other symptoms might include feelings of pressure in the head, confusion, headaches, dizziness, and blurred vision. Some children may complain of a fuzzy or foggy head, while others may

Even after the churn of closing nearly 50 schools across the city, one of the largest school districts in the country is continuing to struggle with a $1 billion budget shortfall. Chicago Public Schools continues to make painful cuts to the schools slated to remain open this fall, prompting some principals to accuse the district of forcing them to choose between teachers and essentials like toilet paper, according to the . The new cuts were unveiled weeks after the initial school closings, provoking a whole new series of protests against the school system and the Chicago lawmakers that oversee it.

This video reports on a CPS budget shortfall.

Bad News Travels Slowly but Surely

The reports that news began trickling out about the impact of the budget cuts as principals received their preliminary budgets from the city two weeks ago. The good news is those principals have been given much more power to set priorities for their school – the bad news is there is much less money to go around, forcing principals to make tough decisions about what stays and what must go. As school leaders are beginning to look at the difficult budgeting that lies ahead, staff, parents, and students are beginning to worry about what schools will look like when they re-open in the fall.

Speculation and worry have been fueled by the

For those who relied on Schoolhouse Rock to memorize important facts like the Preamble to the Constitution and the meaning of conjunction, there’s a new kid in town. Rap meets rock in Science Genius, a new way to help kids get excited about subjects like atoms and DNA. The program has recently been tested out in schools in New York City – with great enthusiasm and success. Read on to discover how hip hop and science facts collide to create a whole new generation of science-mania.

Music Meets Academics

Science Genius is a collaboration between rapper GZA from Wu-Tang Clan and Columbia University Teachers College professor Christopher Emdin. The unlikely pair teamed up to use hip hop music to teach a wide range of science subjects to students. According to a report at , the effort began as GZA’s attempt to “bring order to the chaos.”

Emdin explains that the new curriculum is designed to address achievement gaps in science and mathematics that are particularly prevalent in areas like New York City. More importantly, the program was created to inspire an interest in science that has been lacking, using a culturally relevant form of music many students in the New York district can relate to.

“The people who most embrace hip-hop culture are the same populations who are most disinterested in school and disinterested in science,” Emdin told the .

This video illustrates the creativity behind Science Genius.

Student snacking during the school day is about to become a whole lot healthier, thanks to new federal standards. New “Smart Snacks” standards will ensure access to foods high in sugar, sodium, and calories will be limited during the school day, whether students are getting the snacks from vending machines in the school hallways or the cafeteria line. The new standards are not scheduled to go into effect until 2014, but already schools are getting ready for what the Smart Snacks standards will mean for their students – and possibly, their bottom line.

This video illustrates some of the possibilities for smart snacks.

Smarter Snacking from the USDA

According to a report at Living Green Magazine, the new standards are coming directly from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsak stated at the Living Green website, “Nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our children. Parents and schools work hard to give our youngsters the opportunity to grow up healthy and strong, and providing healthy options throughout school cafeterias, vending machines and snack bars will support their great efforts.”

The new Smart Snacks standards will require schools to remove foods like high-calorie soft drinks and sports beverages, candy bars, and cookies from cafeterias, snack bars, and school vending machines. Those selections will be replaced with flavored water, granola bars, and fruit cups. According to the