How economically healthy is your area?
In your city, find data that answers each of these questions:
• What is unemployment rate of your area? Are there jobs available?
• What kinds of benefits, if any, do employers offer? If so, which employers and what benefits?
• Do the jobs pay a living wage?
• Via observation, describe the condition of housing throughout the city.
• Is there adequate, affordable housing to accommodate the population?
• What resources are available in your community to ensure residents can maintain a good quality of life?
• What other conditions can you think of that demonstrate your city’s economic health?
Questions to guide conclusions and interpretations:
How economically healthy is your area?
To what extent are local businesses thriving?
Health Care
In your city, find data that answers each of these questions:
• Do all residents have access to quality health care?
• What are the ways health care is paid for; private insurance, public programs, other?
• How many hospitals and clinics are available to area residents? Are they geographically accessible to all residents? Who has access?
• How frequently are emergency rooms used in place of a primary care physician?
Questions to guide conclusions and interpretations:
Who has access to routine wellness checks, immunizations, doctor visits, preventive medicine?
Why are emergency rooms sometimes used in place of a primary care physician?
Educational Opportunities
In your city, find data that answers each of these questions:
• How many preschool programs are available for children to prepare them to attend Kindergarten? Are these programs fee-based or free? How does one qualify for the program?
• What diagnostic and treatment services are available for children who have developmental disabilities? Who pays for these services?
• How do elementary children in your city independent school district typically score on standardized achievement tests? What about as compared to other communities in Texas and the U.S.? Do all elementary schools in your community have similar outcomes?
• How do high schools prepare students for college? Do the schools hold college fairs or other events to expose students to college options?
• What is the graduation rate from the various high schools in your community?
• What are student/teacher ratios in the schools in your city? What is a potential impact of these ratios? Are families in the community aware of these ratios?
• How well do community educational programs adequately prepare adults to enter the work force?
Questions to guide conclusions and interpretations:
Are some students “left behind” or “left out” of programs to enable success?
Social Services
“service, such as counseling or health care, provided by a government or by a charitable organization
to advance human welfare, especially for disadvantaged people.” The Free Dictionary
In your city, find data that answers each of these questions:
• What social services are readily available in the community? (Identify all the agencies you find.)
• What social services are missing in your community?
• In what ways are some who live in your community vulnerable to having inadequate health care, education, and/or social services?
• How are community members’ made aware of existing public resources and programs (for example, job training, meals for the elderly, or daycare programs)?
Questions to guide conclusions and interpretations:
Thinking of the physiological and safety needs of humans, how well are the needs for food, clothing, shelter, transportation, safe water, and physical security met in the community?
Community Life
In your city, find data that answers each of these questions:
• What, if any, are the trustworthy newspapers available in your community? What is the circulation of the newspaper(s) in your community?
• What, if any, neighborhood organizations or active community groups exist? Do they monitor city services? Do they share information about community activities or needs?
• How are residents made aware of future city plans and their impacts (for example, zoning changes or housing development)?
• What recreational opportunities exist in your community? Are they adequate for the population? How closely do they measure up to national standards for park space per capita and recreational programs per capita?
