The City Club of Cleveland Podcast

There are many hurdles to obtaining a college degree - and some occur before a student even steps foot on campus. This can be daunting for any potential college student - especially those who are considered first generation. Since the Higher Education Act was signed in 1965, several programs have launched to provide assistance to first generation and low income students. How are these programs succeeding? What needs are unique to first generation students? And what can we expect for the future of supporting first generation students? A panel of local experts discuss the struggles and successes of first generation students.

Cape Town\'s countdown to \"Day Zero,\" while dire, is not unique. Faced with increased periods of drought, many urban centers around the world are confronting diminished water supplies and struggling to balance the demand for drinking water and our agriculture needs. Cleveland, situated on one of the Great Lakes, home to a seemingly endless supply of fresh water, is not immune to this trend. Last July and August, less than one-quarter of an inch of rain fell at Spice Acres farm, located in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, causing the staff to contemplate their own \"Day Zero.\" Join us for a tour of Spice Acres, a three-course vegetarian Plated Landscape dinner, and a panel discussion on the efforts to manage Northeast Ohio\'s own water crisis.

As Ohio's Poet Laureate, part of David Lucas\' mission is to advocate for a broadening of our understanding of poetry so we might come to see its presence in the everyday moments of our lives.

The goal of several new initiatives in Pittsburgh is to equip residents with information needed to create more equitable communities. Is it working? How are residents using these tools? Does the utilization of cutting-edge technology lead to greater transparency or just the illusion of it? And what can Cleveland learn from Pittsburgh\'s efforts? Mayor Peduto explains.

Beginning July 14, the region will have one more reason to celebrate the arts: FRONT International\'s Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art: An American City opens. Modeled after European-style arts events, FRONT will convene more than 100 artists from around the world to participate in events and installations in Downtown, Ohio City, Akron, and Oberlin. A panels explains.

A conversation on the history of U.S.-Democratic People\'s Republic of North Korea relations and the implications of this current agreement on U.S. foreign policy, with Steven W. Hook, Ph.D., Professor and Past Chair, Political Science Department, Kent State University, Merose Hwang, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History and Program Coordinator, Asian Studies Minor, Hiram College, and moderated by WCPN\'s Tony Ganzer.

The advent of technology and social media furthers political divisions, allowing each side to reach only their supporters and ignore others, oftentimes creating a stalemate. As a consequence, a 2017 Pew Research Center poll found that trust in the national government reached a historic low of 18 percent. A panel explains.

Over the last several decades, Youngstown and Warren, like many smaller Midwestern legacy cities, have experienced economic and social decline due to expanded poverty, an aging population, disinvestment in neighborhoods, deteriorating housing stock, aging infrastructure, high unemployment, and a work skills gap. Is this momentum sustainable? How can the Valley continue its economic growth? Join us as the Mayors of Youngstown and Warren, along with economic development experts, share their perspectives on the State of the Valley.

The Flint, Michigan water crisis research was conducted by Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a first generation Iraqi immigrant and Detroit-raised pediatrician, and paved the way for government officials in Flint to acknowledge the extent of the water crisis. Dr. Hanna-Attisha, author of \'What the Eyes Don\'t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City,\' on her fight against environmental injustice, how the residents of Flint have prevailed, and what we can do to prevent future public health.

How can the two countries build on their existing trade partnership? What affect will the unrest in the Middle East - the Arab Spring, the increasingly violent conflict in Syria, the elevation of ISIS as a global threat, and the boycott of Qatar over its alleged support of terrorism - have on the Ohio-UAE relationship? A conversation with international leaders on the future of economic and business relations between Ohio and the UAE.