Protecting billions from preventable death, energy transition explainers, a Summer Boost for students, and more
The Topline
Key data points
71% of the world’s population is now protected with at least one best-practice policy to help save lives from deadly tobacco.
July 2023 was the hottest month in recorded history, adding new urgency to the need to phase out coal, transition to clean energy, and use the law to fight climate change.
Among New York City students who participated in our 2022 Summer Boost program to address pandemic learning loss, the percentage who met standards in math nearly doubled, and more than doubled in English. This year Summer Boost is helping students catch up in eight cities across the U.S.
20 mayors joined Bloomberg Philanthropies’ City Data Alliance earlier this year to help their cities use data to improve the lives of residents. Watch sessions from their gathering in Baltimore, including remarks from Mike and Bloomberg Philanthropies CEO Patti Harris.
More than 2.8 million children have benefited from access to health insurance, education beyond primary school, increased savings, and more as a result of our Women’s Economic Development Initiative.
Protecting Billions from the Leading Cause of Preventable Deaths: Tobacco Products
Today, more than 5.6 billion people — seven out of 10 people on the planet — live in a place with at least one best-practice protection against the dangers of smoking. From smoke-free public spaces to higher taxes on cigarettes, the global reach of life-saving tobacco policies are the result of 15 years of work by the World Health Organization, with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies. For all the progress so far, much more needs to be done. Tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable death globally, and tobacco companies continue to try and hook people on their addictive products. Read more about the MPOWER policies that are protecting the health of billions and will continue to prevent smoking deaths in the years ahead.
Here’s Why We Need to Move Beyond Coal — In Less Than a Minute
Why is it important to phase out coal? Why is right now the moment to accelerate the transition to clean energy? How can laws help advance the climate fight? Watch and share these short explainer videos — each under a minute — where we pose questions to our expert partners about the impacts of coal pollution on people, communities, and the planet, and what we can do to accelerate the transition to clean energy.
A Summer Boost for San Antonio Students
It’s already back to school season, and for far too many students, learning loss from pandemic closures and remote school has left them unprepared for the new year — a challenge that could have long-term effects on their education and career. The Bloomberg Philanthropies Summer Boost program provides extra instruction to help kids catch up where they’ve fallen behind. Launched last year in New York City, it had a meaningful impact on math and reading scores. This year, we expanded to work with schools in seven new cities. Check out the first video in our Summer Boost series to see how the program is helping students this summer in San Antonio, Texas.
For more on helping students deal with pandemic-related learning loss, check out this conversation between Howard Wolfson, who leads our Education program, and political strategist and venture capitalist Bradley Tusk, about Bloomberg Philanthropies’ efforts to address the ongoing crisis in America’s education system.
Earlier this year, 20 mayors from cities in North and South America joined our City Data Alliance. To kick off their participation, the local officials came together in Baltimore to hear from leaders in academia, innovation, urban governance, social impact, and racial equity. Check out videos from the City Data Alliance immersion session:
- Mike on using data as mayor of New York City
- Bloomberg Philanthropies CEO Patti Harris on supporting city governments
- James Anderson, who leads our Government Innovation programs, on Data-driven leadership
- A conversation between Garnesha Ezediaro, who leads the Bloomberg Philanthropies Greenwood Initiative team and Beth Blauer, Associate Vice Provost for Public Sector Innovation at Johns Hopkins University
- A discussion on using data to foster collaboration
In a new episode of our Follow the Data podcast, host Katherine Oliver sits down with Verna Eggleston, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Women’s Economic Development Initiative, Laurie Adams, the CEO of Women for Women International, and Christine Condo, the Executive Director of Sustainable Growers.
They discuss how the program affects women, their communities, and their children and families, key findings of a new Johns Hopkins report on our Women’s Economic Development efforts, and how you can get involved.