Identifying Local Opportunities

Articles

1. Pre-Diabetes Prevention
http://www.miamiherald.com/advertise/sponsored_content/?prx_t=GPMBAXtAEAHicKA

This article is mainly an advertisement to promote awareness on pre-diabetes. According to the article, more than 1/3 of the United States' population has prediabetes and will suffer of this condition if certain changes in dieting and exercise are implemented. Apparently the U.S Preventive Services Task Force is wanting everyone over the age of 45 to begin pre-screening for the types of diabetes specifically focusing on blood sugar. This proposal has yet to go through the task force to finalize it's implementation. I find that this is a problem that clearly already has a solution and plan created. The plan starts with what Baptist Health of South Florida has in mind and it's simple and easy to get started.

2.  Florida Legislature Pondering Move to school Districts by City
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article56148045.html

According to this article, Florida's constitution is composed of countywide school districts and the only way that could be changed is if superintendents decide to join together. Several representatives and even the senator have gotten involved to try to debate the potential shift from countywide to citywide districts. The problem people such as locals, students of all ages are fearing is about all the administrative costs even though the solution it would provide is that it will give the local community more of a voice in their neighborhood schools. I think that anything that could potentially help increase the quality of public schools and education is a good enough reason to try to make some changes. A potential solution would be to have a year-long trial at it before making some major investments.

3.  Single Family home prices soar in Broward County
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article56091840.html

This article really caught my eye because it talked about the housing market which honestly should interest many college students seeing as one college is over we'll be grown adults and hopefully expected to find our own places. The main problem this article talks about is that way more single family homes were sold in this past December compared to condos in Broward county. A normal market usually has between 6 to 9 months worth of supply on either of the two options but in this past December there were only 4 months worth of supply for single-family homes. This is a major issue that home-buyers of today, future generations and potentially all the residents of all of Florida are dealing with seeing as those number imply that the prices for such homes will only continue to rise in order to compensate for the limited inventory.

4.  5 ways to fit mentorship into your work life balance.
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/worklifebalancingact/2016/01/5-ways-to-fit-mentorship-into-your-work-life-balance.html

This article wasn't exactly informing the local community of Miami about a problem but rather it was promoting the importance of mentorship and really getting involved in one's own community. Even though the perspective from which the article was written in was a rather positive, motivational one, the fact that an article has to be written on it to promote this hints at the fact that maybe in that community people could be putting it more time and effort. Anything for improvement right? This article is aimed at people having this problem such as busy adults of Miami, this is reflected when the article states, " Growing up in South Florida, I'm the first to admit that we tend to be self absorbed in the Sunshine State. We also consider ourselves very busy people with little time or money to donate to help others. " A solution to this would be to investigate any kind of mentorship opportunities in your local community and get involved to start mentoring the kids of today which are the shapes of our world tomorrow.

5. Florida Lead U.S in new HIV cases after years of cuts in public health.
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article56192770.html

This article was definitely the scariest and most impacting one found from the Miami herald mostly because I had no idea about all of the facts provided. According to the article Miami-Dade (which is also my home) is now the No.1 in U.S in new HIV infections as a result of consecutive annual cuts in public health. This major crisis is not being properly dealt with and the people who have this problem or are at risk are all Floridians. The good news is that thanks to a $34 million federal grant, HIV and aids prevention is now being put in place.