THE PIONEER BLOG

Jamie Gass

The Houses of Great American Writers – 25 Resources for K-12 Education

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According to the Brookings Institution research, teaching great fiction is declining across America’s K-12 education system, so we’re offering resources to help parents, teachers, and schoolchildren to better appreciate great American writers and the places where they wrote.

Andrew Mikula

How do other countries avoid COVID infections as they loosen international travel restrictions?

/0 Comments/in , /by Andrew Mikula

For most of America, reopening the economy after COVID-19 means being able to go to a barbershop, a local gym, or restaurant – all relatively mundane activities that happen to involve small crowds of strangers gathering in an enclosed space. But for some major cities, it means much more: a return to hosting large, touristy recreational events, international business conferences, and gubernatorial summits. In terms of public health protocol, the main difference between a barber shop and a major business expo (besides the size of the event, attire of the attendees, and number of TV cameras present) is that businesspeople are often willing to travel far and wide to attend prominent conferences. With this point of contrast comes a moral […]

Editorial Staff

Getting Nursing Home Care Right

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Pioneer Institute has long recognized that seniors deserve the best of care and that innovative policy solutions are necessary to ensure that this population enjoys a high quality of life in their later years. In the 1990s, early 2000s and most recently in 2017, the Institute dedicated Better Government Competition topics to policy issues related to aging in America. Our goal each time was to find solutions and to take advantage of new innovations that would improve the quality of life and care for the elderly.

Jim Stergios

With Sincere Thanks

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A Message from Pioneer Institute Executive Director Jim Stergios: With the close of Pioneer Institute’s 2020 fiscal year on September 30th, I want to thank you. This has been an unprecedented year for the Institute in terms of our ability to improve the lives of citizens in Massachusetts and beyond. 

Jamie Gass

A Commonwealth of Art – 20 Resources for K-12 Art Education

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In Pioneer’s ongoing series of blogs here, here, here, and here on curricular resources for parents, families, and teachers during COVID-19, this one focuses on: Introducing K-12 schoolchildren to great works of art about, from, or in Massachusetts. Great Massachusetts paintings, folk, and fine arts are often not fully explored in the Bay State’s K-12 education system, so we’re offering a variety of resources to help parents, teachers, and schoolchildren.

Jamie Gass

Additional Information about Art Resources

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“King Philip,” illustration published in The Pictorial History of King Philip’s War, circa. 1851 “The Indian archer weathervane,” in copper by Shem Drowne, circa. 1716, Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston, MA “Mayflower in Plymouth Harbor,” painting by William Halsall, 1882, Pilgrim Hall Museum, Plymouth, MA “Trial of George Jacobs Accused of Witch Craft, August 19, 1692”, painting by Tompkins H. Matteson, 1855, Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, MA “Midnight Ride of Paul Revere,” painting by Grant Wood, 1931, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC “Mrs. James Warren (Mercy Otis),” painting by John Singleton Copley, circa. 1763, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA “George Washington,” bust by Jean-Antoine Houdon, 1786, Boston Athenæum, Boston, MA “Action Between USS Constitution vs Guerriere,” painting by Michel Felice […]

Jamie Gass

“Architecture is Frozen Music” Great Massachusetts Buildings – 25 Resources for K-12 Education

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Understanding enduring public and private architecture is a key way to learn about art, ideas, and how they harmonize with our democracy. Yet, Massachusetts buildings are often never discussed in K-12 education. We’re offering a variety of links about outstanding houses and architecture across the Bay State for parents, teachers, and schoolchildren to enjoy, visit, and better appreciate, including:

David Clancy

COVID-19 Transparency – A Step Backwards

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Massachusetts has unfortunately taken the backwards step of ending its longstanding daily reporting of something basic and important: the virus’s cumulative impact on various age groups.

Andrew Mikula

Announcing the Fall 2020 Pioneer/Nichols Sports Management Policy College Case Competition

/0 Comments/in , /by Andrew Mikula

In recognition of the continued concerns COVID-19 poses to the sports management industry, particularly as many professional sports resume play in some capacity, Pioneer Institute has partnered with Nichols College to provide undergraduate college students an opportunity to solve problems pertinent to the present COVID-19 crisis in a rewarding, competitive format.    The Institute is working to facilitate the adaptation of professional sports leagues to these challenging times for the benefit of the many communities, businesses, and individuals that depend on economic activity and personal enrichment from their activities. Keeping sports leagues viable during a global pandemic can be extremely challenging, and we believe this issue deserves more attention in advance of a potential resurgence of COVID-19 later in the […]

Jamie Gass

“City Upon a Hill” Massachusetts Monuments & Memorials: 25 Resources for K-12 Education

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In Pioneer’s ongoing series of blogs here, here, here, and here on curricular resources for parents, families, and teachers during COVID-19, this one focuses on: Introducing K-12 schoolchildren to Massachusetts monuments & memorials.

Jamie Gass

“Every Child is an Artist…” – 15 Resources for K-12 Art Education

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In Pioneer’s ongoing series of blogs on curricular resources for parents, families, and teachers during COVID-19, this one focuses on: Introducing K-12 schoolchildren to great works of art.

Jamie Gass

“Music is liquid architecture” – 15 Resources for K-12 Education

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In Pioneer’s ongoing series of blogs on curricular resources for parents, families, and teachers during COVID-19, this entry focuses on introducing K-12 schoolchildren to timeless music.

Darley Boit

HVAC Systems’ Influence on the Spread of Covid-19

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HVAC systems provide heating, ventilation, and air conditioning to millions of buildings, however in the age of the Covid-19 pandemic, these systems also pose a serious health risk. Many HVAC systems lack proper air exchange, instead recycling old air. Consequently, if infected droplets enter the system, the virus circulates throughout the area, potentially widening its spread and infecting more individuals. This is an issue considering HVAC systems are used widely across Massachusetts and the entirety of the United States in both large and small establishments.  The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) state that the virus is mainly transmitted through droplets or occasionally when an individual comes in contact with an infected surface and then touches […]

Jamie Gass

The 65th Anniversary of the Murder of Emmett Till: 6 Key Resources for K-12 Education

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Continuing Pioneer’s ongoing series of blogs on curricular resources for parents, families, and teachers during COVID-19, this post focuses on the 65th anniversary of the murder of Emmett Till, which is August 28, 2020.

Jamie Gass

Daughters of Liberty: Celebrating the Centennial of Women’s Suffrage & History – 10 Key Resources for K-12 Education

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In Pioneer’s ongoing series of blogs here, here, and here on curricular resources for parents, families, and teachers during COVID-19, this one focuses on: Celebrating the Centennial of Women’s Suffrage & Women’s History.