A social reformer dedicated to changing conditions for people who could not help themselves, Dorothea Dix was a champion for the mentally ill and the imprisoned. Through her tireless work of over two decades, Dix instituted changes in the treatment and care of the mentally ill and improved prison conditions.
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet was a trained minister whose future changed when he met Alice Cogswell, a young girl who was deaf. In 1817, Gallaudet opened the "Connecticut Asylum for the Education and Instruction of Deaf and Dumb Persons" in Hartford, Connecticut; it was the first U.S. deaf school. He had observed European educational methods and recruited a teacher of the deaf, Laurent Clerc, whose work helped develop American Sign Language (ASL).
Biographical Highlights
Mary McLeod Bethune, born to former slaves a decade after the Civil War, devoted her life to ensure the right to education and freedom from discrimination for African Americans. Bethune believed...
Definition
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) is the largest youth mentoring organization in the United States. The organization provides one-to-one mentoring relationships between...
Definition
To understand the definition of the concept, right to petition government, one must first understand where this concept originates. The right to petition is one of the fundamental...
Michelle Parker
Definitions
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines environmental justice as “the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income,...
Definition
The dictionary defines charity as almsgiving; the private or public relief of unfortunate or needy people; benevolence. The most common connotations are love, kindness, and...
Definition
The nonprofit sector employs a significant percentage of the total U.S. workforce, and makes up an industry that is economically vibrant and abundant in career...
Definition
Carnegie Corporation was created to promote "the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding." The Corporation works to carry on the vision of philanthropy as explained by Andrew Carnegie, which...
Definition
Civic Responsibility is defined as the "responsibility of a citizen" (Dictionary.com). It is comprised of actions and attitudes associated with democratic governance and social...