The Century Foundation will host a panel discussion to explore the findings of its new report, which takes a closer look at how community colleges are financed and governed in order to provide insight as to why more than half of all community college students do not finish their degree within six years. Panelists include Martha Kanter, undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Education; Richard D. Kahlenberg, senior fellow at The Century Foundation; Anthony Marx, president of New York Public Library, and Eduardo Padron, president of Miami Dade College. The panel discussion will be held from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EDT at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

The American Enterprise Institute (AEI) will host a discussion featuring Jim Wallis to explore his new book, On God\'s Side: What Religion Forgets and Politics Hasn\'t Learned about Serving the Common Good. In the book, Wallis argues that despite the shared moral value of helping those in need, many Americans across the political spectrum have sharply different ideas about how to allocate resources to those who need it most. Representative Frank Wolf (R-Va.) and Arthur Brooks, president of AEI, will join the author in discussion. The event will be held from 12-1:30 p.m. EDT at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C.

Registration is now open for the 16th Annual Welfare Research and Evaluation Conference sponsored by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation in the Administration for Children and Families. The event will bring together family self-sufficiency and poverty researchers, State and local administrators, practitioners and program operators and Federal officials and policymakers to discuss cutting-edge research on social welfare programs and policies. Breakout and plenary sessions will cover topics such as child and youth well-being, fatherhood and strengthening families, and approaches to alleviate poverty and strengthen the safety net. The conference will be held Wednesday, May 29th to Friday, May 31st at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, DC.

The Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), in collaboration with the Poverty & Race Research Action Council and the Urban institute, will host a “Wisdom & Wine” book talk with New York University Professor Patrick Sharkey to discuss his new book, Stuck in Place: Urban Neighborhoods and the End of Progress toward Racial Equality. The book takes a new look at the intergenerational impacts of concentrated poverty and its implications for policy. The event will be held on June 5 from 5-6:30 p.m. EDT at CLASP in Washington, D.C.

The Kansas Association of Community Action Programs will host the annual Kansas Conference on Poverty to engage advocates, policy makers, social service agencies, volunteers, government employees, persons who have experienced poverty and those currently living in poverty in intensive learning, training and planning around poverty issues. Keynote speakers include Greg Kauffman of "The Nation;" and Sister Simone Campbell of NETWORK Lobby. The conference will be held at the Ramada Hotel & Convention Center in Topeka, Kan.