NEW YORK - As graduation season comes to a close and the student debt interest rate hike looms, national public policy organization Demos has announced a new blog series on PolicyShop.net focusing on the serious economic challenges facing all young Americans, from STEM education to the debt-for-diploma system. Drawing on Demos’ expert original reports and databytes on higher education, experts have written opinion pieces on issues ranging from “Masters degree mania” to Wall Street poaching to rising dropout rates.

“State of Young America: Graduation Week 2012” is available in full on the Policy Shop blog and includes the following original commentary:

• Tamara Draut: High School Grads Face a Steep Climb to Success "For young high school grads who had the bad luck of graduating in the dismal recession economy, only 16 percent had full-time jobs. It’s not for lack of trying, or wanting a 40-hour workweek."
• David Callahan: The Training Shift: Employers Win, Students Lose from Master's Degree Mania "Young people are spending their own money to get the training that employers used to provide as a matter of course."
• Jennifer Wheary: Needed: STEM Grads Who Can Think Critically
• Viany Orozco: Budget Cuts Means More Debt for College Grads and More Dropouts "State funding per public full-time student dropped by 26.1 percent from 1990 to 2010."
• Alex Amend: Best and Brightest Grads Head to Wall Street

Demos’ ongoing research and advocacy on the economic future for Millenials includes the following expert report and infographic series:

• Beyond the Debt-For-Diploma System: 10 Ways Student Debt Is Blocking the Economic Mobility of Young Americans - Why our nation must embark on a new strategy to make college affordable.
• The Great Cost Shift: How Higher Education Cuts Undermine The Future Middle Class - How disinvestment has shifted costs to students and their families.
• Support. Collaborate. Retain. Strategies For Improving The STEM Teaching Crisis - Original findings from a study of public school science and math teachers.
• The State of Young America: Databook - How public investment and public policy have crippled the economic outlook of young people.
• The State of Young America: Data Bytes - Infographics available for republication (with attribution) on the economic, educational, racial and gender-based issues young people face.
• Work Less, Study More & Succeed - How additional financial supports to help students cover the cost of living expenses and raise graduation rates. 

Demos’ experts are available for comment, please see the contact information above.