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Monday Rundown: A Community Approach to Higher Ed & Pittsburgh Refugee Healthcare

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These topics air Monday January 6, 2014 at noon and 8pm on 90.5 WESA. To leave a question or comment before or after the show dial 412-256-8783. Join the conversation LIVE between 12pm & 1 pm weekdays at 412-246-2002. More Essential Pittsburgh segments can be heard here.

A Different Approach to Higher Education
The Saxifrage School is described as a higher education laboratory, experimenting with new ways to do college. By operating throughout the Pittsburgh community as a sort of "nomadic campus," they hope to model ways to lower tuition costs and blend theory with practice. The school recently completed its first year of courses. We'll check in with Founder and Director Timothy Freeman Cook, to find out what they've learned about the challenges and benefits to this approach.

Living in the Shadows
Refugees to the region face a number of challenges. Unfamiliarity with a different language is even more complicated when trying to obtain health care. 90.5 WESA Behavioral Health Reporter Erika Beras joins us to discuss her month-long series on the challenges of refugees in the Pittsburgh area to obtain health care. Also taking part in the discussion is William Heisel, Project Editor for the Reporting on Health Collaborative

Sports with Bob Dvorchak
When Bill O’Brien became head coach of the scandal plagued Nittany Lions football team he knew there would be challenges. Now, as he leaves Penn State to become head coach of the Houston Texans, those challenges have come to light. We’ll discuss them with our sports guy Bob Dvorchak.