As we enter 2018, the Thomas Foundation is full of hope and inspiration for the new year. This year, we have resolved to renew our commitment to education, female education in particular. We believe that young people who are enabled to broaden their horizons and fulfill their full potential will become responsible and productive members of the global community. We continue also to believe in the power of arts to transform people and societies for the better. Therefore, it is our hope that 2018 will see a greater commitment to, and investment in, the arts. It will take arts, education, and community initiatives around the country to make 2018 a year of great promise for all our fellow citizens. There are already signs suggesting that this new year will be a year of hope, and that we have reason to believe that we are headed in the right direction. We have only to look to the NYC Department of Homeless Services to feel inspired as they spell out HOPE - Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE). HOPE is a volunteer effort to account for each and every one of the homeless folk who populate the streets of New York City. Here’s to hoping that this effort will be replicated in all major US cities; that as Americans, we will resolve to provide food, clothing and shelter to all those in need. On the global health front, 2018 might be the year that polio is finally eradicated from the face of the planet. Advances in HIV and Malaria vaccines are also on the horizon in this new year. Seniors have much to look forward to as well with advances in Artificial Intelligence specifically designed for the needs of the aging population. While income and wealth disparities remain huge, large companies are forced to raise their minimum wage - to $11 an hour, in the case of Walmart. 18 states will increase the minimum wage this year. Perhaps 2018 is the year when the federal minimum wage, which has not increased since 2009, is finally raised to $15. At the Thomas Foundation, we believe that 2018 is a year of hope for women, for science and technology, for low wage workers, for the homeless, for our seniors, and for young boys and girls around the world. We hope that this is a year of health, progress and prosperity for everyone around the globe. Here’s wishing everyone a very happy new year!