There’s this:
We know that community vitality is linked to economic prosperity and that economic prosperity is strongly correlated with educational attainment. Interestingly, Maine has the lowest postsecondary degree attainment in New England and the lowest per-capita income. More sobering still, Maine’s population is projected to stop growing by 2020, and our population of traditional age high school and college students is projected to decline by 20% over the next decade (Mitchell Institute).
The mission of the Maine Community Foundation is to build strong, vibrant communities. It’s a daunting task made even more challenging given our educational attainment levels. For the last several years MaineCF, in partnership with the Maine Compact for Higher Education, has been working to raise those levels. The Compact’s goal is that, by 2020, “the proportion of Maine workers who have earned a college degree or postsecondary certificate will exceed the New England average.” It’s an ambitious, but not impossible, undertaking.”
Read More at the Maine CF Blog
And then there’s this:
In order to unlock the potential of the next generation, an education that provides the foundation to create positive change is needed not just for a select few, but for the entire generation. We are guided by the belief that all youth can, and should, benefit from experience creating positive change, and contribute – in their own way, whether “big” or “small” – to stronger communities.
To break the barrier and provide access to such a model of education to more than just a select few, we work for systemic change. The education system may not do so now, but it has more potential than any single NGO or institution to provide such an experience to the greatest number of youth. Therefore, we work to incorporate our model of education into the education system.
Because in order to change the world and solve the problems of poverty, disease, and environmental degradation – as George William, Lillian, and Phiona are doing – don’t we first need to transform the education system?
Read more “New Education for New Leaders” at Social Edge
Certainly there are more voices saying something similar… what say you?
