| Rocco Basile is a man from Brooklyn, New York who | | | | Money: Education and Economic Development" |
| has impressed me with regard to his beliefs about | | | | believes that prevention is almost always cheaper |
| how we can all help to make changes in our world | | | | than treatment. He states that if we do not invest |
| today through education. | | | | now, we most certainly will pay later and discusses |
| Rocco Basile noted something that Gandhi believed. | | | | the social costs of inadequate educational and |
| Real education consists in drawing the best out of | | | | workforce preparation opportunities, believing that by |
| yourself. What better book can there be than the | | | | increasing earnings, education can lower social costs. |
| book of humanity? (Mahatma K. Gandhi) | | | | Schweke notes that there is a strong relationship |
| "My education taught me to be sympathetic to the | | | | between low basic skills and welfare dependency. 60 |
| needs of others and helped me understand how that | | | | percent of out-of-wedlock births among 19 to |
| can change a world. Like Gandhi said it is important | | | | 23-year-olds are to those who score in the lowest 20 |
| for us to be the change we want to see in the | | | | percent on basic skills tests. About 82 percent of all |
| world," said Rocco Basile. | | | | Americans in prison are high school dropouts. Sadly, |
| The US Department of Education (ED) tagline states, | | | | he also points out that the United States spends |
| "Promoting educational excellence for all Americans." | | | | almost 10 times as much as Western European |
| This organization was created in 1980 and the ED | | | | countries on security services, arrest, incarceration |
| mission is "to promote student achievement and | | | | and parole, while these same countries spend |
| preparation for global competitiveness by fostering | | | | comparable amounts on subsidized employment and |
| educational excellence and ensuring equal access." | | | | training. |
| Some 4,500 ED employees and a $71.5 billion budget | | | | Many people like these men believe that educating |
| dedicated to establishing policies on federal financial | | | | our youth is the answer to will break the cycle of |
| aid for education, as well as distributing and | | | | poverty, crime and drugs. "Educating our youth is the |
| monitoring the funds; collecting data on America's | | | | foundation for prosperity ... Economic problems, in |
| schools and disseminating research; focusing national | | | | turn, exacerbate social problems, such as crime, drug |
| attention on key educational issues; and prohibiting | | | | abuse, gangs, reliance on government assistance, and |
| discrimination and ensuring equal access to education. | | | | family break-ups. To ameliorate these weaknesses in |
| For example, in Brooklyn, New York, gang violence is | | | | the social fabric, public funds that might otherwise go |
| just part of everyday life. There are 17 thousand | | | | toward productive investment are spent instead on |
| child abuse cases in this community that have been | | | | crime control, drug treatment and income support |
| documented. One out of every three families lives | | | | programs," says Schweke. "Education positively |
| below the poverty line. There is a 48 percent drop | | | | affects income distribution." |
| out rate among high school students, so out of the | | | | In the darkness, there is an organization in Brooklyn, |
| 30 thousand students, 15 thousand are dropouts. | | | | New York that is bringing light and making a |
| Drugs, disease, gang violence, and crime contribute to | | | | difference to help do something about these |
| about a thousand deaths annually. More and more | | | | statistics. There are hundreds of people in need of |
| people are realizing that the answer is education. | | | | intervention, children in need of education, and |
| "I feel my education has allowed me to understand | | | | families in need of counseling, and hope, and Children |
| the adverse effects it had on my life. I was | | | | of the City is an organization making a difference. |
| educated, therefore I was able to read many books | | | | Founded in 1981, the volunteer-based outreach |
| from every culture and religion, which inspired me to | | | | connects people in need with basic services, |
| make positive changes," he continued. "It has given | | | | educational and employment training, health care, |
| me the intuition to see how positive change circulates | | | | counseling, and many other personal growth |
| back into my life." | | | | opportunities. People like Rocco Basile are working |
| What happens to those in society that don't invest in | | | | through organizations like this helping to reach children |
| education? Does it make a difference to the overall | | | | at risk and who can be resilient if they are given the |
| social structure and eventually affect our economy? | | | | right intervention and education. |
| William Schweke, author of a book entitled "Smart | | | | |