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