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