Winston County faces up to the youth challenges Saturday, June 19, 2004 Winston County, MS is facing the challenges that many other counties face, but refuse to acknowledge: high dropout rates and young people unprepared to meet the challenges of a knowledge-based economy. The facts are simple: a high school diploma is no longer a ticket to the middle class. And dropping out of high school represents a life time disability. Mary Snow, a former teacher, put the challenge clearly. "Along with the juvenile crime and drug issues, we're facing a 30 percent dropout rate and youth who are not able to meet the minimum ACT requirements for getting into college. We're at a critical stage in providing a skilled workforce for business development. Industry has changed a lot over the years. "Our youth need help staying in school and developing into a workforce that is capable of moving this county into the next decade. I used to look at a classroom, and I was a teacher, and think my class was only as strong as the weakest member. Today, I look at our county and believe that Winston County is only as strong as its poorest, weakest child." Read more. In Georgia this week, a symposium addressed the same issues. According to Georgia Southern University, drop-outs are costing the state $17 billion in social services. Read more. posted by Ed Morrison |		This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. links Some Background on EDPro Weblog The purpose of this weblog is to help economic development professionals -- EDPros -- keep up with the changes sweeping our profession. Strap on your goggles. It's a whole new game. There are no experts any more. The only place to learn about economic development is from other EDPros who are doing it. One other point: the prevaling approach (paradigm, if you like) in economic development is shifting from competition to collaboration. There are a lot of reaasons underlying this shift, but here's the important insight: You, your community, and your region will do better by collaborating and sharing information. So, spread the word...Share the knowledge. Tell a friend about EDPro Weblog. If you are using a news reader, here is the link to syndicate this site: Here's the link if you are a bloglines subscriber: Speaking and workshops on Open Source Economic Development As the idea of Open Source Economic Development starts spreading, more people are asking about it. Visit the I-Open web site to learn more. My colleagues and I are happy to explain the basic concepts in a talk or a workshop. E-mail Susan Alshuler if you'd like to learn more about workshops and speaking. Background on Ed Morrison Download some background information on me here.

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