Education is the Bedrock of the U. S. Economy

Last week the news of job creation was upbeat. The economy registered an overall increase of 243,000 jobs in the month of January 2012. In a broad measure, January’s news adds to 27 consecutive months of job creation. Regardless of which side of the political spectrum you vote, this is good news.

By: Conrad Anker

****

National Geographic Explorers John Francis Mike Fay And Conrad Anker, 2/11, Bozeman, Montana http://matr.net/events.phtml?showdetail=3981

****

Compound this on a local level, where each Sunday our paper highlights recent job additions and a state unemployment rate of 7.1%, it’s fair to say things are looking pretty good. In our community Oracle, the new owners of Right Now Technology have pledged to increase its investment in Gallatin County. To be bullish on our local economy is the right way to be. We believe in the future.

The flywheel of our local economy is Montana State University. From the direct employees of our university to the businesses that cater to the students, MSU is an integral part of our community. From an economic standpoint, MSU has partially insulated Gallatin County from the Bush recession. As a pubic land grant university it is funded by tuition and tax revenue, both federal and state.

Education is the bedrock of the US economy. The multiplier effect of education, when contrasted to military spending is measurable. The Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts notes that for every billion dollars spent on defense 11,000 jobs are created. A billion dollars towards education creates 27,000 jobs, which in turn generate a well-educated populace. Double your investment anyone?

One of the benefits of living in a college town is the cultural and education opportunity available to students and the general community. The Leadership Institute at MSU aims to inspire students to become leaders who serve as catalysts for positive change. A key component of the Leadership Institute is the many speakers that have visited the Bobcat campus. Authors Salmon Rushdie and Maya Angelou, humanitarians Shirin Ebadi and Nicholas Kristof and conservationists Dr. Jane Godall and Tim Flannery are examples of leaders that have shared their wisdom and insight with our community. These events are a two way street. The speakers return to their communities and share their experience of Montana hospitality.

This Saturday the Leadership Institute will host the National Geographic Young Explorer Grant Workshop for students aged 18 – 25. http://matr.net/events.phtml?showdetail=3981 Designed to give these individuals an opportunity to pursue research, conservation and exploration projects with financial support, and the Young Explorer program is an opportunity to encourage budding scientists to delve further into their chosen field. On Saturday the 11th of February students will have the opportunity to learn from previous grantees, how the grant application process works and a chance to network with fellow scientists and explorers. Over 200 students have registered for the workshop, which takes place on a Saturday, a time when many young adults would rather be out playing. It is a reflection of the quality of our education institutions and the premium we put on investing in future generations. The grant workshop is followed by a free public slide show at the Strand Student Union featuring primatologist and conservationist Mike Fay. In 1997 Mike walked over 2000 miles across central Africa on a project to surveyed plant and animal life.

The Megatransect added to the collective knowledge of this region and led to an initiative by the government of Gabon to create a system of 13 national parks. As a community with close ties to a National Park, having Mike Fey as a speaker is a benefit that all of us can share.

Education is part of Bozeman’s DNA – lets celebrate it together this Saturday evening.

Conrad Anker be good be kind be happy

Conrad Anker (November 27, 1962) is an American rock climber, mountaineer, and author famous for his challenging ascents in the high Himalaya and Antarctica. He is a member of The North Face climbing team and also works closely with Timex Expedition as brand ambassador. In 1999 he was a key member of the search team which located the remains of legendary British climber George Mallory on Mount Everest. Anker is the climber who spotted Mallory’s body.[ He lives in Bozeman, Montana.

http://conradanker.com/

Original story and video: http://pond.swpmedia.com/Blog/tabid/64/EntryId/1432/Exploring-Starts-Young.aspx