2012 Student Contests
“I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits .”
~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Nobel Prize lecture, 1964
Are you a Trumpet of Conscience?
2012 will mark the 55th anniversary of the desegregation of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas by the brave and steadfast young people known as the Little Rock Nine. Though many were resistant to the notion of black and white students attending the same schools, the ideology of “separate but equal” has been soundly disproven. The passage of time has taught us that the quality of education available to students can have a significant impact on their vision for their future and life choices. While the struggle to obtain a decent education has endured for decades, so too have the challenges many have faced in merely having access to schools that are properly equipped to provide its students the best possible future. Inadequate early childhood development programs, overcrowded classrooms, and outdated or non-existent access to technology are just a few of the challenges facing students today that can impact their probability for success in school and their readiness for college. The future collective achievement of our nation’s students requires equal access to a quality education for all individuals. In our increasingly technology driven and globally competitive society, access to a quality education is the crucial first step toward the advanced skills and knowledge required to earn a living wage.
The myriad of obstacles facing today's students are staggering. Communities across the nation have needed to make tough choices in the midst of our nation's recent economic turmoil and, all too often, headlines reflect cuts to educational programs as a means of meeting budget shortfalls. In our attempt to solve other immediate problems, are we gambling with our future? What can we do to refocus on the importance of education?
