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May 24, 2013  |  About the Berkley Center  |  Directions to the Center  |  Subscribe
 
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Timothy Robbins Timothy Robbins is a senior at the University of Maine majoring in Political Science. In addition to being a student, he is also the Battalion Commanding Officer of the university’s NROTC unit....
Where do young people come down on questions of faith, values, and public life? How do they relate their values to public policy issues including education, economic inequality, and the environment? These questions, critically important for the 2012 election, are at the center of a campus conversation being organized by the Berkley Center and Georgetown University. This blog features an ongoing conversation about these issues between students selected as Millennial Values Fellows through a national competition. You can read and comment on their blogs here.

To learn more about the project, visit the Campus Conversation on Values page.

OTHER POSTS

Millennials on Social Media and Politics

November 15, 2012

Millennials on Social Issues and Diversity

November 12, 2012

Hira Baig (Rice) on Why the Presidential Election Matters to Millennials

November 7, 2012

Millennials on Religion and Interfaith Work

November 7, 2012

Ryan Price (Drake) on E Pluribus Duo

November 6, 2012

Mohammad Usman (DePauw) on Unpredictable Millennials

November 5, 2012

Millennials on Affirmative Action Policy

November 3, 2012

Seth Warner (Vassar) on What Happens as the "God Gap" Widens

November 2, 2012

Josina De Raadt (Dordt) on How Social Media Is Like Wii Bowling

October 31, 2012

Zachary Yentzer (Arizona State) on the Next Greatest Generation

October 29, 2012

Brice Ezell (George Fox) on Post-Racial America? Race, Millennials, and the 2012 Election

October 25, 2012

Tyler Bishop (Vanderbilt) on a Future of Hashtags #whatitmeansforus

October 23, 2012

Brice Ezell (George Fox) on How the People Can Heal a “Divided,” Partisan Nation

October 4, 2012

Hira Baig (Rice) on Religion and American Democracy

October 4, 2012

Tyler Bishop (Vanderbilt) on How It’s All About Relatability: Voter Turnout

October 3, 2012

Josina De Raadt (Dordt) on Mistaking Politics for a Hollywood Blockbuster

October 2, 2012

Mohammad Usman (DePauw) on the Internet Solution

October 1, 2012


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Salt of the Earth
October 17, 2008
Pakistan's Quicksand
April 24, 2009

Timothy Robbins (Maine) on Educational Opportunity

Educationalopportunity

March 28, 2012

In an increasingly globalized and competitive environment, educational opportunity is a fundamental requirement for success in the United States. While educational opportunity is a key component of success, the access to such opportunities in America is not equal. This nationwide disparity in educational opportunity has served as an institutional check against inherent American values such as equality and individualism, while simultaneously weakening our country as it tries to compete within the global arena.
In the 21st century we have found ourselves declining as a global leader in education. Addressing this issue is essential to improving the quality of life for individual Americans and ensuring continued American prosperity and global leadership. Educational opportunities are lacking for millions of American students in both quality and quantity. Educational opportunities are the building blocks of social mobility and the metric by which we can gauge the future progress of our nation. In a world that is becoming increasingly connected, our students must be more competitive that ever before.

This is a national problem that is not confined to a single administration, party, or level of government; it extends to the public, our values, and priorities. This is not a problem that the United States can fix by simply throwing money at it; the resources required will span all levels of government as well as require strong community support and involvement. The family values that are taught to our children will prove as important as federal tax dollars in this uphill battle.

Success in the United States should mean individual fulfillment and national prosperity. We should measure this success by determining how many of our students are reaching their true potentials. We have many miles to go until we cure all social inequality. Meanwhile, while this inequality exists, educational opportunity serves as means by which all students are given a chance to succeed. Our national shortcoming in providing equal access to educational opportunities is selling our students short. Investing in education today is the only sure was to ensure a strong America tomorrow.