Local businesses, schools and the Education Committee of the Warsaw/Kosciusko County Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to present Education Summit XVIII, "Hollowing Out The Middle: The Rural Brain Drain and What It Means for America," based on a book of the same name.
The Chamber has arranged for co-author Dr. Patrick Carr to speak at both events. The book will be the focus of the Kosciusko Literacy Services’ Community Book Read as well.
This year the Education Summit will be held in two parts.
The first part will be at the Warsaw Community High School Performing Arts Center from 4 to 5:45 p.m. Nov. 3. Carr will address the audience about his findings from researching rural Iowa in 2001. This event will be followed by a question-and-answer session.
The next morning, Nov. 4, the Education Summit will be held at Lakeland Christian Academy starting at 7 a.m. with breakfast followed by a keynote address by Carr. After Dr. Carr’s presentation, there will be panel discussions from local community, business and government leaders followed by roundtable discussions. The morning will end at 10:30 a.m.
The vision of the Chamber’s Education Steering Committee is that by making "Hollowing Out the Middle" the focus of the Education Summit and the Community Book Read, that the paradigm that to be successful, the best and brightest must leave the community, can be changed.
The committee hopes also to help community members, including educators, see that by sending a message to the best and brightest that they must leave the community to achieve success, small towns are being killed.
The Chamber hopes that both events will create significant discussion, followed by action that will result in a gradual process of revitalizing our small towns.
Registration is required and individuals can attend one or both of the events. Anyone who is passionate about the vitality of rural American and small towns will want to attend. Teachers can receive continuing education credits and CEU’s are available for IPFW students.
The event is free due to generous support through grants and sponsorships from the TCU Foundation, Indiana Humanities Council, the Ester Pfleiderer Trust, TCU-Warsaw, IPFW-Warsaw and an anonymous donor.
Register by calling the Chamber at 574-267-6311, email info@wkchamber.com or register online at www.wkchamber.com
