Space Voyage School Seminar (SVSS)

Letter of Support From A Business Leader
Can You Afford Not To?

      The following essay was written to parents and school-business partners by a businessman concerned with education and familiar with the philosophy of the Space Voyage program:

"Economist John Kenneth Galbraith wrote: "People are the common denominator of progress. So… no improvement is possible with unimproved people, and advance is certain when people are liberated and educated." There are serious problems in today's educational system, and it's going to take some heroic efforts to get things back on track.  You may be aware of the declining interest in science and math on the part of American students. Their achievement scores are the lowest among the 17 most industrialized nations. If we as parents, educators, and concerned adults intend to reverse this downward spiral, then it's time for us to get into the game.  It is now our responsibility to step up to the plate and make a serious investment in our children's educational future.

     It's not going to be easy.  We are facing stiff competition for the minds of our young people: MTV, the advertising media, movies, video games, gang involvement, and a rising trend toward violent crime as a "rite of passage." At the present time these outside influences are creating our children's reality for them.  If we are to compete, the educational programs of the future will need to be more than the dispensing of raw information. They must stimulate, inspire, and motivate our students.  Much lip service has been paid to the "excitement and adventure of learning." The time for talk is over… the need for action is at hand.

     Programs like Space Voyage are a way we can teach our young people that they are the only ones who can create their own future, by active, hands-on involvement.  The educational process must integrate technology, multimedia, motivational speaking, and plain old fashioned fun into a mix that involves all the students' senses in the challenge of learning.

    At present the Space Voyage program costs about $14 per student. Compare this to other "necessities" we provide our children: An evening at the movies for $20 (after the mandatory popcorn and drink, of course), tickets for a rock concert at $30 to $40, the latest model athletic shoe at $125 per pair!  These things net only a temporary benefit to our children. Innovative and interactive programs like Space Voyage can energize our young people about learning and empower them with the attitudes and energies necessary to make a real difference in their futures. Give your children this gift!"