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What is a sense of awe worth?
[img]http://www.ohs.org/education/oregonhistory/_files/_doc_files/Old%20growth%20Sitka%20Spruce%201923%20P260.jpg[/img]

posted 4 years, 9 months ago
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DemocracyLab is doing great work!

posted 4 years, 10 months ago
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We have many small, fast-growing Open Source software businesses that are hiring: Jive Software, Vidoop, OpenSourcery, etc...but it's hard for them to find the talent they need locally. Fortunately, Portland is a great place to recruit people to, but unfortunately Oregonians are missing out on some great jobs (avg. wage: $88,000)

One problem is that our educational and parental systems (with a few exceptions) still have a 2001-mindset. If you ask most teachers, parents & counselors in k-12, they would tell students to pursue careers other than computer science because there is still a perception that these jobs are getting outsourced.

I am involved with one group that is working to fix this: the TechStart Education Foundation here in Portland.

posted 4 years, 10 months ago
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I would like to see something on the state of technology education in Oregon. We've got all kinds of economic reports showing 28% growth in technology jobs that pay on average $88,000 per year (2x the avg. OR salary), but they go unfilled (or people are hired from outside Oregon) because our educational & governmental leaders/institutions aren't making necessary changes to prepare kids for a great professional future. Perhaps it's because the mythology that has built up regarding outsourcing, the mis-allocation of educational funds or a lack of understanding about how important this sector is to Oregon's economy...I don't know, but I feel strongly that we're relegating our kids to a sub-standard future if we don't draw attention to this problem and fix this soon.

posted 4 years, 10 months ago
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