opportunity

A healthy pregnancy leading to a healthy birth is the first major gateway to a life of opportunity.

A safe and stimulating early childhood is the nex major gaeway to a life of opportunity. The first several years of life set the foundation for future physical, social, emotional and cognitive development.

An active and healthy childhood and adolescence is an important gateway to a life of opportunity. Eating right , exercising and avoiding high-risk behaviors are fundamental choices that impact short- and long-term health, social, educational and economic opportunities.

Leaving school ready to succeed is the next important opportunity gateway. For much of the last century, so long as you were a loyal employee and worked hard, it was possible to get and keep a good paying job that had decent benefits even if you did not have a high school diploma. Those days are gone. Today, the successful completion of high school is virtually indispensable to one???s prospects for success.

To be considered a state of opportunity i n the 21st century, Colorado must provide its adults - both young and old - with access to lifelong education and training . Real opportunities for further education and training must not only be available to recent high school graduates, but also to high school dropouts of all ages who are trying to get back on the Cycle of Opportunity, English language learners, and high school graduates who find their skills are no longer good enough.

Maintaining good physical health throughout adulthood is an important gateway to opportunity. Good health contributes to improved job productivity and increased self-worth and self-sufficiency.

I n our free market economy, the ultimate gateway to opportunity is a good income that allows a family to accumulate assets and save for the future. And unlike health or education, wealth can be stored, shared with one???s family, and passed on from generation to generation.

The Bell Policy Center offers a hopeful and inclusive vision for Colorado - one grounded in the basic American value of opportunity. We believe Colorado ought to be a state of opportunity for all, regardless of race or economic background - a place where individuals have the opportunity to build better lives for themselves and their families and to participate in the many blessings of democracy.

Increasing the stipend and holding down tuition should be a top priority. We should increase the stipend to at least $3,000 per full-time student in 2007, and higher if possible. And we should make sure COF stipends keep pace with inflation after that. Colorado should also double need-based financial aid and work-study opportunities.

This study, sponsored by the Colorado Department of Education???s Center for At-Risk Education, utilized available data to examine the relationships between adult educational attainment, the Bell Policy Center's Gateways of Opportunity, and academic achievement of students.