I really liked the description of what the Northwest Indiana Quality of Life Indicators Report has to say about the community. The Northwest Indiana Quality of Life Council has been using the indicators to promote progress in the region, and asks in this article published by the Michigan City News-Dispatch, November 18, 2007:

Is Northwest Indiana a "Community of Opportunity"? If not, how do we ensure that all residents have an opportunity to succeed and achieve some form of financial well being and security?

The indicator report uses some interesting categories to advance conversation and action in the community, and supports a blog for ongoing discussion about the indicators. Blog topics include everything from income inequality to climate change. It's worth checking out.

The "Community of Opportunity" conversation continues:

The Quality of Life Indicator "Community of Opportunity" looked at issues of income and poverty in Northwest Indiana. It found that we are an area of vast economic contrasts.
The Quality of Life report urged the Northwest Indiana community to reduce poverty by 20 percent by 2010. The report acknowledges this challenge will require the public, private and non-profit sectors to work together on a solution.

Together, we can create a community of opportunity and we will all benefit in the long run. But it all starts with education!

That's a message that I think will resonate with many of us in our communities.