Upstate's brain drain

Professionals, teens consider 'brain drain' by Jake Palmateer (October 4, 2007)—a symposium on how Upstate New York young people often simply leave their hometowns.

The trick, he said, is getting them to return.

"We don't know how to do that," [Former Daily Star publisher Daniel B.] Swift said.

One way may be to concentrate on making their high school years positive and fulfilling, he said.

That way, when they are at the stage in their lives were they are settling down to raise a family, they may consider doing so in their hometowns, Swift said.

One observation that came from high school students regarded their feeling of self-worth coming from a mostly rural area of the state, Robinson said.

"It's a variation of the small fish, big fish issue," Robinson said. "They want to be noticed. They want to be important."

Better communication with high school alumni could also help draw them back to this area, he said.