Untold amounts of money and time are devoted to the perplexing problem of motivating students, especially in Maine, where a student aspiration organization at the University of Maine had studied ways to train student attention spans on the future.

The National Center for Student Aspirations departed the university June 30, the school said. Though the center is gone, Maine is left with another group that exemplifies the importance of educational aspirations: Lewiston-Auburn’s Somali population.

Eight of 10 members of the Haji-Hersi family in Lewiston study at local schools, a number precisely reflecting the importance the Somali community places on education: Of the region’s approximately 3,000 Somalis, some 80 percent are students. They range from age 5 to 70.

“They value education a lot,” Mohammed Abdi, Somali liaison to the Lewiston School Department told the Sun Journal. “They want to see success of their kids, for whom they have sacrificed so much.”

In the case of the Somali community, the motivation for educational achievement is clear: escape from a war-torn homeland to the safety of America. Parents, Abdi said, tell their children: “If you don’t succeed in this environment, I don’t know where you want to go.”

Abdi’s message should resonate with parents of all ilks. The problem, however, is a lack of consensus on how to motivate students to their full potential. During its time at the university, the National Center for Student Aspirations tackled this question through surveys and data-crunching.

According to the Center for Research and Evaluation, inside the university’s College of Education and Human Development, 28 percent of Maine high schools surveyed students on aspirations. The center now provides the aspiration survey and data analysis for school systems.

Lewiston High School, however, has not, although a center spokesman said the school did request surveys in March 2005. Several K-6 schools in Lewiston and Auburn have received or conducted the survey, as well.

We urge schools in Lewiston and Auburn to use the aspiration study to its fullest, and identify solutions to benefit all local students. If inspiration is still required, simply turn to the Somali community’s evident aspirations.