Building Idaho's future: the power of education, innovation and partnership
The start of a legislative session has a familiar rhythm – a mix of tradition and purpose that reminds me of the serious work ahead and the hope that comes with new beginnings. As a political scientist, I've always appreciated the unique dynamics of this process, and earlier this month, I had the privilege of watching our legislators take their places, ready to engage in the deliberations that will shape our state's future. Their work, often painstaking and unglamorous, is a clear example of how democracy works in action. It's a reminder that politics, at its best, is not just a contest of ideas but about building something enduring together.
The legislative session officially began with an event representing the intersection of governance and vision for Idaho's future — Gov. Brad Little's State of the State Address. Gov. Little underscored the essential role of education in Idaho. His vision is clear: Idaho's prosperity hinges on the ability to equip its people with the skills, knowledge and opportunities needed to succeed. His strategy is backed by important data: a study indicates by 2031, 72% of jobs in the United States will require post-secondary education or training. This is the daily work of those who serve Idaho's residents at institutions like Idaho State University; we turn goals and dreams into reality.
In response to Idaho's urgent need for health care professionals, ISU collaborated with Kootenai Health to create an accelerated nursing program in North Idaho to educate and mobilize skilled nurses. This program prepares RNs in a fraction of the time, combining rigorous academic training with real-world clinical experience. With the governor's support, we are now expanding the accelerated nursing program and ensuring that more nurses are ready to step into the field where they are so desperately needed.
Our partnership with Kootenai Health shows what can happen when public institutions and private industry unite. A deeper truth about education is reflected: it's not an expense but an investment. The dividends are clear – not only in economic terms but also in the value of building stronger communities and meeting Idaho's growing workforce needs with homegrown talent. This approach creates greater opportunities for Idahoans and reduces the need to rely on importing out-of-state professionals. Investment in higher education has also been shown to provide significant societal benefits, including more individuals with private retirement benefits, medical benefits, and employment stability – thus, decreasing their reliance on state or federal benefits.
The value of our public higher education system is all about equipping Idahoans with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive in a growing state. Recent studies show that college education results in stronger families, better health, increased prosocial behavior, and graduates who are more likely to vote. Businesses can hire talented workers locally instead of looking out of state, and those workers become active contributors to civic life. They stay rooted in the communities they love, making a difference by raising families, joining PTOs, coaching youth sports and volunteering at food banks and local churches. Investing in higher education is investing in the stewards who will shape Idaho's future.
This understanding animates ISU's mission and drives our commitment to innovation. We're reimagining what it means to serve Idahoans by creating flexible pathways that allow more people to access the opportunities a college education provides. Whether a recent high school graduate, a mid-career professional looking to reskill or a parent returning to school after raising children, students are met where they are, and ISU's specialized programs take them where they want to be with a bachelor's degree, a technical certificate, a professional degree or a career-advancing certification.
The work we do in higher education requires more than vision — partnerships are essential. Working with our state Legislature, whose members represent Idaho's incredible breadth of experience and insight, is a foundational partnership that generates long-term success.
Idaho's elected officials, like its educators, are grappling with an essential question: How do we prepare for a future that's both unpredictable and demanding? Part of the answer lies in the innovative programs that are emerging from the state's public higher education institutions, like ISU. We are partnering with industries to meet workforce demands and create pipelines that connect education to employment. Whether it's health care, energy or engineering, these collaborations are yielding solutions that are as practical as they are impactful.
At ISU, we embrace the responsibility of our mission with determination. We understand that the stakes are high and the expectations even higher. We also know that Idaho's potential is boundless, as long as we remain committed to the principles that have always guided us: collaboration, innovation and an unyielding belief in the power of education to transform lives.
In the end, the strength of Idaho will not only be measured by its resources and its landscapes, but by the people who call it home and by the futures we are willing to invest in today. There's work to be done, and it's the kind of work that matters. Together, we're ensuring that Idaho's brightest days are still ahead.
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As part of her "America at Work" listening tour, Secretary Chavez-DeRemer has traveled across the country to meet with American businesses and workers to identify the skills and training programs our country needs to power the economy. Her stop in Valley County, Idaho, demonstrates her ongoing commitment to understanding the labor needs of Idaho's rural workforce and underscores how the Stibnite Gold Project can fuel the region's economic success. About Perpetua Resources and the Stibnite Gold ProjectPerpetua Resources Corp., through its wholly owned subsidiaries, is focused on the exploration, site restoration and redevelopment of gold-antimony-silver deposits in the Stibnite-Yellow Pine district of central Idaho that are encompassed by the Stibnite Gold Project. The Stibnite Gold Project is one of the highest-grade, open pit gold deposits in the United States and is designed to apply a modern, responsible mining approach to restore an abandoned mine site and produce both gold and the only mined source of antimony in the United States. Antimony trisulfide from Stibnite is the only known domestic reserves of antimony that can meet U.S. defense needs for many small arms, munitions, and missile types. FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATIONInvestors should be aware that the Stibnite Gold Project's designation as a Transparency Project does not imply endorsement of or support for the project by the federal government, or create a presumption that the Project will be approved, favorably reviewed by any agency, or receive federal funding. The designation of a project as a Transparency Project may be reconsidered based on updated information. Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts are "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" (collectively, "Forward-Looking Information") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation and the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-Looking Information includes, but is not limited to, disclosure regarding expected benefits from the Project, including providing a domestic source of antimony, local employment opportunities, national defense benefits and environmental benefits; expected benefits from the Stibnite Launch Program and other educational and training initiatives; and the number and nature of jobs expected to be created. In certain cases, Forward-Looking Information can be identified by the use of words and phrases or variations of such words and phrases or statements such as "anticipate", "expect", "plan", "likely", "believe", "intend", "forecast", "project", "estimate", "potential", "could", "may", "will", "would" or "should". Forward-Looking Information in this news release are based on certain material assumptions and involve, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Perpetua Resources to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the Forward-Looking Information. Such risks and other factors include those factors discussed in Perpetua Resources' public filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and its Canadian disclosure record. Although Perpetua Resources has attempted to identify important factors that could affect Perpetua Resources and may cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in Forward-Looking Information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that Forward-Looking Information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on Forward-Looking Information. For further information on these and other risks and uncertainties that may affect the Company's business, see the "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" sections of the Company's filings with the SEC, including Perpetua's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 19, 2025 and subsequent filings on Form 10-Q and Form 8-K, which are available at and with the Canadian securities regulators, which are available at Except as required by law, Perpetua Resources does not assume any obligation to release publicly any revisions to Forward-Looking Information contained in this news release to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Perpetua Resources Corp. View original content to download multimedia:
