A very simple yet powerful statement by RyanCarey on another thread...

RyanCarey wrote:Consider that if in your entire lifetime, you persuade only two other people to do their best to be utilitarian, that will improve the world twice as much as serving those in need directly.

...sparked my interest in the cultivation of utilitarianism as perhaps, the most utilitarian use of our efforts.

Here's my take on the idea:
What if someone were to create an academy (not necessarily a full-time school) for gifted children? A supplementary education of sorts to provide challenge and guidance(utilitarianism) to those with the potential to effect such great change in the world. These youth have an auspicious potential to improve the world. If we can show them the "utilitarian way," they, although it is sad to admit, have the ability to do far more than we can.
This idea is close to my own heart personally because I, and others, have always been left with a certain hunger from my public education. I firmly believe if there were some "academy" out there that could have given me such guidance (sort of like this website actually , except more specifically geared towards education), then I could do so much more for the world.

Any input? Critique? Alternatives? Suggestions? Encouragement ?

Yeah, I agree that cultivating utilitarianism is vital. I also think it's important to focus on cultivating it among the most powerful or promising individuals (wealthy/bright/culturally influential).

But I imagine a school of utilitarianism would only be popular among those few parents already committed to the philosophy (who presumably might inculcate utlitarian principles in their kids anyway)?

Is it perhaps more suitable for the university campus level, where young people are traditionally open to new ideas and looking to change the world? I wish I'd come across such a group on my campus (rather than spending 3 years in a deeply dysfunctional Leninist group).

Well, that's a large part of the reason why we put up this forum - I think if we can get a core group of members together it starts to become a more socially appealing proposition to identify as a util, gives the idea bigger presence on the web, makes it easier for each of us to share the burden of addressing bad arguments against it etc.

The problem with creating an academy by the obvious means is that it's going to be difficult to show that it's a better use of money than giving it to someone like SCI. Still, a couple of things occur:

1) A wealthy util could put some of his donation money into setting up some kind of award/fund for students committed to utilitarianism (not necessarily in name - having signed up for GWWC might be enough, or having chosen a reasonably utilitarian career path, or perhaps both). In the long run this could potentially put a lot more back into utilitarian causes than just donating it directly. It only seems to work if you have a relatively neutral business-as-usual expectation of the future, though. If you suspect extinction is or could be right around the corner, there's probably not much time to set this kind of thing up. If you think technology is going to sort out most of our major problems within a few decades, then by far the worst suffering we'll have the chance to prevent is that happening right now.

2) In some countries, (Sweden IIRC? And possibly soon in the UK) the government offers subsidies to any group of people willing to offer a school-level education. Typically this results in Christian parents getting together makeshift faith schools, and no-one else really having the population density to qualify - I'm not sure how utils would do any better given how rare we are, but in principle at least it seems like a pretty good idea, since you're diverting government money away from much less efficient causes than you put yours into.