This area is full of bright ideas.

That much is clear based on the response so far to the Be The Bulb Challenge seeking ideas to improve kindergarten readiness in Escambia County. Quint and Rishy Studer have offered a total of $50,000 for the two best ideas.

One pot of money — $25,000 — is for Escambia School District employees. The other $25,000 will go to the best idea from the public at large.

Kindergarten readiness is one of 16 metrics in the Studer Community Institute's Pensacola Metro Dashboard, a set of 16 measures to gauge the educational, economic and social well-being of the community.

Research shows that children who starts out behind in kindergarten struggle in school throughout their academic careers. In 2013-2014 school year, Escambia's kindergarten readiness rate of 66 percent was matched by the high school graduation rate — 66 percent.

And it matters to you, even if you don't have young children or grandchildren.

Improving those education outcomes is crucial not only to improving the lives of the children behind the numbers, but also it is critical to having a community with a skilled workforce that supports the growth and development of small businesses.

It's important to making Pensacola a great place to raise a family, start a career, and grow a business.

The people who have responded to the Be The Bulb challenge so far understand the link between education, jobs and a great quality of life. We've received more than 450 submissions to the challenge.

To learn more about “Be the Bulb” or to enter, click here.

The deadline to submit your idea is April 27.