A report published by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (2006) noted, "Powerful trends in globalization, technology, and economic liberalization are accelerating the pace of competition across the world." Nations throughout the world are recognizing that economic growth in the 21st century will be driven by their ability to innovate and promote the power of entrepreneurship.
Our children are growing up in a world that is more interconnected and interdependent. Demands for a highly skilled and educated workforce are exploding. Skills are now a major factor driving economic growth and broader social outcomes, both in the world's most advanced economies and in those experiencing rapid development.
The implications for learning and teaching are clear. Our young people must be prepared to participate in today's rapidly changing economic environment. The world of the future will demand capacities that, until now, have been mere options (Gardner, 2006). It is essential that we begin to grow these capacities now, for the entrepreneurs of tomorrow are in our schools today.
It is widely accepted that significant improvements in training the workforce of tomorrow require real change at the heart of learning and teaching. George Gendron, founder of Inc. magazine, opines that youth entrepreneurship programs are an essential part of preparing boys and girls, young men and women, to take charge of their economic destiny. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has listed entrepreneurial skills as a key component of 21st century content. Furthermore, a paper released by the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education (2006) makes the case that entrepreneurship education "reach[es] out to kids who lack interest in traditional learning models or approaches" and that "students of all kinds, from the disaffected to the gifted and talented, can be motivated to dream big dreams and work to make them happen . . . . [The consortium provides] activities that build relationships, provide relevance for learning, and encourage rigor in the effort to develop academic skills to be competitive."
Now is a particularly opportune time to launch a national conversation about making entrepreneurship education an integral and innovative piece of learning and teaching in U.S. education systems. Many member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) already include entrepreneurship in their national education curricula.
In the fall of 2007, 25 national leaders from the fields of education, youth development, public policy, and business were invited to participate in the first of three strategy group meetings about the critical role of entrepreneurship education in underserved American communities. The meeting was facilitated by the Aspen Institute, E*TRADE Financial, and the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship. Stephanie Bell-Rose, founding president of the Goldman Sachs Foundation, chaired the meeting. The goal of the Youth Entrepreneurship Strategy Group (YESG) is to develop and implement a concrete, targeted strategy to offer entrepreneurship education in public schools throughout the United States.
According to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education, the vast majority of American youth cannot easily access entrepreneurship education resources and training. Thus, the YESG's primary strategy is to build a coalition of leaders who will work together to mobilize resources and spur effective action for the expansion of entrepreneurship education to reach all 9th and 10th grade students in low-income communities nationwide.
A coordinated communications plan will be implemented to promote greater access to entrepreneurship education. Audiences for these communications will be policymakers, education leaders, philanthropists, and business leaders. Additionally, the YESG will sponsor quarterly public events for "thoughtful leaders" in selected U.S. cities, including CEO forums, roundtables for policymakers, and convening community college and university leaders to develop local strategies to increase the availability of entrepreneurship education.
To thrive in our new world, our students need strong analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills. They must be more entrepreneurial, willing to take risks, and able to tolerate greater ambiguity. These challenges and opportunities compel us to reexamine our current education practices and banish any assumptions that what was good enough for us is good enough for our kids. This implies doing what works and transforming what doesn't.
Education leaders, policymakers, business leaders, and parents must seize the moment to provide opportunities for our youth to create their own futures. Our curricula should engage students in authentic learning that mirrors real-life experiences. Learning and teaching should promote students' idea generation, venture creation, and critical thinking.
Our nation's economic competitiveness depends on it.
