Tsunami detection buoy -an example of technology and
engineering benefits to society.(AP Photo: Ted S. Warren)
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Approximately 150,000 people have taken a pledge to inspire young people to become the problem-solvers of the future.
Those who take the Connect a Million Minds pledge will fulfill it by engaging in fun and challenging activities in technology, engineering, math and the sciences.
Becoming involved in providing after-school opportunities to explore these fields is particularly important because interest in such fields is rapidly declining, which means that our youth simply will not be prepared to fill in available career opportunities when they reach graduation.
It is estimated that up to 80% of future jobs will require some expertise of science and math skills.
In other words, though good-paying jobs will be awaiting them, graduates will not be qualified to accept them.
Our society, moreover, will have to figure out how to solve its problems without enough workers prepared to meet the challenge. Those who are able to meet the demands will be highly sought after.
Anyone can take the pledge to become involved locally and help bring about positive change by volunteering in after-school and summer youth activities.
Together, we must find ways to motivate the young generation to overcome the initial resistance and dullness of mastering the basics of math and science, so that they become 'producers' rather than 'consumers' of technology and engineering as adults.
An initiative of Time Warner Cable, Connect a Million Minds is TWC's response to President Obama's challenge to private corporations to become involved in taking our nation's student to the next level within a decade, to offset the gradual decline in competence of American students relative to their peers globally.
Connect a Million Minds Launches Nationwide
The White House campaign -known as STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Math] with the slogan of 'Educate to Innovate'- has not received nearly the same media attention as other proposed reforms.
The objective of the campaign is clearly to inspire, engage, and challenge the next generation to restore America to its former glory as the prime example of a civilization of innovation, discovery, and invention for the betterment of mankind. The means used to attain this objective are gaming and entertainment for these are the new ways to learn and train, mainly through the use of robotics, context-immersion of avatars, and simulation.
The main message from those in the forefront of technology and engineering is that if students are able to forge ahead during the less-than-interesting basic math and sciences, they will be rewarded with challenging, fun, and meaningful work later on.
As with everything else in life, there is a price to pay for the priviledge of living in a society where human potential gets rewarded without limits, and where anyone can help change the world by inventing a new item, process, or system.
Connect a Million Minds
TWC's national partners are The Coalition for Science After School [CSAS], For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology [FIRST's], and Pop!Tech, 'a renowned thought leadership and unique innovation network dedicated to accelerating the positive impact of world-changing people, projects, and ideas.'
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