Did you know? China has more honor students than the United States has students. India and China together have six times as many college students as the U.S. And by age 38, today's students will have held 10 to 14 jobs.
Those are just a few of the eye-opening facts Centennial, Colorado, teacher Karl Fisch presents in his Did You Know video that has become an Internet sensation. He also has a blog, which stresses the need to do more to prepare kids for the increasingly global economy.
Here are a few steps that teachers and parents can take to help educate young adults so they can successfully compete in the future job market:
Learn a Language - Educators believe that the languages of the future will be English, Spanish and Chinese. The younger a child starts, the better their chances of becoming fluent. If your school doesn't offer languages until middle school you may want to consider an independent learning program. Make it a family event and join in to learn the language, too!
Pick a Pen Pal - Writing to a child the same age on a distant continent will give your child a personal view of another culture plus a chance to practice writing in a foreign language. To find a pen pal program, ask a language teacher for recommendations or visit sites like studentsoftheworld.info.
Welcome the World - Your kids can meet foreign visitors through People to People or can assist immigrant families through a community assimilation program. Also encourage them to become friends with exchange students at school. They may even decide to become an exchange student themselves!
Take a Trip - Even if you can't afford foreign travel, visiting other regions of the U.S. will open your kids' eyes to different accents, foods and customs. At museums and historical sites they'll learn about the influence of England, France, Spain and other countries. For more in-depth learning, make a game of identifying the origin of various city names.
Read - Encourage your kids to learn about other cultures from books. Visit your local bookstore and browse the travel section for visitor guides. These books are often filled with colorful pictures and descriptions of what it's like to live in that area.
Many leaders, including President Barack Obama, believe it's vital to prepare students for tomorrow's technology jobs. "Our future is on the line," he said in a 2010 announcement of a $250 million initiative to train science and math teachers, adding, "The nation that out-educates us today is going to out-compete us tomorrow."
Young adults are entering a different world from the one their parents and grandparents found when they entered the workforce. Start now to give your kids a foundation they can build on to make sure they're equipped to meet the challenges they'll face in a rapidly changing world.