Societal Trends

Our presenter today was Gary Marx. He posed the question, "What will the new normal look like?" He asserts, "The future is in our schools today!"

Here are some of the trends he presented on today:

1. For the first time in history the old will outnumber the young.
2. Of Every 100 People, who live on the planet, 61 are living in Asia, 14.5 are living in Africa, 11 live in Europe, 8.5 live in Latin America, and only 5 live in North America.
3. Social and intellectual capital will become economic drivers intensifying competition for well educated people.
4. The technology trend insures, eighty percent of all the scientists who ever lived are alive today... and they’re on the Internet!
5. Pressure will grow for society to prepare people for jobs which do not exist!!
6. Understanding will grow that sustained poverty is expensive for all and poverty is everyone’s responsibility!

Possible roles of education:

1. Release of human ingenuity will become a primary responsibility of education and educators.
2. Create intellectual entrepreneurs!
3. Cultivate ingenuity imagination creativity, and inventiveness!
4. We need to encourage a civic temperament that encourages reasoned discussion, dialogue and deliberation!
5. The ARTS are key to the future!!

What can we do now?

Remember, It’s okay to think outside the box... Try to stay in touch with the world... And keep organizations fresh, energized!!