21st Century Skills for the Future

Over the past month Impact Network has actively been thinking about how we can expand upon our existing curriculum to ensure that we set our students up for success in the years to come. But how do you prepare young people for the future, when you don’t know what the future will look like?

In the past, a mastery of core academic subjects was a testament to a good education and would ensure a pupil a job upon graduation. But in today’s increasingly globalized, interconnected and rapidly changing world, the value for content knowledge and memorization is less important with access to information available to anyone with a smartphone. Today, 21st century skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration are more important for students than ever before!

Students need to be able to navigate increasingly complex societies with a critical lens, creativity and effective communication. To be able to thrive they need to collaborate with their peers and engage with information and communications technologies to solve multifaceted problems. Moving away from rote-memorization and archaic ways of teaching and learning, young people need to be equipped with foundational literacies (literacy, numeracy, ICT literacy, financial literacy etc.), key competencies (critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication) and a range of character qualities (curiosity, initiative, persistence, adaptability, leadership), which will allow them to conquer challenges thrown at them in the future.

In addition to utilizing 21st century skills, Impact Network wants students to care more for the climate, human rights, gender equality and leading healthy and happy lives. Being a global citizen and caring about everyone’s collective wellbeing feels more important now than ever before.

As we take on this project to expand upon the values, content and skills promoted through our classrooms and curriculum, we are redefining what we want young people to be able to do in the future!

Over the coming months a team of staff at Impact Network will be grappling with all of these questions and ideas on how to make them a reality within our context. Stay tuned to how the project unfolds, with more updates to come. Onwards and Upwards!

-Felicia