Is Your Child Learning for the 21st Century?

Your child will graduate into a world far more complicated than the one you did. What will they face?

• An innovation and creativity-driven economy with a job market that rewards creativity, flexible thinking, on-the-job learning, and comfort with technology.
• A more globally-connected world where their classmates and co-workers may live in the same zip code or across the globe.
• Information overflow where determining what information is reliable and how to use it is a critical skill.
• An expanded civic life where citizens are active in their communities, online, and through social media to engage in both local politics and global issues.

These trends are already occurring and gaining momentum. Consequently, your child will need to be more globally aware, better able to navigate the digital world, and more engaged as a 21^st century citizen.

To help you support your child’s development of 21^st century skills and 21^st century citizenship, National PTA has teamed up with P21: Partnership for 21^st Century Learning to create a Parent’s Guide to 21^st Century Learning and Citizenship. The guide is broken into three parts:

• An overview of 21^st century learning, a glossary of key words and concepts, what these new ways of learning look like both in and out of the classroom, and what the building blocks of 21^st century learning and citizenship are.
• Tips and strategies for families to help their children thrive in the 21^st century with activities to do at home and suggestions to support your child’s school.
• Real world examples of 21^st century learning and citizenship in practice.

You can also find a PowerPoint overview of 21^st century learning and citizenship that you can use at a PTA meeting or other event to educate parents.

A 21^st century education requires college and career readiness and citizenship. Use the parent’s guide to help you support your child to learn how to succeed, lead, and thrive in the 21^st century.