“The illiterate of the 21st Century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”

~ Alvin Toffler

The future is discussed by prescient leaders but made and molded by youth. Over the past few months, we’ve conducted research, kept aware of the news cycles, and watched young voices emerge as global leaders. What we see is possibility and responsibility, particularly with respect to how we are educating them to succeed and lead. For better or worse, the educational decisions we make today will most certainly impact our societies and economies in the coming decades. For our own good, the youngest members of society deserve our efforts to improve education.

Nobody knows the future with certainty. We can, however, identify ongoing patterns of change.

- Alvin Toffler

“Time feels like it is accelerating.”

In a December post in Rapport, Deb Westphal opted to skip making a New Year’s resolution, in favor of looking forward. As I step into the Toffler Associates CEO role this January, I am focused on the future of the firm and its unwavering commitment to be a catalyst for change and future value for our clients. 

The late 1960’s was a pivotal era of social activism. In 1966, Time Magazine named the “Generation Under 25” as its Person of the Year. By 1968, college-aged American youth were acting as “fledgling revolutionaries,” opting for action over talk. In universities and on the streets of major cities like New York, the marches, riots, and protests were widespread – and justified. Most of the activists were seniors in high school when John Kennedy was shot to death. When those same young adults reached their senior year of college, James Earl Ray murdered Martin Luther King. The Vietnam War took their friends and lingered in their minds as a very possible part of their own future.