At a time when many parents and educators are concerned about where the world is heading and about their children's future in this world, Tony Ryan offers a positive clarion call to action that we can't refuse. In this book, he paints an astonishing range of possibilities and pictures of what's up ahead and offers practical guidance on essential capabilities our next generation will need to thrive and lead productive, fulfilling lives. A must read for anyone who cares about preparing young people well to make the most of their extraordinary futures.
Joan Dalton, Education Advisor
Hope is at the heart of the human condition. Tony Ryan's brilliant and at times provocative exploration of the world that the next generation will inhabit is refreshing and positive. We have a responsibility to ensure that our children have an excitement about the future and the world in which they will engage. Tony's work invites all of us to explore and contribute to our children's future.
Dr Stephen Brown, internationally renowned educator and expert on school leadership
Tony Ryan's work has a specific quality. Attention. He sees possibility. Combining enthusiastic wonder with rigorous enquiry, this futurist mounts a case that today's young people can look ahead to the mid 21st century with optimism.
Bill Jennings, Founder of Time & Space (Parent-Child Programs)
Tony is a futurist focused on inspiring change and creating positive impact. He has a deep passion for young people and helping them thrive in the future. Tony explores the edge of possibility then makes sense of this so that we can then help our young people be extraordinary. This is a book of optimism, hope and social action.
Dr Cheryl Doig, Leadership Futurist
Tony Ryan is one of the most exciting educators I know. I especially love talking with him about the future of education and the world. He really blows my mind with the stuff he talks about and I can't help wondering if he has actually been to the future and come back!
Professor Chris Sarra, University of Canberra, Chairman, Stronger Smarter Institute
Tony Ryan's brilliance shines through once again. He gives teachers, students and parents hope for a bright future with practical and commonsense offerings. This is a must read for everyone with a vested interest in the success of our youth.
Karen Boyes, CEO Spectrum Education, Speaker, Author, Parent
Anxiety affects one in FIVE children worldwide. It's no wonder. We continually subject them to messages that have little hope for the future. It's time to turn this around. Children really can learn resilience and positive coping skills that will help them develop an optimistic thinking style about the world together with increased ‘thumbs up' choices. This inspiring book will contribute to those choices. If anyone is going to convince our children that the future just might be extraordinary, it is Tony Ryan. His message is balanced, consistent and has every chance of becoming a reality.
Dr Paula Barrett, Author of the Friends Resilience Programs www.FriendsResilience.org
The educator's Educator, Tony Ryan is a thinker with purpose and passion for the community. Never in history have there been so many incredible opportunities on offer for our youth, yet there is a ubiquitous negativity in the mainstream with messages to the contrary — these messages are informing and forming our youngest minds. Tony's book provides a much needed counterpoint for parents, teachers and education authorities at a time when lifting the narrative around optimism and opportunity has never been more important.
Sean Gordon, Founder and Executive Director, SchoolAid Trust, Life Member of the Australian Primary Principals Association
Leading educator and futurist, Tony Ryan, has one of the sharpest minds on the planet. His excitement and optimism about the future are contagious and a sharp contrast to the pessimism pushed in the media. This is essential reading for all parents and educators.
Steve Francis, Education Expert
Today's adolescents are educated to believe that the futuristic society will be flawed. Having this mindset has discouraged the genuine reality that the future is open to limitless, phenomenal possibilities. If only students were optimistic enough to see the world as the bright place it will be. This book will help everyone to think about those possibilities.
Fran Turner, age 13
Tony Ryan is a passionate educator who cares deeply about making the world a better place through harnessing the amazing capacity of our young people. Through his work he provides educators with a window into our future world and the limitless possibilities. His optimism and enthusiasm is contagious as he challenges our thinking and shares insights about how we can engage more effectively with the learners in our care. A vibrant speaker, insightful author and engaging teacher, Tony has been a positive influence on the lives of so many people across the globe. He is truly inspirational.
Faye Hauwai, CEO Learning Network NZ
First published in 2018 by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd
42 McDougall St, Milton Qld 4064
Office also in Melbourne
Typeset in 12.5/14.5 pt Bembo Std
© Headfirst Publishing Pty Ltd 2018
The moral rights of the author have been asserted
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication data:
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (for example, a fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review), no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. All inquiries should be made to the publisher at the address above.
Cover design Kathy Davis/Wiley
Cover image © Teenagers with gadgets: GeorgeRudy/iStockphoto;
Black and White Printed Circuit Board: mastaka/iStockphoto
Disclaimer
The material in this publication is of the nature of general comment only, and does not represent professional advice. It is not intended to provide specific guidance for particular circumstances and it should not be relied on as the basis for any decision to take action or not take action on any matter which it covers. Readers should obtain professional advice where appropriate, before making any such decision. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the author and publisher disclaim all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any person taking or not taking action based on the information in this publication.
To Sharon
Tony Ryan is an education futurist. A parent and a teacher himself, he helps educators and parents throughout the world to understand and prepare for the future of schooling and the workplace.
In the past two decades, he has directly worked with over 1000 schools, colleges, TAFEs and universities in Australia, the United States, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Canada, and Mexico.
He is the author of The Ripple Effect, Thinkers Keys, Mindlinks, Wrapped In Living and a series of manuals and workbooks that stimulate innovative thinking in children.
Tony is a former national president of Professional Speakers Australia, a former board chairman of School Aid Trust, and is presently an Australian ambassador for their cause. He is the co-founder of School2School, an organisation that encourages first world schools to support schools in less developed countries.
Imagine being able to engage and learn with 1000s of inspiring people every year. This is the blessing of my life. I work with parents and educators all over the world who are raising our Next Generation with care, determination and unswerving belief in their contribution. I will be forever grateful that they have allowed me to engage with them.
It might take a village to raise a child, but it takes a tribe to support the writing of a book about those children and their future. The first and foremost member of that tribe is my wife and lifelong partner Sharon, who has a beautiful mind and soul; and was the best ever sounding board when it was needed during the writing. Naomi is the most awesome daughter anyone could have; and I'm lucky enough that she's mine. Her creative genius enlivens all discussion about the future. My grand-daughter Dana is a gift in my life, and already demonstrates what the Next Generation will accomplish.
Joan Dalton is the most outstanding educator in the world (and that's saying something!). Without her editorial advice in the initial stages of writing, this book would not have happened. She resonates with its core intent as strongly as I do, and I'll be forever grateful for her support.
My perceptive niece Kate Davies offered some superb suggestions for the chapter on ‘All in a day's work'. Thanks also to the rest of my gorgeous family — my mother Maureen, who is my greatest fan; my supremely talented sisters Tricia and Mary-louise; Patrick, Terry, Glenn, Matthew, Linda, Owen, and especially Hugh.
So many other high achievers believed in the book's message, and gave support accordingly. The intuitive Alie Blackwell can scan an early draft for just a few minutes, and then offer the most incisive and compelling advice. Sporting mate Dr Timo Dietrich provided invaluable support with digital marketing and web development.
A very special group of talented people offered an endorsement. They are each a tribute to education and parenting. Endless thanks to Michael Grose, Joan Dalton, Bill Jennings, Dr Stephen Brown, Dr Cheryl Doig, Professor Chris Sarra, Karen Boyes, Dr Paula Barrett, Sean Gordon, Steve Francis, Fran Turner, and Faye Hauwai.
The Wiley crew has been hugely supportive. This book is so many degrees better than it would have been without them. Lucy Raymond was my initial contact, and totally has her heart in publishing. Jem Bates thankfully tempered my exuberant enthusiasm with his insightful and measured editing. Talented editor Chris Shorten shadowed me every step of the way, and has made the process more seamless and enjoyable for me. Theo Vassili was always supportive of my provocative conjectures on marketing. May they all continue to superbly support the literary world.
What are we doing to our young people? This is the best time in human history to be alive, and the future offers such amazing potential. Yet we constantly overwhelm them with how difficult the world up ahead might be.
While the future might be a complex and unpredictable place, that doesn't mean we can't positively influence what will occur. On the contrary, we have more control over that future than we might initially think.
In many ways, we can even create what is up ahead; and we need to help our kids to believe that they can do this too. One recent experience brought home to me the importance of encouraging this hope and creative capacity for the future in our young people.
For the past seven years, I have presented an annual Rotary talk to 100 young leaders from all walks of life. My session is on social contribution and how exciting the world up ahead can be.
At the conclusion of my latest presentation, I was approached by several of the attendees. They said it was heartening to hear such optimistic messages, and that they rarely heard such upbeat views from anyone.
According to them, every single adult in their lives, including their parents and their community leaders, consistently griped about the state of the world and maintained there was little chance of the future being any better. In fact, their elders often insisted it would be much worse.
It's time to turn this around. Let's dump the scare campaigns that leave our Next Generation feeling helpless, and instead show them how their choices today can create an inspiring future.
Rather than asking them, ‘What's the world going to be like up ahead?', ask, ‘What sort of world do you want to create up ahead?' The first question suggests they have no control over it, while the second demonstrates they do.
If you want to help children engage with the second question, this book is for you. It is organised in three sections:
The best time to plant a tree, according to the Chinese proverb, was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now. Let's get started.