Overview
Overview
The extent to which a society utilizes its human potential is among the chief determinants of its prosperity. One focus of concern in this regard has been the existence of achievement gaps in education between certain groups of students and others.
TO: STUDENTS, PARENTS,
EDUCATORS, SCHOOLS AND SOCIETY
Human potential is one of our greatest and most essential resources.
When we provide our children with a proper education and an opportunity to reach their full potential, we are offering them a better quality of life. We are also granting our society a workforce capable of competing in a global economy – which improves quality of life for future generations. However, it goes far beyond that. For when we offer our children a proper education and an opportunity to reach their full potential, we are bestowing upon them the tools to eventually cure cancer, address climate change and chart a course through the stars.
In hopes of empowering children to excel in school and beyond,
key thought leaders joined forces to launch an education initiative.
THE WALL:
GAPS IN LEARNING AND ACHIEVEMENT
Many students are not reaching their full potential in school. This is leading to significant deficits in learning and achievement which are extremely costly for individuals and countries. For individuals, learning gaps and achievement gaps impose heavy and often tragic consequences – via lower earnings, poorer health, and higher rates of incarceration. For countries, the consequences include not developing a workforce with the skills necessary to compete and succeed in a global economy. For example, shortfalls in academic learning and achievement are costing the United States hundreds of billions of dollars. Overall, the impact of learners not reaching their full potential is immeasurable. Learn More: Problem »
THE DOORWAY:
TEACH STUDENTS HOW TO LEARN
For students to reach their full potential, it is crucial that they develop the executive function and self-regulation skills necessary to become engaged and successful learners. These are the mental processes that enable individuals to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, juggle multiple tasks effectively, and control impulses. But children are not born with these skills—and not every child has developed these skills to the same extent when they arrive in a classroom or learning environment. In addition, these skills are not explicitly taught in most schools in the United States, unless a student is identified with a specific learning challenge. This means that students who do not learn executive function and self-regulation skills outside of school are likely to struggle in school – and also likely to have problems setting and achieving goals in several aspects of their lives.
Ultimately, it is essential to teach children the foundational skills that enable them to become motivated and productive learners. For instance, society prioritizes success in math, so schools teach math. If society would like to prioritize success in learning, then there should be a class that teaches students how to learn. Learn More: Solution »
THE KEY:
MANAGING ME
The Torvus Group, a global think tank of key thought leaders, designed the Managing Me program to provide students with the executive function and self-management skills necessary to reach their full potential in school and beyond. The curriculum has been utilized in select award-winning California schools for years and it is a vital step in overcoming longstanding educational achievement gaps and recent COVID-19 learning gaps. Closing these gaps would lead to a better quality of life for countless individuals and hundreds of billions of dollars for the United States. Learn More: Program »