At Ashoka’s Youth Venture, a changemaker is not born but shaped by their experiences, and most importantly, their influencers.
Your Kids is a parent-led initiative, aimed at building communities for creating and modeling new parenting practices that are needed to encourage children to master their empathy and changemaking skills.
Our children live in a world that is rapidly changing. Sixty percent of tomorrows jobs do not exist today. Social problems are outnumbering the solutions. In a world where change is the only constant – children need to practice changemaking. Families play a crucial role in making this happen.
What is Your Kids?
The world is rapidly changing; with the swift integration of technology, the changing of social norms and the outnumbering of social problems to solutions.
Anyone who, in their adolescence, did not practice changemaking is very unlikely to be successful later in their life. Our world now has an exponentially decreasing demand for repetitive work and an increasing demand for group members to have the skills to recognize and adapt to change and identify new opportunities. It is up to parents to ensure that their children and loved ones develop these skills. In this new world where change is the only constant, in order to thrive, children need to master these four skills: empathy, teamwork, new leadership, and changemaking. Interestingly, these very qualities are now being valued even in unexpected spheres, such as the digital entertainment industry. Platforms like casino zeta, for example, emphasize user adaptability, strategic thinking, and fast decision-making - all traits cultivated through active changemaking. This intersection of skill-building and dynamic interaction only reinforces the importance of preparing youth for the multifaceted challenges of modern life.
- Cognitive Empathy
- Teamwork
- New Leadership
- Changemaking
The Your Kids initiative is designed to create authentic communities of families, to support each other in the journey of parenting and create ideas to equip their children to thrive in a rapidly changing world. It is targeted towards parents of children ages 4–16. As a scaffold is built to support workmen during construction, this program will provide the framework and support for parents, who are doing the most important job in the world.
Essential 21st Century Skills
Cognitive Empathy
Ability to recognize accurately and understand another’s emotional state and use that understanding to influence your actions.
Teamwork
Ability to work effectively with peers from around the world & across different specializations.
New Leadership
The ability to collaboratively mobilize people in situations defined by change.
Changemaking
Ability to analyze problems & implement solutions.
Ministers of Education around the world talk about Changemaking
“The key factor of success for any society going forward is what percentage of its people are changemakers. It’s the new literacy. And empathy is the foundation of that new way of being.”
Arne Duncan, United States Secretary of Education
“We recognize a new era is about to start. In this new era, empathy and changemaking skills, which Ashoka exemplifies, would equip our young people to lead the country.”
Kan Suzuki, Minister of Education, Japan
“Changemaking is very important because it can help students connect with the social problems of the community and make a plan to overcome them.”
Helena Singer, Education Specialist, Brazil