21st Century Skills

Learn How Odyssey Of The Mind problems support 21st Century Skills (pdf)

Today’s students need more than core knowledge to be successful. Students must also learn the essential skills for today’s world, such as critical thinking, problem solving, communication, teamwork and collaboration in addition to core subjects and 21st interdisciplinary themes. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has identified the elements described below as critical to ensure 21st century readiness for every student.

Learning & Innovation Skills

Learning and innovation skills are what separate students who are prepared for increasingly complex life and work environments in today’s world and those who are not. They include:
· Creativity and Innovation
· Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
· Communication and Collaboration

Information, Media & Technology Skills 

Today, we live in a technology and media-driven environment, marked by access to an abundance of information, rapid changes in technology tools and the ability to collaborate and make individual contributions on an unprecedented scale. Effective citizens and workers must be able to exhibit a range of functional and critical thinking skills, such as:
· Information Literacy
· Media Literacy
· ICT (Information, Communications and Technology) Literacy

Life & Career Skills 

Today’s life and work environments require far more than thinking skills and content knowledge. The ability to navigate the complex life and work environments in the globally competitive information age requires students to pay rigorous attention to developing adequate life and career skills, such as:
· Flexibility and Adaptability
· Initiative and Self-Direction
· Social and Cross-Cultural Skills
· Productivity and Accountability
· Leadership and Responsibility

For more information on 21st century skills, the framework, detailed outcomes and support systems, please see Partnership for 21st Century Skills at www.p21.org.