Why am I donating up to $500,000 this year and next to empower the youth of Australia?

The reason is three fold.

First, I believe strongly in the value of a proper education, one which includes financial literacy.

Second, I believe in the youth of Australia.

Third, I wish that financial literacy was taught in all Australian schools.

And despite my lobbying of the Australian government for the last 11 years to ensure that financial literacy is taught in schools, I’m afraid that government progress regarding this important issue has progressed very little, despite having spent $18 million on other concerns.

You see, governments believe that the best way to deal with a problem is to throw money at it, throw enough money at a problem and it will go away. This approach makes for good headlines and fools people into thinking that something is actually being done, even when it really isn’t.

Yet many problems can be resolved without the need for major funding.

For instance; we’ve seen the BER schools program for building shaded areas for students in each school as part of the credit crisis stimulus waste billions of tax payer’s money. Now we have shaded buildings reportedly costing $1million each to build when the real costs, if the bureaucracy wasn’t involved, would be less then $100,000.

Important information that students can apply to real life is missing from the school system and could be provided to every school in Australia for a few million dollars, not the billions that are currently being wasted by the government. Educational DVD’s which contain lessons and workshop material can be downloaded for teachers and students to use and benefit from.

The government has billions of dollars available to spend on our students. So why do students spend 12 years of their lives in a system which doesn’t provide a practical and actionable plan for financial education? Today’s rapidly changing world requires that we all understand and master our finances.

Consider for a moment how little time and effort is spent during 12 years of schooling on teaching emotional intelligence, the psychology of success and the importance of pursuing a career that you are actually passionate about.

There are several reasons for this:

Teachers can’t teach what they don’t know.

University doesn’t equip teachers with the required knowledge to deliver an education for life. Nor do young teachers receive real life experience before becoming school teachers to impart this knowledge. And even if an outstanding teacher believes strongly in the importance of teaching a modern day education, they still have to conform to the status quo of an outdated 19th century educational system.

The 19th century educational system was born during the industrial revolution. It focuses on putting the masses to work in factories and teaches students just enough to get a job done under strict instructions. This is an education system designed to develop future employees that would conform and follow instructions for the large factory owners and most importantly, accept their mediocre existences while being grateful simply for a paycheck.

Has the world changed dramatically since the 19th Century? Absolutely, but has our school educational system changed with it? Let’s be honest here and admit that the educational system is shamefully behind the times. And now we have thousands and thousands of teenagers coming through the system ill equipped to not just survive but to thrive in today’s challenging world.

Student’s brains are often overloaded with skills they’ll largely never use again. I’m still waiting to use the trigonometry and algebra that I was taught at school. For the large majority of professions, information like this will never be of use.

However, general skills such as how to master your finances, master your emotions, how to communicate and negotiate effectively, and skills required to better market yourself or business and lastly, the ability to problem solve are of immense value in real life. These types of skills are of benefit regardless of career or profession.

Yet school and universities teaches mainly specialist skills such as how to become a accountant, nurse, teacher, doctor, builder, etc. All important skills and trades no doubt, but of less value than generalist skills needed in today’s world.

The reality for most students after they leave school is that the majority of the truly valuable information they learn is taught to them by their employers despite having spent 12 Years at school and many more at university. This is time that could have been spent much more wisely.

I was talking recently to one of Australia’s richest men about what I wish to accomplish in terms of providing a real life education to students and he asked me why it isn’t taught in school as well. After detailing why I believe a modern day education for life isn’t taught at school, especially a financial education, I explained to him that the only way it ever will be, is if the business community band together and make it happen by providing this much needed education.

I spoke to Richard Branson about the same topic and the work I’m conducting aimed at empowering the youth of Australia and he couldn’t agree more about the importance of real life education. He also stated that he was happy to lend his name to help make it happen on a larger scale.

Numerous politicians have also been supportive of my efforts and agree that it needs to happen.

So the reason I’m donating $500,000 this year and next and into the future for the cause of empowering the youth of Australia is simple. Rather then just talk about what’s wrong with our outdated educational system, I’d rather put not just my money where my mouth is but my time as well.

That’s why I’ve launched one day 21st Century Youth Summits in every major city in Australia as well as Auckland in New Zealand.

It won’t solve the entire challenge but it’s a good start in ensuring that our youth have access to a quality education while they are still young.

I’ve also asked many millionaires and numerous celebrities and sports stars also to donate their time and assist in the goal of providing a modern day 21st Century Education For Life at no cost to as many teenagers in Australia as possible.

But, I need your help!

I need you to help spread the word and let the youth of Australia know that these events are being held and are free. One day spent at these events a can literally transform a teenager’s life and send them in an entirely new and positive direction. They’ll learn the basis of an education for life in a single day, skills they’ll use every day for the rest of their lives.

Wouldn’t you have loved to gain this valuable education whilst still a teenager?

Many say it’s the best education they’ve ever received.

We have hundreds of excited and empowered fans already and my goal is to reach 10,000 Australian youths every year with these important programs.

The Youth Summits are suitable for people 13 to 20 years old and parents and teachers are welcome to attend as well.

So inform your local schools and ask them to ensure that they get seats for their students to these upcoming events. You don’t want your son our daughter or your school to miss out. Ensure that your teenager son or daughter or next door neighbour receives a free ticket. Help me help others and help us all to make a lasting, long-term difference in this country.

It requires team work and I hope you’ll share in my vision of empowering the Youth of our country.

After all they are our future leaders.

To learn more about the events and watch a short video simply visit: http://www.youthsummit.com.au or Phone 1800 999 270.

Youth Summit Events are coming up in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Gold Coast, Sydney, Auckland and Adelaide.

21st Century Youth Summits are held on Mondays 9.15 am with registrations for 9.45am start times. Prepare for an information packed day of speakers plus a wide range of entertainment.

Check out the testimonies on the video and I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event soon.

Note: If your a 21st Century Member most Youth Summits are held on the Monday of the 4 day Education For Life events so you can revisit a 4 day and also enjoy the youth summit on the Monday.

Regards,

Jamie McIntyre
CEO 21st Century Education