Importance of education to the Future of America

America has long taken for granted its strong economy, failing to recognize dramatic and rapid changes to the labor market. Education is the number one key to boosting America’s economy and ensuring the future of the nation’s social and political health as well. The nation is dangerously falling behind other nations in terms of the quality of education and the preparedness of its students to meet the demands of the twenty-first century labor market. In fact, educational policymakers have been taking desperate measures to increase high-stakes standardized testing at the expense of a liberal arts approach to education (Hickman, 2015). America needs to reconsider its relationship to education in order to stimulate genuine student interest in high achievement. The future of the country depends on it.
Education in core subjects, particularly STEM, will remain the cornerstone of building an effective student body. Students need to be armed with expansive understanding of STEM fields no matter what career pathway they may take. Yet students in the United States also need to be able to think critically and creatively, and have access to the means by which to learn art, music, athletics, and other subjects that build talent pools in the country. If Americans are to remain competitive with the rest of the world, educators need to raise their game by contextualizing subjects and encouraging healthy competition among students. The American public also needs to become more supportive of strong federal initiatives that improve standards for teachers, offering educators better pay in exchange for their hard work.
The American Legion understands the importance of education to America’s future, which is why it offers this scholarship. Students like me are ideal representatives of the American Legion scholarship because we are dedicated to helping our peers, changing the culture in American schools to one that embraces learning, inquisitiveness, and reaching our highest potential. Thank you for your consideration.





References

Hickman, H. (2015). What is the future of U.S. Education? World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/07/what-is-the-future-of-us-education/