The Future Face of Next Generation Industry
Leadership
Michigan’s “Future Leaders” Leading Michigan Back to Prosperity …
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. . . a calling to all of Michigan’s school districts, industry and community leaders, and legislators to join Paragon Leadership in gathering our teen leaders – the state’s future leaders -- to be part of the solution to some of our state’s most critical challenges.
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As
we head into 2010, Michigan is facing unprecedented challenges at a time when we
didn’t think things could get any worse.
Funding
for our K-12 schools is facing unprecedented cuts of
up to $127 per student and in some cases up to $600 per student, thus
compromising education, one of the most significant factors to creating a talent
pool for attracting and retaining knowledge-based enterprises needed to
transform Michigan’s economy.
Today,
one in every four Michigan students fail to graduate from public high school
with their class. The
high school graduation rate is a proven barometer of the health of our region
and the skill level of our future workforce.
Michigan
is 34th among all states in four-year degree attainment
(with
Metro areas such as Grand Rapids-Muskegon-Holland running at 24.61%; and
Detroit-Warren-Flint running at 26.94%)
Michigan
is losing its recent graduates at double the rate since 2001, up from 24% to
49%; taking
with them their education and the talent needed to help rebuild Michgian’s
economy.
Unemployment
in Michigan has risen to 15% (5%
above the national average) the highest it has been since 1983, currently the
highest in the nation and predicted to go higher in 2010.
Since
December 2007 through January 2009, low education attainment industries
(primarily manufacturing, construction, retail and hospitality) have suffered
job losses of 3,735,000 that
are not predicted to return; with not nearly enough knowledge-based, high-
paying jobs being created to replace the loss.
What
does all this mean? Simple… If our state cannot find ways to turn
the staggering and bleak statistics noted above around, Michigan will become
a “poor state” . . . one that our young people won’t want to stay in, and
one that knowledge-based industries will not want to come
to.
To solve some of these critical
challenges, our government, school administration, citizens and private industry
must work together. Perhaps the
most important element of all . . . WE
MUST INVOLVE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE IN HELPING SOLVE MICHIGAN’S FUTURES PROBLEMS!
Paragon’s
Solution: the 2010 Future Gen
Epprentice Experience
Developing
the F-A-C-E of our Future Generation . . . Michigan’s Future
Leaders!
Contact
us
to
find out how you and your organization can get involved
Day
1; March 20, 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
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Forward
Thinking . . .
What
happens when you get a group of young leaders together? They create innovative, future
focused, and immediately implementable ideas that aren’t dampened by past
paradigms or nay-sayers.
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On
March 20, 2010 from 8am-5pm, teams of Michigan High School and Middle
School students from up to 12 school districts will be assembled to
compete against other school districts for the “winning solution” to one
of Michigan’s critical problems.
Teams will be given a list of project areas to select from and will
be facilitated by a Paragon Coach to provide direction and instill
life-long learnings around leadership, team development, imagination,
innovation, collaboration and
competition.
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Four
Weeks in Between
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Action
. . .
Imagine
project outcomes that are immediately implementable, not only within the
team’s district, but beyond!
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Teams
will have 4 weeks to begin putting their project idea into action,
minimally within their school, but will be encouraged to figure out how
their idea can be implemented within their district and beyond.
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Day
2; April 26, 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
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Commitment
to Change . . .
Our
future depends on change, and who better to help with change then our
‘future generations’.
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Teams
will gather on DATE from 12-7 to develop innovative and compelling
presentations, to include their project idea, Implementation plan, sphere
of influence, innovativeness and impact to their school, district,
community and state.
Winning teams will be judged by a panel of executive, state
legislators, school administrators and community members.
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Afterglow
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Engage
. . .
How
often does healthy dialogue occur between industry leaders, legislators,
school administrators and our teen leaders?
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After
winning teams have been awarded, all participants will be invited to
engage in dialogue with panel judges around how to sustain the project
outcomes and engage other young leaders to continue the great work that
has begun.
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Contact
us
to
find out how you and your organization can get
involved