Supporting the Next Generation of Innovators

We all share responsibility for encouraging young people to become lifelong learners and to stimulate their interest in math and science.

One of the striking things about human progress is that so many of the world’s most important new ideas have been the work of young people. From Isaac Newton, whose discoveries as a 23-year-old formed the basis for calculus, to Charles Darwin, who surveyed the Galapagos Islands at age 26, and Albert Einstein, who published his paper on relativity at age 26, young people have been responsible for breakthroughs that form the foundation for much of our understanding of how the world works.

Young people have played a central role in contemporary fields as well, including business and technology. Google, Apple, Microsoft and Yahoo, for instance, were all founded by people when they were in their twenties.

Why do young people play such an important role in innovation? Perhaps they aren’t as constrained by traditional ways of thinking, which allows them to pursue ideas that seem impossible to those with more experience.

If history is a guide, there is no reason to believe that young people won’t continue to create important breakthroughs in science, engineering, and other fields. But there is one trend that is cause for concern.

During the last decade, the number of college students who study math and science in the United States has declined dramatically. Today, there simply aren’t enough people with the right skills to fill the growing demand for computer scientists and computer engineers. This is a critical problem because technology holds the key to progress and to addressing many of the world’s most pressing problems, including healthcare, education, global inequality, and climate change.

To address this issue, it’s important for parents to help their children appreciate the joys of learning and discovery. Teachers and educators must find ways to teach science and math so they are relevant and exciting. We look to government to help improve educational excellence in our schools and ensure that all high school graduates have solid math and science skills.

Companies like Microsoft must contribute, too, by working with schools to foster interest in science and mathematics and by providing training that is relevant to the needs of business. That’s why we recently launched a new program called Microsoft DreamSpark, which provides professional software development and design tools to university students around the world as a download at no cost. The goal of DreamSpark is to help students expand their skills and knowledge, and hopefully, to inspire them to find new ways to turn their great ideas into business opportunities that address real-world problems.

Equipping young people in Chicago and elsewhere with the tools they need to turn their great ideas into breakthrough innovations increases the possibility that they will find solutions for many of the difficult problems our world faces today. Their future—and ours—depend on it.

Learn more at http://www.microsoft.com/about/corporatecitizenship/