You've heard the adage, "Time is money." You've read about the sleeping giants, China and India, awakening and exerting power throughout the world. If you've ever wondered what's behind that power, how high the level of industriousness is in these cultures, and whether the United States can remain in the forefront of scientific and technological development, invest 50 minutes of your time in the documentary "Two Million Minutes."
This film compares top students from an American high school with top students from high schools in China and India. We see the students, at school and at home, and hear their thoughts about their education and their future. If you care about the state of education in the United States today - if you are an educator, a businessperson, or a parent - "Two Million Minutes" will give you much to ponder and much to question. It is particularly germane to discussions of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
You will marvel at the Chinese student whose bedtime reading is an advanced calculus text (because the material is not covered in class). You will see strong students in India who spend their weekends seeking extra tutelage, and their determination to pursue STEM fields as a means of getting ahead.
As American students talk about the importance of pursuits beyond academics, you may find yourself questioning our ideal of balance. The young woman who aspires to be a doctor, although near the top of her high school class, is portrayed as preoccupied with a choice of sunglasses and sororities. The young man who is a student leader and National Merit scholar appears to spend more time on extracurricular activities and his girlfriend than on his studies. Our society values such things as sorority life, sports teams and activities that develop aspects of a student beyond the academic realm. The documentary's portrayal of these American students will make you wonder whether we are on the right track.
Before watching "Two Million Minutes," I had a chance meeting in an airport with an educator from Indianapolis who had seen it. Her advice to me and to future audiences was this: when watching the film, look for what is happening, why it is happening, and how it is happening. Ask yourself whether students' success is more than a function of their dedication to academic tasks. To what degree does the cultural milieu facilitate and enhance achievement? (Is there a Britney Spears equivalent in India or China? Are their young people similarly distracted?) To what degree do nutritious meals at home and an intact family influence student achievement? How important is it for students to be surrounded by peers who are supported and motivated in similar ways? Many of these questions extend beyond the issue of academic achievement to the choice of science and engineering fields of study; when all of society places a high value on these fields, students are likely more inclined to pursue them.
And so I would add to her questions: can special scholarship opportunities shift current choices? Mayor Newberry has proposed a STEM scholarship program that could - and should - impel more Fayette County students to pursue STEM studies as undergraduates. "Two Million Minutes" underscores the importance of such bold thinking. We can waste millions of minutes ourselves debating whether such a program is worth the investment and falling further behind, or we can make the investment and help our high school students choose a path that will lead to wise use of the two million minutes available to them in their high school years.
Mark your calendar for June 10 to attend the public screening of "Two Million Minutes" at Bryan Station High School and remain for the ensuing panel discussion. Clyde Pelton, executive director and branch manager for Lexington's UBS office, provided the impetus for this event based on his dual interests as a parent and as an employee of an organization with a global reach. He anticipates that you will be in good company if you attend: Mayor Newberry, Superintendent of Schools Stu Silberman, University of Kentucky President Lee Todd, business leaders and a representative from the Prichard Committee on Academic Excellence (an independent, non-partisan, non-profit organization of Kentucky parents and citizens working to improve education in the commonwealth at all levels) are among those invited.
See for yourself which student in the film says, "Studying is our top priority," and which student equates the purpose of high school as being to "absorb as much as I can." And, finally, which students view high school and college as a time to have fun and grow up - and studying is important as well.
Jane S. Shropshire of Shropshire Educational Consulting guides students and families through the college search process. Send questions or suggestions to JShrop@att.net.