PRINCETON, N.J., April 17, 2018 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — Tens of millions of America’s nearly 80 million millennials, the diverse generation of Americans between roughly 16 and 34, are not positioned to thrive in today’s world in terms of their level of human capital. This is not an attack on millennials; we are failing many in this generation. As a result, there are significant economic and social consequences for those on the margins—and for all of us, according to the latest research from ETS.

Based on analysis of data from the Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC), the authors of “Too Big to Fail: Millennials on the Margins” show that nearly half of America’s millennials—around 36 million—are attempting the transition to adult roles with low literacy skills, and more than half—about 46 million—are doing so with low numeracy skills.

In addition, according to the report authors, ETS researchers Anita Sands and Madeline Goodman, millennials with low skills are more likely to be unemployed, out of the labor force, working in low-skill occupations and earning low incomes, and are less likely to have health-care coverage than those with higher skills. Moreover, they are less likely than their higher-skilled peers to have trust in others, be civically engaged, and feel as though they can influence government.

The America millennials inherited was one undergoing a seismic shift. During the 1980s the United States was moving away from being a manufacturing economy with a fairly successful record of supporting a broad middle-class toward one increasingly reliant on a global supply chain. This shift impacted many facets of American life, not least of which is the nature of work and the need for higher level literacy and numeracy skills.

There are fewer sustainable economic opportunities available to those lacking higher-level skills. Work that is available to those with lower skills often carries risks: Many hourly jobs in the burgeoning services sector—where so many with low skills find employment—do not provide health insurance, retirement benefits, sustainable wages, or even reliable hours.

Making matters worse, while educational attainment rates—for both high school and many forms of postsecondary education—have increased, many young adults who have either obtained or are pursuing degrees still lack the necessary skills to advance economically. Furthermore, many students pursuing additional education are burdened by mounting debt for the post-secondary education they have received.

“These findings should shake us to our foundation,” said Sands. Goodman agreed saying, “They speak to our past in that they are in large part rooted in inequitable opportunities to acquire and develop human and, increasingly, social capital. And these findings speak to our future if we do not change course. Given what is known about how advantages and disadvantages compound over generations, the fate of so many millennials jeopardizes not only this critical cohort, but future generations.”

To download or read the complete report please visit: https://www.ets.org/research/report/opportunity-too-big-to-fail/preface.

About ETS
At ETS, we advance quality and equity in education for people worldwide by creating assessments based on rigorous research. ETS serves individuals, educational institutions and government agencies by providing customized solutions for teacher certification, English language learning, and elementary, secondary and postsecondary education, and by conducting education research, analysis and policy studies. Founded as a nonprofit in 1947, ETS develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually — including the TOEFL^® and TOEIC ^® tests, the GRE ^® tests and The Praxis Series ^® assessments — in more than 180 countries, at over 10,000 locations worldwide. www.ets.org

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SOURCE Educational Testing Service

PLANO, Texas, April 17, 2018 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — It’s fashionable to be green, according to the Grand Prize winners of the 11th annual Lexus Eco Challenge competition. By creating jewelry and homemade candles from reusable materials, these students found creative ways to take their passion in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) to a whole new level. 

More than 2,300 students in grades 6–12 participated in the Lexus Eco Challenge, an educational contest that empowers students to learn about the environment and take action to improve it. A total of $500,000 in scholarships and grants is awarded to the winning student teams, their teachers and schools. To learn more about the program and winners visit: www.scholastic.com/lexus.

Through the first two phases of the Lexus Eco Challenge, 32 middle and high school teams were selected as finalists. Each finalist earned a $10,000 prize to be shared among the team, teacher and school, and was invited to embark on the final challenge to reach beyond their local community to inspire environmental action. The teams communicated their innovative ideas to a wide audience in the last round, broadening the reach of their work to people outside of their communities.

Lexus and Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, reviewed the finalists’ innovative submissions and selected one middle and high school team as the 2017-2018 Lexus Eco Challenge Grand Prize winners. The Grand Prize-winning teams each receive an additional $30,000, divided into a $7,000 grant for the school, a $3,000 grant for the team’s teacher advisor, and $20,000 in scholarships for the students to share. Eight First Place-winning teams are awarded an additional $15,000 each.

This year’s high school Grand Prize-winning team is the “Enerjagers” from Saint Joseph Academy in Cleveland, Ohio. Enerjagers and teacher advisor Kristen Schuler focused on reusing materials and trash, which would otherwise find its way into a landfill. The students also produced 600 candles from old glassware, crayons and beeswax and distributed them to local residents. Team members of Enerjagers said they learned a lot about the environment while working on their project.

“Throughout the challenge, I learned that my daily choices make an environmental impact now and for future generations,” said Joslyn Muniz, 18, Enerjager team member. “My friends and family joined with me in making better choices in our daily lives to be more environmentally friendly.”  

Tatyjana Henry, 18, agreed with her classmate Joslyn that the Lexus Eco Challenge competition was a positive experience.

“I am so thankful for the opportunity to do something to improve the environment and raise awareness in our community,” she said.

The Grand Prize-winning middle school team was “Plastic Elastic 3.0” from Christa McAuliffe School (P.S. 28) in Jersey City, NJ, guided by teacher advisors Malissa Yabut and Robert O’Donnell. They explored and confronted the dangers of how microfibers work their way into our water supply and eventually into our food. They also created jewelry from recycled plastic bags and gave them as gifts to young students and local seniors.

“As an inner city Title I district, our students have access to an incredible educational support system that enables them to feel empowered with their own ideas and have the guidance they need to pursue their goals,” said Malissa Yabut, one of the group’s advisors. “On behalf of the students and school community of P.S.#28 in Jersey City, NJ, we extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation for all parties involved with the Lexus Eco Challenge.”

“It is the organization’s acknowledgement and support of our students’ work in environmental science that drives us all to do more to ensure the preservation and conservation of our local and global environment,” she added.

The Grand Prize- and First Place-winning teams that best addressed environmental challenges are listed below.

Over the past eleven years, the Lexus Eco Challenge has awarded more than $5 million in scholarships that has helped more than 33,000 middle and high school students have an impact on their communities, learn about the environment and improve their teamwork skills. 

The Lexus Eco Challenge also provides supplemental educational materials, created and distributed by Scholastic, to encourage teachers to integrate creative environmental lesson plans into their classrooms. For each year’s challenge, the website has lesson plans and teacher instructions, including questions to help guide a discussion about the current challenge topic, facts about the topic, and guidelines for a specific classroom project. 

The Lexus Eco Challenge is part of The Lexus Pursuit of Potential, a philanthropic initiative that generates up to $3 million in donations each year for organizations that help build, shape and improve children’s lives. 

Lexus will open the 12^th annual 2018-2019 Lexus Eco Challenge this fall with $500,000 in prize money for eligible students, teachers and schools. Information on how students and teachers can participate in the “Land and Water” and/or “Air and Climate” challenges will be available this summer at www.scholastic.com/lexus.

Lexus’ passion for brave design, imaginative technology, and exhilarating performance enables the luxury lifestyle brand to create amazing experiences for its customers. Lexus began its journey in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since then, Lexus has developed its lineup to meet the needs of global luxury customers in more than 90 countries. In the United States, Lexus vehicles are sold through 240 dealers offering a full lineup of luxury vehicles. With six models incorporating Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader. Lexus also offers six F SPORT models and two F performance models. Lexus is committed to being a visionary brand that anticipates the future for luxury customers.

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SOURCE Lexus