African Futures Academy – Building The Next Generation Of FutureMakers, Imaginators and Solutioneers

Welcome

“We need to prepare the next generation for jobs that don’t even exist yet, because they are the ones who will create it…”

The Fourth Industrial Revolution represents a fundamental change in the way we live, work and relate to one another. It is a new chapter in human development, enabled by extraordinary technology advances, merging the physical, digital and biological worlds in ways that create both huge promise and potential peril. We want to help the next generation prepare for the extraordinary changes that the Fourth Industrial Revolution will bring, by helping them develop the skills that are most needed for this transition.

21 Future Skills For 21st Century Citizens

Emerging Technologies

Emerging technologies will change what we do, how we do it, even what we are. They are also increasingly being used to support the implementation of more flexible working practices such as virtual work and gig work.

Meta-Cognition

Meta-cognition refers to the processes used to plan, monitor, and assess one’s understanding and performance. It increases students’ abilities to transfer or adapt their learning to new contexts and tasks.

Lifelong Learning

Lifelong Learning is the ongoing, voluntary, and self-motivated pursuit of knowledge for either personal or professional reasons. It enhances social inclusion, personal development, competitiveness and employability.

Algorithmic Thinking

Algorithmic thinking is a way of getting to a solution through the clear definition of the steps needed. They develop general reasoning, problem-solving and communication skills.

Cognitive Load Management

Today’s world requires processing an unprecedented amount of data in our everyday lives. The ability to manage one’s cognitive capacity is increasingly important.

Cross-Cultural Competency

Cross-cultural competency will become an important skill for all workers. In a truly globally connected world, a worker’s skill set could see them working physically or remotely in any number of locations.

Sense Making

Sense-making is the ability to determine the deeper meaning of what is being expressed. They help us create unique insights critical to decision making. These are higher-level thinking skills that cannot be codified.

Virtual Collaboration

Virtual Collaboration is the ability to work productively, drive engagement, and demonstrate presence as a member of a virtual team. It easier than ever to work, share ideas and be productive despite physical separation.

Empathy & Social Intelligence

The ability to connect to others in a deep and direct way, to sense and stimulate reactions and desired interactions. The range of social skills and emotions that robots can display is very limited, and artificial.

Trans-disciplinarity

Many of today’s global problems are just too complex to be solved by one specialised discipline. These wicked problems require trans-disciplinary solutions and ability to understand concepts across multiple disciplines.

New Media Literacy

New Media Literacy is the ability to critically assess and develop content that uses new media forms, and to leverage these media for persuasive communication.

Design Thinking

Design Thinking revolves around a deep interest in developing an understanding of the people for whom we are designing the products or services. It is extremely useful in tackling problems that are ill-defined or unknown.

Novel & Adaptive Thinking

The ability to come up with out-of-the-box ideas. Work opportunities in low-skill occupations will deteriorate, while the ability to come up with a new product or create an original piece of work will be in demand like never before.

Futures Thinking

Futures thinking helps spot opportunities for innovation and invention faster. It helps you become someone who makes the future, instead of letting the future happen to you.

Complex Problem Solving

Complex problem solving skills are the developed capacities used to solve novel, ill-defined problems in complex, real-world settings.

Critical Thinking & Decision Making

Critical thinking is the practice of gathering, analysing, and evaluating information in a methodical manner. It is a process for thinking clearly through several options and arriving at the best choice.

Financial Literacy

Financial literacy is the knowledge required to be able to make informed financial decisions. It equips us with the knowledge and skills we need to manage money effectively and take good financial decisions for success.

Anti-Fragility

Anti-fragility describes a category of things that not only gain from chaos but need it to survive and flourish. It goes beyond resilience and robustness; it means that something does not merely withstand a shock but actually improves because of it.

Lean Startup

Lean startup is a methodology for developing businesses and products that helps to rapidly discover if a proposed business model is viable. It is increasingly important in a world where we have to create work not look for it.

Social Entrepren-eurship

Social entrepreneurs are people who pursue novel ideas that have the potential to solve community based problems. They are willing to take on the risk and effort to create positive changes in society through their initiatives.

Next - Gen Leadership

We need a new understanding of what leadership is all about and the skills that must be developed to meet the requirements of a new era. The higher the level of developmental consciousness, the more effectively one can lead others.