Every public school student achieves a true living-wage career in an AI- and robotics-driven economy.

A once-in-a-century opportunity to prepare all young Americans to thrive — and to grow our middle class.

The challenge

This is a tsunami we see coming.

The AI and robotics revolution is reshaping the American economy much like the Second Industrial Revolution did with electrification, assembly lines, and automobiles — only this time it's coming faster.

This revolution will disrupt employment and wages by eliminating some jobs, modifying others, and creating new roles requiring new skills. Without deliberate action, a significant number of students risk entering adulthood unprepared for the careers ahead — potentially increasing inequality and straining social cohesion.

A diverse group of students working together to build and program a robotic arm in a bright classroom lab
Students gathered around computer monitors, analyzing data visualizations together
The opportunity

A once-in-a-century opportunity to grow our middle class.

This era of extraordinary innovation, massive economic growth, and job creation also provides a unique opportunity to expand economic mobility and actually grow our middle class.

If we act now in communities across the nation, we can systemically prepare all young Americans to thrive in an AI-enabled workplace and ensure that all Americans share in the benefits of this new economy.

Transformative moments in history are rare — and recognizing one in real time is rarer still.
Our solution

Augmenting public schools with a community process.

Our mission is simple but ambitious — to ensure every American public school student has a viable pathway to a true living-wage career in this evolving environment.

Our concept augments public schools with a community process that provides institutionalized apprenticeships, large-scale mentoring, defined pathways into in-demand fields, universal AI literacy, and creative ways to transport people to jobs and training. The core long-term metric is the number of students that achieve a true living-wage career.

Workers assembling and testing electronic components on a modern advanced-manufacturing line
Initial pilot — helping define the process

In partnership with the school system, the Boys & Girls Club, the YMCA, and the business community, our pilot program in Haverhill, MA is helping define the process and key tasks required to prepare youth to succeed in this new era.

Explore the Pilot Program
Students in hands-on technical training, working on electrical and mechanical control panels in a vocational lab
What's next

This is a national challenge.

  1. 01 Expand the pilot in Haverhill to full scale to validate the model.
  2. 02 Launch pilots in two other communities nationwide.
  3. 03 Build a national movement to address the national challenge.
Partner with us

At a pivotal time in American history, we're seeking bipartisan, mission-aligned partners.

This is arguably the greatest domestic national challenge and opportunity of the next two decades. We're seeking mission-aligned partners who recognize the world we are moving into and are committed to expanding economic opportunity, strengthening the future workforce, and ensuring that technological progress systemically creates broader prosperity rather than deeper inequality.

Together, we have a once-in-a-century opportunity to systemically reinvigorate the American Dream.

A diverse, multigenerational group of neighbors and families gathered together at a community event beneath an American flag

Join us in preparing America's workforce and reinvigorating the American Dream.

For more information, please contact us or email Jack Gardner at 21stcentury@jdg21.com.