Dear Gen Y: We offer you a Millennial

Challenge

Dear Gen Y: We offer you a Millennial

Challenge Brought to you fondly by

The Baby Boomers and Gen X

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What we know about us….

• Long gone are the days of Boomer kids being shooed outside to invent their own games – or of GenXer Kids being left “home alone” with a “self-care” guide."

Boomers (1946-1964)• Work Centered

– Not afraid to go toe to toe with a 60 hour work week.

• Goal/Career Oriented– First generation to really go to college

• Seek positions of power – (hence, the dreaded C-)

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If we give you too much grief…remind us that we were the “hippies” who went to

Woodstock in 1969

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Gen X (1964-1981)• Technologically adept

– Not addicted like Gen Y• Known as latchkey kids • Cling to music from “the good old

days” – Super Bowl = “The Who”

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“The Who” who?

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Their music? Think CSI theme song…….

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What we know about you..

• Born between 1981—2000. You are the first generation to “come of age” in the New Millennial.

• Children of late Boomers and early GenXers

• “Baby On Board” signs…..you were the “baby”

• “Have You Hugged Your Child Today?” You were the “child” in question

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We navigated our way through…..

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You are navigating your way through…..

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MILLENIALS ARE SPECIAL

• Generation of “wanted” children– We even went so far as to pick your gender,

hair and eye color • Central to your parents’ sense of

purpose• Many Boomer—GenXer parents delayed

having children until financially secure– If in doubt….compare the vehicles in the

student parking lot with the faculty/staff parking lot.

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MILLENIALS ARE SHELTERED

• Your “Boomer—Gen Xer” parents tend to be over-protective– LOL. We call them: Helicopter Parents

• Your well being has dominated legislation (child restraints, baby monitors, movie/video ratings, campus security)

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MILLENIALS ARE CONFIDENT

• Raised by parents who believed in the importance of self-esteem

• Hopeful about the future• You enjoy strong connections with

your parents– Us, not so much…..FERPA says no

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MILLENIALS ARE TEAM-ORIENTED

• You are used to being organized in teams and following rules– A little tip…..your class is a team, and the

syllabus IS a list of rules!!• You have established tight peer bonds• You chose to be part of a Learning

Community because of these tendencies

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MILLENIALS ARE ACHIEVING

• You are very much into setting and meeting goals – (except for 8 AM classes)

• You have the benefit/detriment of well-educated parents– They expected much of themselves,

and now of you!

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OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

• Technology and Multitasking are a way of life – just not in MY classroom please

• You are the generation of: “Whatever” – passive approach to

disagreements • Trial and error is a key learning strategy

(Nintendo logic)– This may seem harsh but this is why we will

let you fail when you fail

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• Based on all of the great attributes we know about you….

• The following are challenges we pose to you….during the next 3 years of college and over the next 60 years of your life.

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• We challenge you to change your “whatever” attitude to a “whenever” attitude. – “whatever” closes doors– “whenever” is the beginning of a

dialog, and dialogs lead to solutions.

Hands-On-Athens

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• We challenge you to not only hug your own children but to hug the world’s children. – April is National Child Abuse

Awareness Month…last year 3.5 million child abuse cases were reported (only 1 out of 2)

– 5.4 million children die from hunger each year

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• We challenge you to not only follow the rules, but to rewrite them when necessary. – ……some bad rules are made to be

broken!– Civil Rights, Equal Rights and Human

Rights

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• We challenge you to learn not only from your own “Nintendo” mistakes, but from our mistakes. – We’ve had recessions, depressions

and collapses galore…..bad things can happen when no one is “minding the store”

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And finally…..All you need to know you already learned in kindergarten:

Share and Play fair;

Put things back where you found them and clean up your own mess;

Don't take things that are not yours;

Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody;

Warm cookies and cold milk are always good for you.

Robert Fulghum

Thank You• Have a wonderful year……from

your Learning Community Family!

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