ABSTRACT
The year 2000 for decades has symbolized a technologically advanced civilization and served as the time frame for science fiction novels and fantasy movies (e.g., 2001: A Space Odyssey). Now the dawn of the 21st century is only short years away and the turning of the millennium is no longer a hazy shorthand for a life filled with technowizardry or fodder for psychics. It is a reality fast approaching and we need to understand it. Within this chapter, we will explore statistics and projections. We highlight creative ways business and education partnerships are creating an America not on the decline, but in fact vibrant, technologically supreme-the leader in international trade, science, and culture. We will examine how the 1990s will be a time of difficult adjustments. With early seedings and optimism as indicators, the 21st century may become the first in history when education and the application of knowledge become the fulcrums for all advancements and activities in life.
