With some notable exceptions, public schools are doing a woeful job of teaching students about the world outside America's borders. For example, surveys conducted by the Asia Society and the National Geographic Society show a huge gap in most students' knowledge about the growing importance of Asia and other world regions to the nation's economic prosperity and national security.The surveys find that 25 percent of our college-bound high school students cannot name the ocean between California and Asia. Eighty percent do not know that India is the world's largest democracy. Young Americans are next to last in their knowledge of geography and current affairs compared with young adults in eight other industrial countries. The overwhelming majority cannot find Afghanistan or Israel on a world map, but know that a recent "Survivor" show was shot in the South Pacific. None of this should come as a surprise, since teachers are not prepared to teach about the world. Most prospective teachers do not take any international courses and have low participation rates in study-abroad programs. These trends have serious consequences. In the 21st century, young people who understand the dynamics of global economic and intercultural relations will have a distinct advantage in securing good jobs. Those with knowledge of world history, languages, global health, and international affairs will be able to make informed decisions as voters about domestic issues influenced by global circumstances. By the same token, with an entire generation lacking in that knowledge, the United States is in danger of putting itself at a competitive disadvantage. Foreign language instruction in the United States must dramatically improve; students must have greater access to internationally themed educational opportunities; and teachers must be qualified to prepare young people for the opportunities and challenges of globalization. The stakes for students in the United States could not be higher in the 21st century, knowledge of the world is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. (Contains 9 endnotes.)