The sweeping impact of our times has affected all segments of society, universities included. Society's perception is that universities have not responded to changes, and criticism has been directed at tuition costs, access and willingness to reach out to the community. Yet universities are key if this country is to maintain its leadership as an innovator in the face of competition from emerging global powers such as China and India. Innovation is driven by scientific discovery and the invention of new technologies, which call for a cadre of researchers in science and technology as well as a broader skilled workforce that can make something, literally, of those discoveries and inventions. The task of producing the science and technology workforce that the nation needs begins early in the educational experience. Numerous studies have shown American K-12 students lagging behind their international peers in science and mathematics achievement--only performing in the middle of a pack of industrialized nations tracked by the "Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study," issued in mid-December by the National Center for Education Statistics. Even in the earliest elementary years, it is becoming increasingly important that mathematics and science education be expanded with strong, hands-on programs that pique children's curiosity about how science and technology work. In this article, the author defines a role for universities and schools in addressing global economic competition.