Why Do We Need Decision Education?

There has never been a more urgent time for students to develop these decision-making skills.

Empowering Students for a Better Tomorrow

Our Vision: To ensure that Decision Education is a part of every student’s learning experience starting today. Decision Education equips students with essential skills to navigate an increasingly complex world and empowers them in all areas of their lives—from families and relationships to finances, security, health, and happiness. By acting now, we are shaping a future where every student is prepared to make better decisions for a better life.

The benefits include:

Reduced Political Polarization

Less political polarization, with individuals practicing active open-mindedness to varying viewpoints.

Less political polarization, with individuals practicing active open-mindedness to varying viewpoints.

Improved Mental Well-being

A population with better mental well-being, increased empowerment, and more agency.

A population with better mental well-being, increased empowerment, and more agency.

Prepared Workforce

A more prepared workforce, ready to adapt to a changing work landscape driven by AI, automation, and innovation.

A more prepared workforce, ready to adapt to a changing work landscape driven by AI, automation, and innovation.

Engaged Community Members

Engaged community members making informed decisions to drive positive change, while growing as individuals.

Engaged citizens making informed decisions to drive positive change, while growing as individuals.

Giving students Decision Education tools will have such a great influence on how our country is led in the future.

Abby Cox
First Lady of Utah

Decision Education and Current Issues

See how Decision Education addresses a variety of contemporary issues, such as media literacy, political polarization, and workforce readiness.

Decision Education and Current Issues

See how Decision Education addresses a variety of contemporary issues, such as media literacy, political polarization, and workforce readiness.

Giving students Decision Education tools will have such a great influence on how our country is led in the future.
Abby Cox, First Lady of Utah

We make decisions every day. I feel strongly that we should start this work around decision-making early in education.

Nicole McGarry, Assistant Superintendent at Livonia High School, Participating School of Alliance’s College & Career Decision-Making Incubator

Decision Education has made me more open-minded when it comes to making critical decisions about my future.

Student, Participant in the Decision Education Incubator

Why is Better Decision-making so Important?

Urgent Need

More than 88% of US companies first look for problem-solving skills (such as decision-making) when hiring. The survey was part of the National Association of Colleges and Employers 2024 Job Outlook Report.

The US Surgeon General’s 2023 warning on the country’s youth mental health crisis cites that 31% of social media use can be attributed to poor habits, magnifying the need for healthy habit formation supported by Decision Education.

“Developing better decision-making skills in our students is a matter of national security. We have too much at stake to not give our students the critical thinking skills they need to step into leadership tomorrow.” Jan Tighe, Vice Admiral, US Navy (Retired), Former Director of Naval Intelligence and Fleet Cyber Command, Alliance Board Member

Supporting Evidence

Research-Backed

60+ years of research show systematic errors in thinking affect daily decisions. Scientific evidence demonstrates that learning better decision-making is possible. We know it’s necessary.

Less Polarization

Evidence shows learning about updating one’s thinking and active open-mindedness through forecasting made individuals less polarized. 1

Positive Outcomes

Evidence shows that decision-making competence is associated with a number of positive behavioral and psychosocial outcomes, including emotional well-being, prosocial behavior, and better peer relationships. 2

Reduce Cognitive Biases

Research indicates that learning about cognitive biases can help individuals avoid falling into thinking traps, which might otherwise lead to faulty logic and reasoning. This knowledge empowers people to make clearer, more informed choices, ultimately leading to better outcomes in their personal and professional lives.3

How is the Decision Education Movement Already in Action?

Workforces Demand Decision-Making Skills

Industries like healthcare, technology, and finance now prioritize decision-making skills in prospective employees. Our Workforce Council and Organizational Partners share their insights on the growing need across industries.

School Implementation

Through Alliance initiatives, Decision Education has already been piloted in over 20 US states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Canada.

Coast-to-Coast State Education Standards

Decision-making skills are already included in several subjects in all 50 states.

Replicability and Capacity for Growth

Decision Education can be woven into main subjects taught in school—like math or history—and improve learning in those subjects, as well. This means that Decision Education can be seamlessly brought into existing class schedules.

Join the Growing Decision Education Movement

We know we can’t do this alone. The Alliance’s work is backed by a growing number of teachers, families, researchers (including several Nobel laureates), philanthropists, business leaders, and community members who recognize the importance of skillful decision-making and the impact it has in their own lives.

Together, we are committed to generating demand, building solutions and providing support and structure for implementing Decision Education into every student’s learning experience.

Join us as we bring Decision Education to more students nationwide.

Citations

1 Mellers, B., Tetlock, P., & Arkes, H. R. (2019). Forecasting tournaments, epistemic humility and attitude depolarization. Cognition, 188, 19–26. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2018.10.021

2 Weller, J. A., Moholy, M., Bossard, E., & Levin, I. P. (2014). Preadolescent Decision‐Making Competence Predicts Interpersonal Strengths and Difficulties: A 2‐Year Prospective Study. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 28(1), 76–88. https://doi.org/10.1002/bdm.1822

3 Sellier, A. L., Scopelliti, I., & Morewedge, C. K. (2019). Debiasing Training Improves Decision Making in the Field. Psychological Science, 30(9), 1371–1379. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797619861429

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