Education has changed, and at no time is this more evident than when working with students who are tethered to the Internet, are fully engaged in technology-based social networking, create blogs and wikis, and expect instantaneous responses as they twitter with their peers around the world. Some of the knowledge and skills that millennial students need to be successful differs from the knowledge and skills that students needed only a decade ago. Each student must graduate from high school with the "new" basic skills for life in the 21st century: (1) innovation and imagination; (2) communication, collaboration, team work, and critical thinking skills; (3) adaptability and agility; (4) interactivity and information analysis; and (5) initiative and self-direction. This article describes Iowa's comprehensive approach to preparing students to thrive in the changing global conditions. (Contains 1 figure.)