Two million minutes … that’s how long four years is, that’s how long high school lasts, that’s how long high school students have to prepare for their futures.

And that’s also the name of a compelling new documentary, 2 Million Minutes: A Global Examination, which focuses on how the United States, China and India—”the three superpowers of the 21st century”—educate and prepare high school students for the global economy.

The one-hour documentary—the brainchild of entrepreneur Robert A. Compton—examines two high school students (a boy and a girl) from each country. The Americans (from Carmel, Indiana) are excellent students but appear more interested in sunglasses and sororities than studies. Their counterparts in China and India, on the other hand, are consumed with their education, their careers and pursuits such as the violin.

The film doesn’t focus on big-picture solutions, but we know that increasing global awareness through educational travel can play a major role. This is right in line with the goals of The Partnership for 21st Century Skills, of which EF is a board member.

Thanks to Scott McLeod over at Dangerously Irrelevant for bringing our attention to this compelling documentary. I just ordered my copy. You can read more about the film, about the characters and about What Should America Do, and you can read Education Week‘s article.

But, first, you have to watch the trailer: