The Path to Lifetime Learning

Watching the leaves start to change and seeing my own children head back into the daily pattern of school and homework makes me think about learning and the importance of education in my life - and in all of our lives. I know we've all heard kids ask, "Why do I have to know this?" or "Where will I ever use this?" But how often do we consider how important it is to engage our brains in new and different activities on a regular basis? Sometimes we all forget the importance of shifting our focus from time to time in order to look at a problem or issue with a new outlook. Have you ever looked at a particular problem with a historic perspective to see if you might learn from the past?

A 2008 study by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute in Wilmington, Del. asked a random sample of 2,508 American adults a series of basic questions related to American heritage. Sadly, 71% of Americans failed the test, with an overall average score of 49%. This should serve as a wakeup call for all of us.

Looking at these scores makes me wonder what is missing in today's schools. However, I think we also ought to look inward and ask ourselves, what happened to our curiosity? What happened to our pride in our country and knowing where we've come from?

Learning is a Journey

Albert Einstein said, "Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death." We all need to be lifetime learners capable of extending ourselves, learning new topics, growing, and improving as we go along. We need to keep our minds open and curious to new things, new possibilities, and new ways of doing things.

This is what we do with People to People Ambassador Programs. We try to aide in learning by experience. This applies to adults, students, athletes, and professionals alike. We firmly believe that seeing and experiencing new cultures, and places, helps us become globalized citizens and gives a greater sense of the world. History seen and experienced brings applied learning, which is much more memorable than reading about it in a book.

We are all a part of a glorious history. Learn it, embrace it, and most importantly, take an active part in your own growth and your own history. History happens each and every day. So does learning, if you choose to be a part of it.

Lily Tomlin once said, "The road to success is always under construction." So true. If we each try to be open to learning something from our everyday experiences, strive to improve our methods, and shake things up a bit, I think we will all live a much more vibrant life.

Wishing you happy travels,

Jeff Thomas
CEO, People to People Ambassador Programs