Education Is for Everyone
When most people think about education, they often think of children in elementary school, junior high school, and high school. Many people extend this to college or even graduate school, but in general we associate “education” with young people who are in school full-time. But the truth is that education can and should be society-wide, for all people of all ages. Some people scoff at this idea, saying they’re too old to go back to school, or that it’s too expensive, but chances are that they aren’t aware of all the interesting educational opportunities that are available to them.
Community College
Most population centers are near a community college. These institutions offer a variety of two-year transfer degrees to prepare high school graduates for college, but they also offer courses with optional course credit. Their low tuition costs and availability of scholarships make education available to people in all financial situations. Whether you’re interested in taking classes for professional development or personal interests, there’s a wide variety of courses to choose from, ranging from basic math to computer languages, and from marketing to metalworking.
Professional Development
The workplace is another good source of continuing education. Most employers are eager to have their employees further their education. Sometimes employers offer structured workplace trainings where all employees learn the same things or can chose from a variety of courses that are offered internally. Other employers encourage their employees to seek out and pursue external educational opportunities, sometimes paying for them in full, or offering to pay partial tuition. The key to being able to do this is to convince your employer of the value of the class. Explain to your supervisor how the things you’ll learn will help you do your job better, and chances are that the company will eagerly make arrangements for you to take the course.
Personal Interest
Many local companies that aren’t in the educational field nevertheless offer educational classes for their customers and community members. For example, many stores that sell kitchen goods and gourmet groceries offer classes about wines and cheeses, and those with more elaborate facilities often offer full-scale cooking classes. Craft supply stores, yarn stores, and art supply stores often offer classes to help people get started with a new type of handiwork, bringing in professional artists to teach the tricks of the trade. Local gyms and swimming pools often offer classes in new sports or will help you improve your rock-climbing or swimming skills for a modest fee. And the staff at local, state, and national parks often offer informative “ranger walks” related to the natural sciences, ranging from birdwatching to the use of fire as a forest management tool. Even local clubs offer free educational events, such as stargazing evenings with amateur astronomy clubs and snapshot tips from amateur photography clubs.
Independent Study
If none of the aforementioned options have perked your interest, there’s always independent study to help you meet your educational goals. Through the power of the Internet, you can access a variety of distance-learning courses, or simply read up on subjects of interest. Likewise, bookstores are packed with books to help you learn on your own. And, if you live near a university, you can request to receive schedules of upcoming lectures on a wide variety of topics.
Education is best when it is available for the entire society. Take a look around and see what educational opportunities are available to you. |
