What Educators, Scholars, and Leaders can Learn from the Olympics:Moving Forward with Life-Long Education in an Age of Change*

Abstract

Olympic Games are held once every four years and they showcase talented athletes from all over the world. To participate in these games, these athletes engage in on- going preparations, trainings, and learning processes. In addition, they improve their personal techniques and market themselves for life during, after, and outside the Olympics for financial remunerations and social recognitions. To a large measure, these athletes learn from each other and try to master their crafts. Interestingly, they represent different socio-economic, religious, educational, racial, and linguistic backgrounds; divergent personalities; and strange personal idiosyncrasies. In spite of these differences, their coming together as athletes beautifies the world, exposes multiculturalism as a global phenomenon, and demonstrates that learning is an important part of life. The critical question is, What are educators, scholars, and leaders learning from the Olympics besides the normal hoopla of individual athletic superiority? In my presentation, I discuss the benefits of Olympic Games and challenge educators, scholars, and leaders to learn from these phenomenal games as we move forward with life-long education in this age of change

Keywords

• Lifelong Education
• Educator
• Scholar
• Leader
• Olympics

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