A Special Update from Road Scholar President James Moses
- Road Scholar celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025.
- This milestone celebration has brought many new offerings, including a lecture by Doris Kearns Goodwin, a new Age Well lecture series and many new Road Scholar participants.
- Road Scholar President James Moses invites readers to support Caregiver Grants and scholarships through giving.
Dear Friend,
As I reflect on all that has been achieved in Road Scholar’s 2025 fiscal year, which ended June 30, I am especially grateful for the support of our community. This year also marks an extraordinary milestone — Road Scholar’s 50th anniversary — and our donors’ generosity has helped enrich the lives of more than 180,000 participants during the past twelve months: 97,400 in on-site programs and 83,000 who joined us for online programs and lectures. This past fiscal year, thousands of participants benefited from the stimulating experience of Road Scholar and, with immense gratitude, I’m proud to share the highlights of this remarkable anniversary year with you.
We Hosted the Largest Event in the History of Road Scholar
First and foremost, donor support enabled us to host the largest event in the history of Road Scholar, enrolling nearly 24,000 participants for an exceptional online experience listening to Doris Kearns Goodwin’s address, “Leadership in Turbulent Times,” which resonated deeply with our Road Scholar community. When Ms. Goodwin agreed to deliver our 50th-anniversary keynote this past spring, we knew it would be special. But what followed exceeded all expectations and became a defining moment in Road Scholar’s history. Her keynote exemplified what we strive to deliver year-round — bringing together thoughtful, engaged adults who share a common desire to learn from the past to better understand the present.
We Launched Our New Age Well Series of Lectures
Secondly, thanks to the generosity of our donors, we welcomed more than 10,500 participants to our new Age Well series. These hour-long online seminars, all of which are provided free of charge, focus on navigating life’s fourth age and consider how to plan for — and embrace — the years ahead with wisdom, curiosity and adventure. Expert instructors discuss health and wellness strategies, how to build emotional well-being and resilience for purpose and connection, as well as new technologies and accessibility tools that support independent living, among other topics.
We Awarded 200 Caregiver Grants and Scholarships
Our community of donors also made it possible for us to award 200 Caregiver Grants and scholarships to lifelong learners who would otherwise have been unable to experience a Road Scholar learning adventure.
“I am grateful to Road Scholar for awarding me the Helen Dodd Caregiver Grant. I appreciated each day, each meal, each encounter, each spectacular sunrise and sunset and each diverse perspective. For me, this was the adventure of a lifetime.”
—Barbara V., Road Scholar Class of 2025
In addition, we achieved the following milestones and accomplishments, including:
- 97,495 participants joined us for on-site learning adventures around the world.
- 83,000 lifelong learners attended online lectures and multi-day virtual adventures.
- 27,145 solo travelers attended on-site programs.
- Road Scholar’s global campus expanded to 100 countries.
- Our Group Leaders and instructors led 4,679 unique learning adventures.
Road Scholar’s impact on so many individuals this past year is a direct result of our community’s generous contributions and investment in our mission. We clearly couldn’t do it without everyone’s support.
There’s no better time than now to make a gift in support of our mission. With your generosity, we can look forward to another extraordinary year — one filled with new adventures, meaningful connections and the joy of learning for all who explore with us.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
James Moses
Road Scholar President