Road Scholar At Home Opens Up a World of Learning
Have you heard of Road Scholar At Home? During the height of the pandemic, Road Scholar created online classrooms to enable participants to visit new places and learn about history, culture and natural wonders through Zoom — all from the comfort of home!
Our online lectures and multi-day online programs became so popular that we soon expanded our offerings and made them a permanent feature of our curriculum. Road Scholar At Home has provided an affordable and convenient way for participants who have a wide range of interests and abilities to remain engaged in lifelong learning and educational travel. Road Scholar At Home has made learning adventures possible for caregivers who may not be able to get away for long periods of time. They are also a great way to get a “feel” for a region you have never explored and can help you decide if you want to make the physical journey one day!
Adventures Online & Online Lectures: What’s the Difference?
So what’s the difference between our Online Lectures and our Adventures Online? The main difference is the length of time you’ll spend learning — our lectures are about an hour long, and focused around an educational theme, from historic architecture to explorations of art and nature to insightful looks into religion and individual figures, and they can include hundreds — sometimes even thousands — of participants.
Adventures Online take place over several days and include virtual discoveries in cities and countries around the world, such as London, Morocco and Turkey. Similar to our traditional on-site programs, Adventures Online feature the fascinating experts and engaging connections to your fellow Road Scholars that you have come to expect from Road Scholar, as well as online field trips so you can explore new places up close. Adventures Online are also a much more intimate setting, usually with a dozen or two dozen participants, so there are plenty of opportunities for conversation and to get to know each other.
If you’ve never experienced online learning with us, read on to learn more from a few Road Scholars who have tried it — and loved it!
Jeanie Frankel — Finding a Social and Intellectual Experience Online
79-year-old Jeanie Frankel began traveling solo with Road Scholar in 2010 after her husband passed away. Over the next ten years, she enjoyed learning adventures from California to Canada to Italy.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, Jeanie’s passion for exploring the world came to an abrupt halt. Because she was living alone, Jeanie was feeling quite isolated by the time Christmas rolled around that year. That’s when her daughters gave her a Road Scholar Adventure Online as a Christmas gift.
“They thought I needed more interaction with others because so many normal activities had still not resumed,” said Jeanie. Jeanie said that Road Scholar’s Adventures Online did help her fulfill her need for social interaction and companionship during the COVID quarantine, and she continues to glean the social and intellectual benefits of the online programs today.
“I currently have mobility issues due to arthritis in my knee, making it difficult to consider participating in a traditional Road Scholar program,” said Jeanie. “And, until very recently, because of COVID restrictions, I didn’t think travel would be fun or worth the effort.”
Though Jeanie is hoping her knee will improve enough so that she can attend on-site programs with Road Scholar again, she says she will still continue taking Road Scholar’s virtual programs, too.
“The Adventures Online are not merely a substitute for in-person travel,” said Jeanie. “The experts and Group Leaders are terrific, knowledgeable, often with impressive expertise in the subject. I have found the programs valuable in their own right, as a totally unique experience.”
Paul Ebel — Continuing Connections Through Online Learning
Paul Ebel (82) and his wife Martha (79) live in a small southern city near August, Georgia. From 2008 to 2019, Paul, Martha and Paul’s sister Susan explored the world on ten Road Scholar learning adventures — learning together in Big Bend National Park, circumnavigating Iceland and sailing across the Great Lakes.
During the COVID quarantine, Paul’s sister became disabled. Because of the pandemic and her mobility issues, the two weren’t able to travel to see each other in person. But, thanks to Road Scholar’s Adventures Online, they could still explore the world and make memories together from afar. Paul, Martha and Susan attended online programs to learn about Peru, Egypt, Greece, Alaska, the Florida Keys and beyond.
Anne Wormley — Exploring New Ways to Learn and Travel
71-year-old Anne Wormley lives just outside Denver. Her husband Paul has been living with Alzheimer’s for 18 years. Before the pandemic, in the earlier years of her husband’s illness, the two of them were able to enjoy ten in-person Road Scholar programs together, traveling to a national park, music festivals and even a very special trip to Ireland with their daughter in 2018.
Anne attended seven Adventures Online during the pandemic, when Paul was still living at home. “Road Scholar made a HUGE difference for me during COVID. The virtual trips made it possible for me to still enjoy traveling but in a different way.”
Now, Anne is dealing with health issues of her own that are preventing her from traveling. She has continued to learn with Road Scholar through online lectures and Adventures Online.
“I so enjoyed the two virtual trips that I took this summer, and I’m planning to take more in November and December. Thank you so much for still providing your online trips even though people are now able to travel more in-person. I have really appreciated these unique ways to travel online.”
Are you interested in joining these Road Scholars for an online learning adventure of your own? Explore more Adventures Online and Online Lectures and continue learning from the comfort of home!