Learning — It’s a Trip! How Road Scholar Creates Inspiring Educational Adventures
It takes a village — more accurately, dozens of team members in the Road Scholar Trip Lab — working in concert behind the scenes to plan and develop innovative new programs around the world for our adult learners. This group must keep their eye on the needs of our participants — activity level preferences, solo travel interests, popular locations and topics and more — while constantly monitoring the quality of Road Scholar’s existing programs. The staff hours needed for programming would not be possible without the unrestricted support of our generous donors.
Tbilisi, Georgia
Meghan Flynn, Associate Vice President, Program Strategy & Management at Road Scholar, says, “We are always monitoring our programming and reviewing what our providers around the world are proposing to us.”
Most importantly, Meghan and her team listen to what Road Scholar participants are asking for, from more solo traveling opportunities to slower-paced programs to specific requests like birding in Costa Rica.
“If everyone is flocking to Prince Edward Island to cycle its shoreline and we aren’t offering this, we need to add that learning adventure to our catalog of programs,” she says.
Rome, Italy
For example, two years ago, Road Scholar began developing learning adventures in the newly independent country of Georgia. Offering a new in-depth learning adventure in Georgia for 2024 is Road Scholar’s way of bringing awareness to this emerging country. Road Scholar worked closely with local organizations to create these new programs sustainably. This extraordinary new Road Scholar destination is rich in flavor and history — highlighting traditional Georgian cuisine, wine made from diverse varieties of native grapes and 14th-century landmarks. “Once you’re aware of a new program, things grow. We are committed to trying out new areas worldwide,” says Meghan.
Another example of creating a new opportunity involved mounting evidence that a slower-paced program option was needed in Rome and Florence. From this, Italy at a Slower Pace: The Best of Rome & Florence was born, with programs beginning in March 2025.
“It’s hard to get around in Rome and Florence,” says Meghan. “We focused on creating a similar version of our traditional program here with the same educational themes, but we have added days to the itinerary, slowed down the pace and addressed mobility challenges by adding additional transportation including golf carts and providing seated lectures.”
New Orleans, Louisiana
Road Scholars are also asking for out-of-the-ordinary programs in the United States, prompting the creation of On the Road: Cuisine & Culture in Acadiana Louisiana, for 2025. “While New Orleans is the main attraction in Louisiana, there are many smaller, off-the-beaten-path cities rich in culture, flavor and history,” says Meghan. “This program begins in New Orleans, but we have extended it to eight days on the road so we can explore Baton Rouge, Lafayette and the shrimping industry in the Bayou.”
With a focus on diversity, one new program in 2025, The Heart of the Civil Rights Movement With Your Family, will allow grandparents to share their firsthand experiences living through this period with their children and grandchildren. “We are very proud of this unique program that will deepen the learning and strengthen the bonds among family members,” says Meghan.
Thanks to our donors’ generous support, Road Scholar can continue to create innovative new programs to meet the diverse needs of older adults while caring for our global classroom for generations of lifelong learners to come.