Mark Twain once said that “work and play are words used to describe the same thing under differing conditions,” where the differing condition is the presence of passion, which these three learners have in abundance. How can we enable all of our students to discover and pursue their passions and convert it into a calling?
While I believe education is a powerful tool, passion can help wield it. Albert Einstein expressed this point about himself when he said, “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious.”
Einstein not only embodied passion, he also modeled playfulness. He generated some of his greatest ideas while playing the violin and insisted that play is the highest form of research. His conviction is echoed by psychologist Abraham Maslow who said that “almost all creativity involves purposeful play.”
At Nord Anglia Education (NAE) schools, students are encouraged to develop their passions from an early age through exposure to world-class, leading institutions teaching sciences, arts and what it means to care about the world around them. Our partnerships with world leaders like The Juilliard School, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and UNICEF enhance learning experiences for our students through the globally-respected curricula we offer and provide outstanding professional development opportunities for our teachers and staff.
For example, by observing the intensity an artist applies to a dramatic work or studying the work of a professor engineering wearable technology to help future astronauts walk on Mars, children are free to stretch their imaginations beyond traditional education methods. They carve their own path to success, achieving more than they ever thought possible.