The lessons of informal education by Alyssa

The lessons of informal education by Alyssa - June 2024 Scholarship Essay

Without realizing it, you learn something every single day. Whether that “something” is about someone else, a random happening, or a purposeful lesson, learning is all around. Formal education is what someone typically thinks of when the term “learning” is brought up. However, informal education is where we as humans are able to test the boundaries that a formal setting isn’t equipped for.

Much of what I know how to do today is through the informal education I have received from those around me. I didn’t sit in a classroom to learn how to tie a shoe, or put my hair in a ponytail, or ride a bike. These were all accomplished through informal practices. Though these are some very basic examples of informal learning, this type of acquiring of knowledge is interlinked with the more formal setting we are so accustomed to through school. Without informal education, I would never be able to stay motivated towards my academic goals because I simply would not have all the skills I need.

Formal education can teach me how to add and write a summary of a novel, but it can’t teach me how to interact with my peers, or be able to adapt and overcome making a mistake, or go out and research on my own about subjects that excite me. Informal education has bestowed upon me the ability to expand my horizons in what interests me. It allows me to explore new areas of knowledge I had not known to even seek which, therefore, motivates my drive within the classroom. Without informal education, I would be nothing but a soulless receiver, not working towards innovation, sparking new questions that do not yet have an answer, or majorly contributing to society. Informal education pushes me within the classroom so that I may better understand the informal world around me outside of it.