Here’s an excerpt from a prospective student information page about the missino of Bowdoin College. No wonder it ranks among the top institutions of higher education in the world. I wish more educators would return to such a simple core for public school student learning.
The Offer of the College
TO BE AT HOME in all lands and all ages;
To count Nature a familiar acquaintance,
And Art an intimate friend;
To gain a standard for the appreciation of others’ work
And the criticism of your own;
To carry the keys of the world’s library in your pocket,
And feel its resources behind you in whatever task you undertake;
To make hosts of friends…
Who are to be leaders in all walks of life;
To lose yourself in generous enthusiasms
And cooperate with others for common ends —
This is the offer of the college for the best four years of your life.
Adapted from the original “Offer of the College”
by William DeWitt Hyde
President of Bowdoin College 1885 – 1917
The words are almost as reassuring as descriptions of Disneyland as the Happiest Place on Earth! I like both offerings.