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St. Olaf Center for Lifelong Learning to sponsor MPR's The Savvy Traveler

By Lynsey Struthers '97
January 3, 2003

St. Olaf College?s Center for Lifelong Learning is the new regional sponsor of The Savvy Traveler broadcasts on Minnesota Public Radio, beginning Jan. 4.

St. Olaf College has long been recognized as a leader in international studies for undergraduates. But members of the public also want educational travel experiences that let them be more than tourists. ?While ?learning vacations? are now trendy, St. Olaf has been offering educational travel programs for adults ? called Study Travel ? since 1978,? says Karen Hansen, executive director of the Center for Lifelong Learning.

Study Travel programs are custom designed and led by St. Olaf professors who share their favorite subjects and destinations with adults who are eager to learn how people in other cultures think, live and view the world. Unlike many colleges and universities, the St. Olaf trips are not for alumni or parents of students only. They're open to anyone.

?St. Olaf?s regional sponsorship of The Savvy Traveler is our way of letting the public know the college?s front door is wide open and the welcome mat is out," Hansen says. "You don?t have to be a current student or graduate of St. Olaf to enjoy Study Travel and other lifelong learning opportunities ? such as summer youth camps, professional conferences, life enrichment retreats, and biking Elderhostels.?

The Savvy Traveler audience closely matches the characteristics of current St. Olaf Study Travelers in terms of age range, travel experience and pursuing a variety of interests. St. Olaf Study Travelers are nothing if not savvy travelers. Knowing that many travel options exist, they opt for the vitality and fun of traveling with teachers and fellow learners who bring their own life experiences to seminars and group discussions. They value the free time that Study Travel programs allow for independent exploration, as well as the convenience of having complex travel arrangements made for them.

The Savvy Traveler slogan is ?We open your ears to the world.? That also suits Study Travelers, Hansen says. ?I want every savvy traveler to consider St. Olaf?s extraordinary opportunities to open their minds and hearts to the cultures and people with whom we share the globe," she explains.

The Savvy Traveler airs Saturdays from 2 to 3 p.m. and Sundays from 7 to 8 p.m. on all Minnesota Public Radio news-and-information stations. On Jan. 15, Diana Nyad will host The Savvy Traveler live at the Fitzgerald Theater in downtown St. Paul. St. Olaf Lifelong Learning will have a booth in the lobby before the 7:30 p.m. show. If you are in the audience, stop by and learn more about St. Olaf Study Travel.

St. Olaf?s regional sponsorship will include a link from MPR?s web site to the college?s Study Travel web pages. Click here to see where in the world you can be more than a tourist with St. Olaf Study Travel. Upcoming programs are in Arizona, England, Japan, Rome/Germany, Thailand/Cambodia/Tibet, Vietnam, Ecuador, Greece, Morocco, Paris and Spain.

St. Olaf College, a national leader among liberal arts institutions, fosters the development of mind, body and spirit. It is a residential college in Northfield, Minn., and affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The college provides personalized instruction and diverse learning environments, with nearly two-thirds of its students participating in international studies.

Contact David Gonnerman at 507-786-3315 or gonnermd@stolaf.edu.