“The beautiful thing about learning is no one can take it away from you.” – BB King

October is National Learning & Development Month.

National Learning & Development Month encourages us to focus on broadening and advancing our skills.  We at Island Queen believe it’s important in both our professional and personal lives to keep learning.  Whether we take a management class at night or learn another language, both keep our minds sharp, improves our confidence and has the added benefit of looking good on our resumes.

Here are some activities in which you can partake to show your support this month:

Volunteer to help kids learn.

Public library reading programs, preschools, and after school programs can all benefit from adult volunteers willing to make a contribution to children’s lives. Organizations that help kids with developmental disabilities are a good choice. For example, the Florida Literacy Coalition promotes, supports and advocates for the effective delivery of quality adult and family literacy services in the state of Florida. They provide a range of services to support more than 250 adult education, literacy and family literacy providers throughout Florida. Special emphasis is placed on assisting community based literacy organizations with their training and program development needs.

Take a class.

Have you always wanted a new hobby? Take a class during which you’ll learn a new skill or develop a love for history or geography or wine. Give your brain some developmental exercise. Community Resource Centers all throughout Miami-Dade County offer free classes such as computer literacy courses and computer repair courses. Many public library branches offer free reading programs. Contact yours to see if they do! Baptist Health of South Florida sponsors free yoga classes in many different locations such as Bayfront Park in Downtown Miami. Education for both your mind and body has never been easier!

Take an educational tour with us!

During our 90-minute tour around iconic Biscayne Bay, you’ll appreciate more than the beautiful sights our city has to offer. Our bilingual narration will teach you about the many changes our city has been through since its inception and you’ll get to learn all about the mansions and houses along the islands in the bay. Did you know that the Venetian Causeway used to be named Collins Bridge? It was the longest wooden bridge in the world at the time of its completion!

We at Island Queen along with our partner Miami Tour Company want to make learning a fun and interactive experience! Which is why we are offering all Miami-Dade schools a discounted tour that includes transportation to and from Bayside Marketplace, where we are located. From there, students and faculty will coast through Biscayne Bay as they learn about its fascinating history!

Don’t forget to use #learningmonth to promote awareness!