Our discussion showed it is difficult to get unanimous agreement on a single most significant characteristic of an educated person. We recognize, however, that a sound general education is much different from a narrow vocational or professional education.

The participants in our group generated a number of ideas about what makes someone an educated person: the ability to read and write well; the ability to communicate effectively; the ability to solve problems; the ability to think critically; an engagement in the world; consciousness; an understanding about how to learn and a deep appreciation of the value of learning; the intellectual courage to question; a commitment to life-long learning joined with the intellectual tools needed to learn; a tolerance for points of view other than one's own; a willingness to change as one learns; a level of personal growth that leads to self-actualization; and a commitment to responsible citizenship that includes using one's education to serve the public good.

Kirk Stone