Lifelong Learning: City Lit launches 21-Day Learning Challenge

The UK’s largest education provider, City Lit, is promoting the importance of lifelong learning by launching its 21-Day Learning Challenge on the 1st of March following research that reveals the benefits of education on people’s mental health and confidence. 

• 95% agreed that learning a new skill positively impacted mental health 
• 91% agreed that learning a new skill boosted confidence  
• 98% agreed that learning a new skill felt like time well spent
• 94% agreed that completing an educational course gave a sense of accomplishment
• 52% confessed they don’t spend enough time learning new skills 

After surveying 1,183 of its students, City Lit revealed that 95% of people agreed that learning a new skill had a positive impact on their mental health and 98% of people agreed that learning a new skill felt like time well spent. 

The 21-Day Learning Challenge, which launches on Wednesday the 1st of March, aims to encourage learners from a variety of backgrounds and social circumstances to challenge themselves and unlock their potential by boosting confidence and giving their creative sides a chance to develop and flourish.

91% of people surveyed revealed that learning a  new skill boosted their confidence and 94% agreed that completing an educational course gave them a sense of accomplishment whilst 52% admitted that they don’t spend enough time learning new skills.

Marketing and Communications Director of City Lit, Gordon Chi, said of the results: 

“Spending time on personal development and learning clearly has a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing, but many of us struggle to find the time to dedicate to ourselves. The 21-Day Learning Challenge aims to not only promote the huge variety of learning opportunities available at City Lit but also to highlight the clear benefits that education has on both mental health and confidence by giving people a real sense of accomplishment.”

Offering 1000s of online and in-person courses taught by experts and experienced professionals, City Lit offers a variety of classes to suit all interests and abilities from creative writing and drama to mental well-being and counselling.

One of City Lit’s students, Cathy, is a testament to the importance of further learning and the impact it can have on mental health and well-being. Having lost 100% of hearing in her right ear and 25% in her left ear following a car accident, Cathy enrolled on a lip-reading course with City Lit that she says saved her life: 

“Lipreading saved my life! Dramatic I know it sounds, but I was in such a dark place before I did my course. I had become reclusive, withdrawn and very depressed. Learning to lipread brought “me” back. It gave me the confidence to join in social settings again and also massively helped rebuild my relationships with my family and get back to work.”

The 21-Day Learning Challenge will highlight a range of courses, skills and opportunities to encourage people to take the leap into further education and challenge themselves to learn something new in 2023. A new suggestion will be revealed each day for 21 days – ranging from interest-based skills such as learning how to sing, learning how to publish a book and learning a new language to life-changing skills such as investing in mental health, communicating with people who stammer and lipreading.

Find out more about the 21-Day learning challenge here: https://www.citylit.ac.uk/blog/21-days-of-learning