“Schools are built on producing single right answers rather than creative solutions”
In his book “The Perennials”, Mauro F. Guillén notes that “18% of Americans live in multigenerational households” and that “Creativity peaks when people are in their 20s and 50s.” He also describes “perennials” as, “People who are not characterized by the decade in which they were born, but rather by the way they work, learn, and interact with others.”
Johnny Maracas in action.
Understanding that this is new terrain for an international education program, Abroadia partnered with Austin Community College to create a forum for individuals whose profiles may not align evenly with those of most study-abroad students.
From June 1-15, 2024 Austin Community College students ranging in age from 19-63 joined Abroadia in Cuba to experience the world of percussion and music. They not only represented a diversity of age and experience, but they differed in musical ability and language skills. It was no accident that the students got along so well; they each complimented the other in their interests, aspirations, and willingness to engage in and interact with Cubans.
The American poet Ezra Pound beseeched readers to “Hear the colors of my voice.” In Cuba, the Austin Community College students, this community of post-generational individuals, experienced first-hand the vibrancy and polychromic beauty of Cuba while expressing their own pedagogical and experiential diversity. We believe the field of international education would be remiss not to focus more attention on perennials.
Guillén defines perennials as, “People of all ages, stripes, and types who transcend stereotypes and make connections with each other and the world around them…they are not defined by their generation.”
Resources on Postgenerational students and workers:
Mauro Guillén, author of Perennials and the Megatrends Creating a Postgenerational Society
The Postgenerational Workforce
How to leverage the unique contributions of millennials and Gen Z to build a powerful multigenerational team
Young Talent: What to Expect From the Post-Millennial Workforce