REXBURG, IDAHO
Thousands of men, women and youth gathered to the small town of Rexburg, Idaho, July 29-31 for the annual BYU-Idaho Education Week.
This event offers men and women of all ages the opportunity to learn from more than 350 different classes taught by more than 45 instructors from BYU-Idaho, BYU and the Church Educational System. Along with these instructors, people who attended the event also had the opportunity to hear from the key speakers: Elder Kim B. Clark and Elder David A. Bednar.
"We try to select the best that's out there that teach in the Church. We can't get them all — no one does — but we try to find the ones that are really good and that are effective in what they teach," said Alan Young, director of Education Week.
This year, BYU-Idaho Education Week offered the Youth Track, a feature introduced in the last Education Week that offers classes specifically focused on youth ages 14-19.
A new feature was added to this year's event called, the "Mom's Track." This new feature offered classes targeted toward mothers who were looking for an extra help with raising children.
"I'm a stay-at-home mom with four kids," said Roxanna Vaughn, an attendee from Syracuse, Utah. "And it really recharges my batteries to come out here. It's a great thing for moms to take a break, come out here and have a spiritual feast that they can bring home to their family. It helps me become a better mom."
Many of the people who attended BYU-Idaho Education week remarked how relaxed and easy going the atmosphere is on the BYU-Idaho campus. This feature, according to Brother Young, is one of BYU-Idaho's greatest attributes.
"Those who come just really, really enjoy the relaxed atmosphere BYU-Idaho has.… We hope we give them an opportunity to be where they can feel [the Spirit] through the faculty that we pick and the locations that we have our classes. They take in the beauty of our campus, for one thing, and the relaxing type atmosphere where they can have a chance to really feel the Savior because they're not in a rush to get from here to there," he said.
Ranging from raising a rebellious child to the life of Abraham Lincoln to dating advice, the classes at BYU-Idaho Education Week offered a variety of topics from which to choose. Many of those who attended left the event with a new enthusiasm for life and plans for the next year.
"I've always wanted to come to Education Week and this was my first year," said Claudia Price from Ogden, Utah. "I came with a friend and, my, it's been phenomenal. It really has been everything I thought it would be. It's been so fun to increase my knowledge and I wish I'd brought my husband… I'll bring him next year."
