--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Education is for improving the lives of…" description: "\"Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.\" — Marian Wright Edelman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3aa/marian-wright-edelman-2216_community_education-is-for-improving-the-lives-of_2504236.png" --- # Education is for improving the lives of others and for… ![“Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.” quote by Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3aa/marian-wright-edelman-2216_community_education-is-for-improving-the-lives-of_2504236.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3aa/marian-wright-edelman-2216_community_education-is-for-improving-the-lives-of_2504236.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3aa/marian-wright-edelman-2216_community_education-is-for-improving-the-lives-of_2504236.png) > “Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it.” [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Education should uplift others and leave communities better than before. **In simple terms:** Education improves lives and strengthens communities. Key Takeaway Teach to empower and improve society. Themes education service community development Mood optimistic determined Type activist philosophical When to use this quote - teaching - volunteering - policy advocacy Key Concepts social justice empowerment legacy Questions to Reflect On - How can you measure community improvement? - What role does education play in social equity? A Different Perspective Resources may limit impact; systemic barriers exist. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Community](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/community/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Lives of others](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lives-of-others/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [I do look upon the secretary of education's primary responsibility as the quality of education that - and improving the education that every child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/i-do-look-upon-the-secretary-of-education-s-primary-responsibility-as/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [If we are unduly absorbed in improving our lives we may forget altogether to live them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-watts/if-we-are-unduly-absorbed-in-improving-our-lives-we-may-forget/) [Alan Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-watts/) > [Our mind is the gift we have for improving our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kishore-bansal/our-mind-is-the-gift-we-have-for-improving-our-lives/) [Kishore Bansal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kishore-bansal/) > [People discover that by helping others, even when they themselves are suffering, they end up improving their own lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arianna-huffington/people-discover-that-by-helping-others-even-when-they-themselves-are/) [Arianna Huffington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arianna-huffington/) > [“The world is a better place, when YOUR world is a better place. Speak to yourself with kindness. Treat your body with love. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-storch/the-world-is-a-better-place-when-your-world-is-a-better-place-speak/) [Pamela Storch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-storch/) > [Fair Trade is all about improving lives, but we don't do that through charity - there is no hand out in the Fair Trade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-rice/fair-trade-is-all-about-improving-lives-but-we-don-t-do-that-through/) Paul Rice > [From Arizonans like Cesar Chavez to Gabby Giffords, progressive politics is built on the belief that each of our individual efforts is capable of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruben-gallego/from-arizonans-like-cesar-chavez-to-gabby-giffords-progressive/) [Ruben Gallego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruben-gallego/) > [If the anti-abortion movement took a tenth of the energy they put into noisy theatrics and devoted it to improving the lives of children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-the-anti-abortion-movement-took-a-tenth-of-the-energy-they-put/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Our public services and the great people who work in them are improving lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-truss/our-public-services-and-the-great-people-who-work-in-them-are/) [Liz Truss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-truss/) > [“Give yourself for the course of living for others, improving their lives, becoming a deliverer to a nation and you will never be at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/give-yourself-for-the-course-of-living-for-others-improving-their/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [Assuming the chairmanship of ASEAN isn't going to do anything about improving the lives of people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aung-san-suu-kyi/assuming-the-chairmanship-of-asean-isn-t-going-to-do-anything-about/) [Aung San Suu Kyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aung-san-suu-kyi/) > [Imagine, just for the sake of discussion, that you had a few hours a week and a few dollars a month to donate to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/imagine-just-for-the-sake-of-discussion-that-you-had-a-few-hours-a/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [By improving yourself, the world is made better. Be not afraid of growing too slowly. Be afraid only of standing still.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/by-improving-yourself-the-world-is-made-better-be-not-afraid-of/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [The difference between famous creators and struggling artists is that the creators know that improving the lives of others deserves the highest reward.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cohen/the-difference-between-famous-creators-and-struggling-artists-is-that/) [Alan Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cohen/) > [We all have a moral obligation to leave this world a better place than the world that we've found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-mcilrath/we-all-have-a-moral-obligation-to-leave-this-world-a-better-place/) [Tim McIlrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-mcilrath/) ## More by Marian Wright Edelman > [We must always refill and ensure there is a critical mass of leaders and activists committed to nonviolence and racial and economic justice who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/we-must-always-refill-and-ensure-there-is-a-critical-mass-of-leaders/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [It is utterly exhausting being Black in America - physically, mentally, and emotionally. While many minority groups and women feel similar stress, there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/it-is-utterly-exhausting-being-black-in-america-physically-mentally/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [Justice is not cheap. Justice is not quick. It is not ever finally achieved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/justice-is-not-cheap-justice-is-not-quick-it-is-not-ever-finally/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [I never thought I was breaking a glass ceiling. 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How many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/the-old-notion-that-children-are-the-private-property-of-parents-dies/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [When Jesus Christ asked little children to come to him, he didn't say only rich children, or White children, or children with two-parent families,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/when-jesus-christ-asked-little-children-to-come-to-him-he-didn-t-say/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [“Don’t feel entitled to anything you don’t sweat and struggle for”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/don-t-feel-entitled-to-anything-you-don-t-sweat-and-struggle-for/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [You can't tell parents to teach children the value of work when we don't have jobs and the jobs we have don't pay a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/you-can-t-tell-parents-to-teach-children-the-value-of-work-when-we/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [To all those mothers and fathers who are struggling with teen-agers, I say, just be patient: even though it looks like you can't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/to-all-those-mothers-and-fathers-who-are-struggling-with-teen-agers-i/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [It really takes a community to raise children, no matter how much money one has. Nobody can do it well alone. And it's the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/it-really-takes-a-community-to-raise-children-no-matter-how-much/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [Democracy cannot breathe, indeed will die, if those enjoined to protect it and uphold the laws snuff it out - with no consequences.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/democracy-cannot-breathe-indeed-will-die-if-those-enjoined-to-protect/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [Hunger and malnutrition have devastating consequences for children and have been linked to low birth weight and birth defects, obesity, mental and physical health…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/hunger-and-malnutrition-have-devastating-consequences-for-children/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [We're spending, on average, three times more for prison than for public-school pupils. That's the dumbest investment policy. It doesn't make us safer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/we-re-spending-on-average-three-times-more-for-prison-than-for-public/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) > [You'd better stay determined, because that's how our ancestors got us where we are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marian-wright-edelman/you-d-better-stay-determined-because-that-s-how-our-ancestors-got-us/) [Marian Wright Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) [Explore all 179 Marian Wright Edelman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marian-wright-edelman/) ## More Community quotes > [Race is the idea that a human being is more superior than another human being, race in society grants illusional rights to mistreat each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/race-is-the-idea-that-a-human-being-is-more-superior-than-another/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [But we are convinced that if we are to play a meaningful role nationally, and in the community of nations, we must be second…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikram-sarabhai/but-we-are-convinced-that-if-we-are-to-play-a-meaningful-role/) [Vikram Sarabhai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikram-sarabhai/) > [In the hearing world, I'm constantly having to lip-read and trying to understand what's going on. 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