“Back-to-school” is a common theme this time of year, but learning isn’t something that is relegated to a certain point on the calendar or even a particular point in life – it’s a lifelong journey.

Whether you are in early education using mobile technology for learning, a student or adult learner looking for free SAS^® software, or an educator looking for new ways to teach, SAS has something to offer. We support education because it is an investment in the future, not just for our company, but for the world.

The Internet of Things and the continued growth of big data will create millions of jobs for data scientists in the coming years. But before that data scientist comes knocking at our door – or the doors of our customers – he or she will have had to take college-level courses in computer science and/or analytics.

Before even getting into college, though, kids need to be comfortable and familiar with subjects all throughout K-12. We can and we must support learning at all levels.

There are many SAS education programs and initiatives making a difference in K-12 and higher education. More than 26,000 teachers and students signed up in August to use SAS Curriculum Pathways free digital learning resources, bringing the total number of users to more than 550,000 around the world. More than 350,000 professors, students and independent learners are taking advantage of the free SAS software and training  offered through SAS Analytics U. I encourage you to check those out and think about how they can help you and/or your children along their journey.

The accompanying infographic shows how those programs and others map to a lifelong commitment to learning.

I find it particularly rewarding to bring students and teachers to SAS to learn about how we can support their interests and goals.

Last week, I met with three budding data scientists, ages 10-11, who used analytics to learn more about their passions. Two focused on sports, one on pet adoption. We arranged a special day where they presented their research, met with a sports analytics expert as well as experts who analyze data on service dog breeding and endangered species preservation.

Kids can get excited about data and analytics if we can help them understand the relevance to their lives. This can put them on a path to rewarding careers in analytics or other STEM disciplines.

SAS hosts other events such as the annual Math Summit for teachers, various STEM days for students and numerous professor trainings where we help them integrate SAS into their instruction.

Next week, we will co-host a Data & Analytics Summit with Achieving the Dream, where more than 160 community and technical college representatives will learn how data and analytics can improve enrollment, course availability and student outcomes. Those schools are critical to building a talented workforce with the skills employers need.

From pre-K to the workforce and beyond, we should never stop learning. What’s the next step in your journey?