Seniors - Age-wise: Back to School

However, there is another generational group very much interested in going back to school.

People 55+ are moving to communities that have colleges, filling adult learning programs and preparing for encore careers. We spoke with Paul Keller, Executive Council Chairperson of the Academy for Lifelong Learning (A.L.L.) sponsored by Empire State College, about this phenomenon.

Paul tells us that he made two decisions when he retired that continue to pay back. He moved to Saratoga Springs and he became involved with A.L.L. What impresses Paul is the enormous amount of “skill sets, dedication and mental energy adult learners invest in continuing their education.” This is happening across the country. Reports in the AARP Magazine, Kiplinger’s, USA Today and Market Watch all confirm that retirees are interested in living in communities where they can have access to education and cultural activities.

Saratoga Springs is certainly a destination that offers all of these, especially opportunities for continuing education. Saratoga Springs Mayor Scott Johnson recently issued a proclamation designating September 2008 as Lifelong Learning Month to coincide with the New York State Legislature’s proclamation.

So what draws adult learners to keep learning? Keller says, “Speaking for myself and drawing from my A.L.L. experience, I see my colleagues relishing the challenge of unexplored topics.

There is an infectious motivation to share information. The classroom also provides opportunities to socialize.”

The A.L.L. classroom format is one in which the leader (teacher) is a peer who has a particular proficiency or interest in a topic and shares it in the classroom setting. Often learning takes place out in the community like the very popular course History, Science and Art All Around Us which features day trips to interesting locations in the area. And best of all, there are no prerequisites for taking classes and no tests at the end.

Leaders bring a variety of backgrounds to A.L.L. Take for example, a retired physician who has climbed all of the Adirondack peaks and is an accomplished authority on Victorian Literature.

Leaders include several with PhD’s, some who have authored and published books, juried artists, retired teachers and college professors, retired business executives from advertising, pharmaceutical companies, the auto industry and ministers and rabbis. Some facilitators are just curious about a topic and lead the class in its exploration. Classes are developed and submitted to a Curriculum Committee two times a year.

With this available talent you are bound to find a course to interest you from “Shakespeare in China” to “Understanding the Municipal Budget” and everything in between. Classes begin on Monday September 15. For information on AL.L. visit: www.esc.edu/ALL, or call 587-2100, ext. 2415.

A.L.L. is not the only option in this community where you can go “back to school.” Skidmore College offers its twenty-eighth annual series of lectures for those 55+ this fall. The program called “Liberal Studies for Mature Adults,” addresses issues in the humanities, arts, culture and social sciences examined from both contemporary and historical perspectives. The same lectures are offered on both Monday and Wednesday for six weeks commencing on October 6, 2008. Each session includes three lectures by Skidmore professors and lunch. For more information visit www.skidmore.edu/odsp/annual/mature/index.cfm or call 580-5590.

In addition, Skidmore College also offers opportunities for adults 55+ to audit courses in the regular curriculum. For a registration fee of $25 and the teaching professor’s permission you can audit a class for the semester. Some restrictions including class size are considered. Browsing the course catalog is more mind- boggling then standing in front of your favorite candy counter with carte blanche. For more information visit www2.skidmore.edu/registration/non_matriculated/ss_permission.pdf.

The opportunities for study don’t end at local colleges. BOCES, (Washington Saratoga Warren Hamilton Essex BOCES) and Saratoga Springs Public Schools offer a full range of courses in adult continuing education programs. You can even bring your pet dog back-to-school. BOCES offers a “Canine Good Citizen Workshop/Test” designed to train your dog to be a “respected member of the community.” Be sure your dog knows there will be a test at the end of the course.

Contact BOCES at www.bdeckerwswheboces.org or 581-3555, 746-3523 to learn more about the fall curriculum offering courses in finance, computer skills, arts and crafts, driving, business, and fitness. The adult continuing education program includes opportunities in several locations with access to classes in both the daytime and evening. Registration has already begun for the adult continuing education program.

“Learning is the Spirit of Life,” so it says on the cover of the fall 2008 catalog of classes offered by Saratoga Springs Public Schools Continuing Education program. Learning can also be an adventure providing new insights and surprises about a topic like Sacred Geometry, an ancient science that explores and explains energy patterns. Learning most often leads to some form of self-improvement. If you are even just a little bit curious, you ask questions and you learn. If you engage in discussions about the issues of living you are certain to learn. Check out the course catalog offered by the Saratoga Springs Public Schools continuing education program. For more information call 583-4782 or Email: continuing education@saratogaschools.org.

My husband and I have made a pact to attend at least one educational offering a week this fall, though we could probably be out several nights a week taking advantage of all the many available lectures, concerts and seminars, many free, offered in this region. AGE-WISE will do it’s best to keep you informed about continuing education opportunities. And don’t forget to take your Mickey Mouse lunchbox to school.