Continuing Education for Seniors
By Robert G. Knechtel
"Live
as if you were to die tomorrow.
Learn as if you were to live forever."
Gandhi
Doesn't
Gandhi say it all? One of the hallmarks of aging well is maintaining
cognitive function. Use it or lose it! And what better way
to assure continued mental stimulation than to engage in continuing education?
Where might one begin?
Well, this very minute you're sitting in front of the most revolutionary
educational tool ever devised. You have the world (dare I say
the universe?) at your fingertips.
OK, so what's this thing
in the picture and what does it have to do with all this?
When I was a kid, I was facinated
with astronomy. To this day, whenever I see an article on astronomy,
I drop everything else and read it. I hang out a lot on the Discovery Channel.
Recently there was an article in the newspaper about some new findings
on Jupiter's odd ball volcanic moon, Io. After I'd thrown the paper
away, I got an impulse to revisit the subject. The picture, by the
way, is a NASA photo of Io.
Less than five minutes after
being struck with that impulse, I had the NASA site covering Jupiter's moons
before me on my computer screen - instant access to the known data about
Io and Jupiter's other moons. I trust Mahatma Gandhi signaled an
approving nod wherever he may be. To visit the NASA Io site, Click
Here...
By the way, in case you missed it, I introduced
myself earlier in About Go60.
I'm Bob Knechtel, caretaker of this website. Also, let me offer my opinion that the best Search Engine, producing the most relevant results, is Google.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, adults 55 years and older represent 54 million people, 20% of the total U.S. population and nearly one-third of the population 20 years and older.
Senior Americans also have financial clout. According to the American Banking Association, older adults own 77 percent of the country's financial assets and have $1.6 trillion in spending power.
Senior adults are also online - in fact, according to a recent Media Metrix report, the 55 years and older segment is the fastest growing Internet demographic group.
The Media Metrix Report shows that older adults (55+ years) now comprise 13 percent of total online users - outpacing 13- to 17 year olds who trail at 7.6 percent. The report also shows that the older online audience surf the Internet more frequently, stay there longer, and check out more Internet pages than even their teenage counterparts, thereby contradicting the widely held belief that seniors are technology laggards.
Many educational opportunities
for Seniors can be found through the internet. Listed here are some
of the resources you'll find on the world wide web to assist seniors in
pursuing continuing education. Each heading is clickable.
Elderhostel,
Inc.
Elderhostel, Inc. is a not-for-profit
organization with 25 years of experience providing high-quality, affordable,
educational adventures for adults who are 55 and older. These short-term
educational programs are a fun and exciting way for you to share new ideas,
explore new places and make new friends.
Elderhostel Institute Network (EIN)
The Elderhostel Institute Network (EIN) is a voluntary association of over 260 independent Institutes for Learning in Retirement (ILRs) across the United States, Canada and Bermuda. EIN, in partnership with ILRs in college and university campuses across North America, share two goals: 1) To extend the ILR concept to new people and new campuses in new communities, and 2) To strengthen and support the effectiveness of established ILRs.
Senior
Elderhostel Goes Intergenerational. Elderhostel for Children?!?
Long THE source for affordable senior citizen learning vacations, Elderhostel has, in the past few years, branched out to include programs for oldsters and youngsters who wish to vacation together.
Senior
Summer School
Senior Summer School offers
adventurous senior citizens an affordable opportunity to enhance their
summer through education, leisure, and discovery, at campus locations across
the U.S. and Canada.
Creative
Writing For Seniors
Seniors will enjoy Dorothy
Lynch informative and inspiring guide to becoming a writer in later life.
Seniornet.Org
Nonprofit SeniorNet provides
adults 50+ access to and education about computer technology and the Internet
to enhance their lives and enable them to share their knowledge and wisdom.
Denali
Foundation Alaska
Elderhostel Programs provide
an opportunity to see, study and experience the wildlife and natural history
of the Denali Bioregion while learning from local Alaskan dog-mushers,
mountain-climbers, photographers and artists.
U.S.
Department of Education
Growing Old in America:
Learning English Literacy in the Later Years.
Lifetime
Education and Rewal Network (LEARN)
LEARN is a national community
of professionals working to promote educational opportunities for today's
older adults. Membership in LEARN makes it possible to interact with peers
who are developing programs in an enormous variety of settings in this
country and around the world.
Seniors Aging Well, Wisely and Successfully
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