Here, There and Everywhere – Lifelong Learning

“Here, There and Everywhere” While famously known as the title of a Beatle’s song, it is also the trend that is taking off relative to the world of retirement pursuits. Such pursuits were once mahjongg, bridge, golf, tennis, health and self-help focused lectures, and the like. Today many retirees talk about going back to school. Intellectual pursuits are the catchy buzzwords.

 

Programs like the Nova Southeastern University’s (NSU) Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) have been around for years at both NSU (since 1977) and other universities around the country, and the world. However, a newer phenomenon is bringing the classroom to folks who, for one reason or another, are unable to reach a main university campus. For over ten years, the NSU LLI has established relationships with retirement communities in the tri-county area, bringing a new dimension to the otherwise traditionally based lifestyle choices once offered in these residences. More recently, the NSU LLI began partnering with municipalities. In July 2015, the City of Coconut Creek became the first South Florida municipality to provide university-affiliated, humanities based, lifelong learning classes for all of its residents, regardless of age. All are welcome to attend, and they do. At a recent lecture, “Pop Art of the 1960’s,” taught by notable Florida art director, prop master, and set designer Tyler K. Smith, people from all generations gathered to enjoy the class purely for the sake of learning and expanding their minds.

 

This trend of off campus expansion is about to reach the university’s regional campuses. In collaboration with NSU’s Fischler School of Education and with support from LLI’s parent college, the NSU College of Osteopathic Medicine, an offshoot LLI program will begin this fall on the Nova Southeastern University North Miami Beach campus. The opening October 12, 2015 event will be an in-depth lecture on “Diverse Evaluations and Interpretations of Classical Music,” and is free and open to the community. This class – an exploration of varied approaches to diverse musical styles over different periods of time – will be taught by world renowned musicologist Judith Etzion, Ph.D.

 

Public interest is a key factor in the trend of mature adults pursuing educational options in their leisure time (try putting the term “lifelong learning” into a Google search). Still, kudos belong to creative professionals in the aging field who address this demand and think outside the old-fashioned proverbial box. These innovators know that to keep up with the times, adaptability is not only a reality, but is also a business necessity. For the world of lifelong learning, the challenge will be to continually evolve in the hope of satisfying the increasing academic demands of an aging boomer population.