"Oscar" isn't the Only One Who's Aging
This Was "Hi Tech" in the 50s and 60s

Age-Old Learning

Musings Glasses-272399_1920For many Boomers, learning is part of living. The aging process may cause aches and pains, sleepless nights and other irritations, but it is also a time when we can open up our minds to new things. Thankfully, opportunities to learn abound -- and increasingly, those opportunities are specifically targeting Boomers.

One great example of Boomer-oriented learning is the growing number of OLLIs across the country. About twenty years old, OLLIs -- Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes -- are educational programs for seniors that are associated with select colleges and universities. At present, there are 124 OLLIs nationally with at least one OLLI in each of the 50 states plus D.C. You can find a list of the institutes here: http://www.osherfoundation.org/index.php?olli_list

Also encouraging is the growing number of undergraduate and graduate schools that offer free or reduced tuition to seniors. In addition, more colleges than ever are offering regular or continuing education courses that address some of the work and life challenges Boomers face as they age. Even programs designed to help Boomers pursue encore careers are starting to appear, as reported in NextAvenue.org. Two such programs mentioned in the article are Notre Dame's Inspired Leadership Initiative and the University of Minnesota's Advanced Career Initiative.

The importance of educating seniors (as in older Americans, not high school seniors) should not be under-estimated, given increasing lifespans and the likelihood that Boomers will be working far beyond the traditional retirement age. According to an AARP report cited in the NextAvenue article, “With people living longer, more adults are turning to continued education for both personal enrichment and to learn new skills. Providing programs tailored to their interests and needs is a promising opportunity for both the public and private sectors, while updating the skillsets of the 50-plus cohort will give them added credibility in a competitive workplace.”

The age-old need for learning takes on new urgency when it becomes "old age learning."

HappilyRewired.com is a Top 75 Baby Boomer Blog.

Image: Pixabay.com

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