Learning in Retirement Presents 80 Opportunities to Learn Something New

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. — C.S. Lewis

The capacity to learn is a gift. The ability to learn is a skill. The willingness to learn is a choice. — Brian Herbert

VALDOSTA — Learning in Retirement is counting down the days till the start of another action-packed season of meeting the educational, physical, intellectual, and social needs of Valdosta State University’s friends and neighbors.

A member-led and VSU-sponsored organization, Learning in Retirement will kick off its 2015 fall term on Wednesday, Sept. 9, in the Regional Center for Continuing Education Auditorium.  The celebration will begin with a business meeting at 11 a.m., followed by lunch at 11:30 a.m. Registration costs $10 and is due by 3 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4. Attendees will be treated to an overview of the 2015-2016 Annette Howell Turner Center for the Arts Presenter Series, which allows local audiences to experience Broadway-style shows, all from the comfort of Mathis City Auditorium.

Men and women 50 years of age and older have 80 opportunities to learn something new during the Learning in Retirement 2015 fall term, which features a course lineup full of trips and tours, book reviews, topics that are simply “good to know,” and classes in the areas of health and fitness, computers and technology, fine arts, leisure, history, social studies, and science.

Founded in January 1996, Learning in Retirement “provides a unique opportunity for cultural growth, lifelong learning, and recreation,” according to information provided by the organization. The course offerings and curriculum are “chosen, designed, and often led by the members, encouraging peer learning and active member participation.”

Learning in Retirement capitalizes “on the strengths and experiences of older adults, empowering them to continue learning, expand their horizons, and enhance their personal development.”

Membership costs $45 per person per term — fall, winter, and spring — and allows members to participate in as many Learning in Retirement courses as they desire. A few courses and specil activities require an additional fee, which is always noted in advance in the course catalog.

New members are always welcome.     

VSU’s Regional Center for Continuing Education is located at 903 N. Patterson St. Its mission is to enhance the quality of life in the region by providing educational, artistic, cultural, technological, and economic development activities and programs. It works to develop and present programs and activities for professional and personal enrichment of community persons.

Contact Suzanne Ewing, Learning in Retirement program coordinator, at (229) 245-6484 or sewing@valdosta.edu to learn more.

On the Web:

http://www.valdosta.edu/academics/extended-learning/continuing-education/programs/lir/welcome.php

https://www.facebook.com/groups/177509944265/

Valdosta State University’s 2013-2019 Strategic Plan represents a renewal of energy and commitment to the foundational principles for comprehensive institutions.

Implementation of the plan’s five goals, along with their accompanying objectives and strategies, supports VSU’s institutional mission and the University System of Georgia’s mission for comprehensive universities. 

The university-sponsored Learning in Retirement program meets the following goal: 

Goal 3: Promote student, employee, alumni, retiree, and community engagement in our mission.

Visit http://www.valdosta.edu/administration/planning/strategic-plan.php to learn more.