August 29, 2006 - 5:00pm
You’re never too old to do new tricks or learn them, as many <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Nanaimo seniors have discovered. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
And this year is as good as any to start learning at Malaspina University-College’s ElderCollege classes where more than 1,000 students, 55 years old and over, are expected to enroll this year.
“The friendly atmosphere and the opportunity to learn something new,” says Jim Crist, chair of the ElderCollege program, of what keeps people coming back to school at Malaspina. “We offer a wide range of course topics including the Canadian economy, Bridge, capitalism, ethics, Shakespeare and a variety of courses relating to personal growth. The topics change from term to term and year to year, depending on instructor availability and student interest.”
Crist began as an ElderCollege student and was so impressed with the quality of the programs that he volunteered to be a member of the Programming Committee. After about a year on the committee, Crist was asked to join the ElderCollege Board. This year he will be teaching “Bridge 1: Play and Learn” and will be lecturing on nuclear power as part of the course “Reducing our Dependence on Hydrocarbons.” Crist remains an active ElderCollege student with a keen interest in politics, ethics and social justice.
“The Nanaimo ElderCollege program is now in its third year and has a firm base of support in the community and on campus,” says Nahanni Ackroyd, Coordinator of the ElderCollege program for Malaspina University-College.
ElderCollege courses are offered once per week for six weeks, four times per year. All ElderCollege instructors are volunteers, so the program depends on who is able and willing to volunteer to teach. Volunteer instructors help keep costs low, and the courses are priced affordably, usually about $35 per course, plus GST. Annual membership is $10 and entitles those 55 and over to access the low-cost courses.
Interested in becoming an ElderCollege student? Courses begin September 11 in Nanaimo and Parksville. For information or to register call 1-866-734-6252 or visit the website at www.viu.ca/ccs/courses/eldercollege.htm
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Tags: In the Community
