|
|
![]() |
New Paltz Times - Featured News | 8/21/2008 |
|
| |
Constant education
Lifetime Learning Institute gears up for big year |
|
|
| |
|
 |
|
| | The Lifetime Learning Institute: (clockwise from top) Ann Burdett, Mary Cotton-Miller, Mary Ann Osgood, Fred Mayo, Sally Rhoads, Gail Gallerie, Carol Roper, Martha Azfal, Lyn Mayo and Judy Reichler. (Not pictured: June Finer, Marty Korfman and Marie Girard.)
[ Lauren Thomas ] | |
|
|
by Erin Quinn
The Lifetime Learning Institute (LLI), which offers a host of academic classes for residents 50 years and older, is gearing up for its second year of courses. Last year, the LLI had more than 200 members, more than they ever imagined for their debut.
"We had almost no advertising and were putting it all together so quickly with a small group of volunteers that I was amazed at the turnout," said Judith Reichler, the former town justice and now the president of the LLI board.
What Reichler found even more impressive was the response from the students and the volunteer teachers of the LLI. "I would walk down the halls of the SUNY-New Paltz campus and see our students so excited, engaged in conversation or friendly debate with smiles on their faces. They were not only learning but they were enjoying the opportunity to become students again!"
Reichler said one of the most moving things she experienced at the close of LLI's first two-semester year, was the response of the volunteer teachers.
"We have an incredible faculty," she said. "Almost all of them worked as professors either locally or at other institutions. We have some that are retired high school teachers and a few amateur teachers that were so passionate about their subjects that people flocked to their courses."
The former justice talks about two "amateur" teachers who hosted courses on astronomy and World War II.
"The astronomy teacher was so passionate, had so much information and knowledge to share that he excited his students. He took us all to his house to gaze into the night sky from his gigantic telescope," she said.
When Reichler went on to thank all of the volunteer faculty members after the spring semester, she was surprised by their response.
"I was thinking about all of the hours they donated to our program for free and how taxing that might have been for them, but almost as if it were scripted, one after another said, 'no, no, thank you!'" she said. "'It was such a wonderful experience to teach students who were engaged, educated, interesting and interested in my subject matter.'"
The LLI has so many professors wanting to teach that they have a backlog. They also believe their enrollment will increase from 200 to 250 or even 300 this year. "We've had to hold some faculty members off who had incredible turnouts in previous semesters because we need to give others a chance," she said.
Some of the popular "repeat" courses will include the fine and performing arts class, which is taught by the FAPA faculty at SUNY-New Paltz and integrates music, fine arts and theater into its curriculum.
"Nature-based immersion programs were also incredibly popular as were art classes, history classes and literature classes," Reichler said. "No class will be the same, but we will have courses that focus on similar subjects but with varying themes."
Another uber-popular course, their one non-academic course, taught by Bee Seagall, is entitled "Mind Your Mind."
This is the only course geared specifically towards older students, as it provides them with a whole brain workout.
"She has taught this course to hundreds of thousands of people throughout the U.S. and the world," Reichler said. "It's an amazing course and this woman is 80-something years of age, but you'd never know it to look at her or to speak with her. She's dynamic and amazing and people really enjoy this course."
While SUNY-New Paltz was the host site for this program and the main sponsor, they have told the LLI that their students can no longer utilize the college's classroom space -- something that put LLI in a very difficult position.
"That's what people loved about it so much," Reichler said. "Being on campus, being a student again, being a part of that academic atmosphere. And what was so great about it was that the college offered us the space free-of-charge, because they supported the program.
"Suddenly, after a very successful first year, we were told that due to renovations we could not utilize any campus classrooms for the next two years, at least. So we had to very quickly raise funds and find spaces downtown to rent for our students."
Reichler is calling it their "downtown campus," as the LLI has secured various classroom spaces at the Reformed Church, the Jewish Community Center and Deyo Hall off of Broadhead Avenue in the Historic District.
"I'm an optimist, so I believe it will help us all become more connected with the village, offer us the ability to go out and have a coffee together or a walk and discuss what we've learned," she said.
And that's another component of the LLI that Reichler was surprised by.
"I have too many people in my life," she joked. "And I'm not big on socializing. But for many, many of our students, one of the benefits of this program was their ability to meet different people, share ideas, study together, have camraderie. I see many of my fellow students going to various events together, eating together, socializing in some form or another which is wonderful ... It's created a real sense of community."
Because of the social demand, the LLI offered various gatherings, post-semester celebrations and lecture series for their students to share in together.
There are a whole slew of new courses being offered for the upcoming 2008/2009 fall and spring semester as well as an inter-session Italian Film Festival Series. People can register for an entire year, including all courses for $115 if they register by August 25.
There will be a late registration until September 8, but that will cost an additional $20.
The LLI is 100 percent volunteer-run and is a lot of work, but according to Reichler, "well worth it when you see how much every one enjoys challenging themselves, learning new things, meeting new people and having the opportunity to teach again."
To get more information, call 257-2892 or e-mail LLI at lifetime@newpaltz.edu. Their website, from which people can access and download registration forms, is www.newpaltz.edu/lifetime.
Click here to discuss this article in our forum.
|
|
|
|
|
© 2010 Ulster Publishing, Inc.
|
