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Never too late to learn in Nelson

Learning in Retirement is a grassroots, self-help organization for people who are retired or no longer in full-time employment

Nelson and Area Learning in Retirement is an organization whose aims are the continuing learning and social stimulation of retired members of the community – those often referred to as in the third age of life.

All are welcome from the age of 50 to... there is no upper age limit.

Learning in Retirement is a grassroots, self-help organization for people who are retired or no longer in full-time employment. It provides educational, creative and leisure opportunities in a friendly environment.

As one member said, “It’s peer group learning for the joy of it, no tests, exams or papers.”

The organization draws on the knowledge, experience and skills of its own members to organize programmes and provide opportunities for interest groups to form in accordance with the wishes of the membership. Learning in Retirement recognizes that everyone has something to contribute to the learning environment – we can all learn from and contribute to each other.

Learning in Retirement volunteers run the entire organization and do much of the teaching. Several of the presenters at the regular Friday morning sessions are volunteers from the Nelson community, but increasingly they draw presenters from their membership.

It is generally agreed that not only physical but intellectual activity enriches and prolongs life in later years, and also that retired people have a lifetime of experience and, collectively, a vast amount of knowledge. This is used wherever possible to arrange programs for each topic, where each session or set of sessions can be facilitated by a member of the group who has a special interest in the topic.

Learning in Retirement enjoys a close affiliation with Selkirk College Continuing Education on the Silver King Campus which provides meeting places, multi-media, library facilities and administrative services. Activities are non-profit, cost recovery and organized by a board of volunteers voted in by its members.

Presently in its third year, Nelson and Area Learning in Retirement has 115 members and is growing steadily. LIR is inclusive in welcoming a broad age range to its membership – from every walk of life, trade and profession.

Learning in Retirement has adapted the models used in BC by the Comox Valley Elder College which has over 1,000 members; Capilano University Elder College and the Kelowna Society for Learning in Retirement which has 500 members. In getting established it also maintains links with other countries, primarily Britain, where 800 groups have more than 250,000 members, that in turn have inspired groups to grow in other Commonwealth countries: Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in particular, as well as countries in Europe: France, Spain, Slovenia, Czech Republic, Poland and Russia, to name a few.

Typical sessions include: Current events; How to keep a your brain healthy; investment; wills; nature through the lens; writing memoirs; spirituality; affordable travel; new technology; chess; bridge; a book fair featuring ten published authors or illustrators who are Learning in Retirement members.

Trips taken include: Ione, Washington-train trip to Metaline Falls; tour to the Bluebell Mine in Riondel; Rossland follies; Trail smelter tour; Grandview housing – Castlegar; Graycreek Museum & Wedgewood Manor trip – Crawford Bay; etc.

A greater range of sessions, multi-session courses and trips are planned for the New Year.

While Learning in Retirement is non-political it is aware that most seniors exercise their vote. The current event sessions are designed to invite discussion among all members on major issues in the forefront of local and national consciousness. Seniors do not leave their brains in the workplace when they retire, so the current event discussion sessions are among the most lively and popular.

For more information contact Susanne Raschdorf. (250-229-4538), Lynda Stevens (250-352-5267) or Roger Oliver (250-229-5606).