AARP Eye Center
It's Never Too Late to Go Back to School!
By Alejandra Owens, September 29, 2008 02:47 PM
Who says that older people can't get an education?
While most would think that seniors have already had their fair share of school, this isn't the case for all of us. And for those who want to take classes, being older can sometimes include some barriers - after all, there's a big difference between 18 and 81! Fortunately, a new NY-based program allows older students to take classes without having to leave their home. DOROT University Without Walls allows older people to take classes by telephone, and is guessed to be the largest program of its kind in the U.S.:
The curriculum includes more than 250 courses and runs the gamut from understanding feng shui and poetry writing to discussions on moral, ethical and philosophical issues and a discourse on women of the progressive era. Informational classes on money management, Internet surfing and medicine also are available.
Kathy Leeds, a 79-year old widow with multiple sclerosis living in Manhattan has been taking courses for 12 years. "It gets me out emotionally. It releases me from the four walls around me," she says. The program not only aims to educate others, but to simply allow seniors who may not be able to get out often to stimulate their minds. Check out their website for more info, it seems like a really interesting program.