Up to this point we have discussed programs and opportunities for engaging in lifelong learning that are already in existence; they’ve been up and running for some time. For the next several columns we’re going to take a quick peek at some of the new and innovative ideas that are being developed and put in place for the 21st century.

Our goal is to help you realize that many new options to enhance and enrich your Third Age will be presenting themselves to you in the coming decades. With 76+ million adults reaching 50 and beyond in the next 20-30 years, new opportunities will be almost limitless. So keep your ears and eyes open for ways to ensure a vibrant, alert mind, no matter what your age. You will be pleasantly surprised. As Bob Dylan said, “The times they are a-changin.”

Already there are exciting new opportunities on the horizon. Here are some of them.

The Next Chapter TM
We’ve talked in-depth about Civic Ventures, ® the San Francisco based organization that serves as a catalyst and incubator of both ideas and programs that help America achieve an “experience dividend.”

They have now developed The Next Chapter Initiative ™ to help communities create places and programs that provide older adults with direction and connection as they begin the next chapter of their lives.

The Next Chapter concept is based on the premise that access to meaningful choices for work, service, learning and social connections play a crucial role in the vitality of older adults and will enrich the life of the community.

The Next Chapter program envisions community places or programs that offer older adults:

1. Life Planning Programs – to help assess current status and strengths, explore and envision future possibilities and make choices by setting goals and plans.

2. Meaningful Engagement Through Work and Service – to encourage and help navigate opportunities to take on public service roles, through paid work and volunteer service.

3. Continued Learning for New Directions – to provide a broad range of learning options that enrich lives and retool for new careers.

4. Peer and Community Connections – places and programs that foster connections to people of all ages in the community.

In the coming columns we will talk even more about what Civic Ventures has on the horizon.  But, in the meantime, for more information on their far-reaching and innovative work be sure to visit their web site at www.civicventures.org.

For more information on lifelong learning for older adults you can visit www.learninglater.com

Learning Later, Living Greater: The Secret for Making the Most of Your After-50 Years, is available at www.amazon.com and other online booksellers.

Till Next Time…

Nancy Merz Nordstrom. M.Ed., is the author of "Learning Later, Living Greater: The Secret for Making the Most of Your After-50 Years". Her book, according to Ken Dychtwald, is a “compelling and user-friendly guide to lifelong learning and, in many ways, a complete redefinition of the after-50 years.” Nancy also directs the Elderhostel Institute Network (EIN), North America's largest and most respected educational network for older adults. More than 360 lifelong learning institutes with over 150,000 members are affiliated with the Network. For more information – Elderhostel Institute Network Read Nancy’s story on her Journal Visit her Forum Group LearnTalk Nancy maintains a web site at LearningLater.com