| |
IN ATHENS, GEORGIA
Taken from the 2006/2007 Membership Directory of the Learning in
Retirement Program, Inc. and reprinted here with permission.
In September, 1994 a new organization of more than 100 charter members
began to meet at the Center for Continuing Education at the University
of Georgia. It was called Learning in Retirement.
Initial stimulus was provided by the Elderhostel Institute Network
or EIN – the link between the long-established and well known
Elderhostel program and adult learning centers at universities and colleges
throughout the country. First described as a “learning group for
the incorrigibly curious retirement-age adult,” members started
organizing classes, social gatherings, and tours.
The primary function of Learning in Retirement has been to provide
interesting classes that are taught by LIR members, professors from
the University of Georgia, or by specialists in the community. Each
semester approximately 30 courses of study, usually meeting for three
to five sessions, have been offered. These are divided between two semesters,
one beginning in September, the other in January. Early courses included
“Canada,”
“Memory and the Brain,” “Estate Planning,” “Earthquakes
and Volcanoes,” and the “Great Decisions” series.
Courses reflect the interests and talents of the members and include
such subjects as Southern history, computer skills, and physical fitness.
Some courses have proved to be so popular that they have been repeated.
Day trips and overnight trips have taken members to a variety of places
and events spanning the state from Atlanta to Callaway Gardens to the
nuclear power plant in Baxley to the Georgia coast and Cumberland Island.
Trips to the High Museum and the University’s own Georgia Museum
of Art are favorites. Some trips evolve through specific courses; others
are designed to meet members’ interests or to present new information
and ideas.
December holiday parties were among the first social gatherings and
have remained very popular. Over time, social get-togethers grew to
include morning coffee at members’ homes, and luncheons at local
restaurants. More recently “Dinner Out” has become a popular
means through which members can enjoy a relaxed evening meal together.
As LIR has grown to over 300 members, so have its activities. The year
2000 saw the beginning of programs of travel-study and social events.
Summer events not only offer an excellent opportunity for new members
to get their first introduction to LIR, they also serve to keep a year-round
continuity to the organization.
To keep up with the latest on our current calendar of courses, travel-study,
special activity groups, social events, and newsletters, visit the LIR
web site at www.athenslir.org.
For even more information, please call our telephone number, (706) 549-7350
and leave a message. We will call you back! Or email us at lir_ga@yahoo.com.
|
|
September 7, 2008
Bookmark
this site
|