This report documents the San Diego Aging in Place Workshop that explored the the topic of lifelong learning. Click here to download the report.
The Enhancing Lifelong Learning: Developing a Livable San Diego County for All Ages workshop highlighted San Diego County as a national leader for creating a vast network of lifelong learning services and programs, and also served as a forum for exploring the value of lifelong learning experiences along with the challenges and obstacles that can prevent older adults from taking advantage of them. Lifelong learning efforts are often overshadowed by dominant Aging in Place themes such as transportation, health care, or housing. However, the San Diego workshop underscored the crucial importance of lifelong learning to the health and quality of life of older adults and its close connection to these other issues.
After remarks from a handful of local leaders and national hosts, workshop attendees were treated to a presentation by Professor Joaquin Anguera of San Diego State University, a leading expert on lifelong learning for older adults. Professor Anguera shared his wisdom about the goals, functions and benefits of lifelong learning, presenting the latest statistics and national research on the topic. Attendees then spent the majority of the workshop divided into four breakout groups, each devoted to a particular aspect of the lifelong learning issue. Discussions were facilitated by an AIS staff member who engaged participants on what the community is doing right and what could be improved to enhance lifelong learning for older adults. The fourbreakout group topics were, “Retraining for Work”; “Volunteerism, Civic Engagement, and Personal Enrichment”; “Learning to Advocate for Health and Wellbeing”; and “Improving Access to Learning and Information.”
Key Findings:
- Older adults are clamoring to find fulfilling lifelong learning opportunities for a variety of reasons
- Lifelong learning experiences provide important benefits to both communities and individuals
- Educational institutions need to take measures to ensure that older adults feel welcomed and comfortable on college campuses
- Structural barriers such as transportation and inadequate coordination between service providers can limit older adults’ access to lifelong learning
- Partnerships between colleges and employers can help older adults who want to retrain for work