Catherine Hammond
It is not too late to participate in the fall semester for New Adventures in Learning, affiliated with Chandler-Gilbert Community College. Classes continue until Dec. 13, 2019, and many still have openings. Check for availability at www.NewAdventures.info and click on Classes.
What are some of the multiple benefits of participating in this lifelong-learning group? Many thanks to Learning Resources Network (LERN), the leading association in lifelong learning, https://lern.org/article/benefits-of-lifelong-learning/, for their list. Below, examine their quality-of-life benefits. Following those rewards are titles and registration numbers of a few of the many New Adventures’ classes available at the time of writing that directly explore those benefits. All meet after Nov. 1, 2019.
1. Professional and personal development. Beethoven—The Man, His Times, and His Music (F1024). AARP Driver Safety (F1026). The Nobel Prizes (F1034). The Great Molasses Flood of 1919. (F1045) Writing Out Loud, Creatively (F1067).
2. Improved mental health. Art for Fun (F1001). Friday Feature Films (F5004-F5007).
3. A longer life. Empowering Others to Be your Healthcare Advocate in a Crisis (F1007). Achieving Health and Wellness in Retirement. (F1043).
4. Benefits to community and society. Adventures of Medical Practice in the Canadian Arctic (F1041). Adjusting to Community Living (F1066). The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA): What, That Again? (F2003).
5. Participation in the knowledge society. Chromebooks—Should a Chromebook Be Your Next Computer? (F1010). Google—Discover All Things Google (F1016).
Remember that the benefits of lifelong-learning extend well beyond subject matter. The actual act of attending a class or an event produces those same benefits for members. Mental and intellectual development along with improving attitude, a general sense of wellbeing, and the feeling of friendship and being part of a community often comes with participation. Members may learn skills or gain knowledge in an area new to them.
Online registration remains available at the New Adventures’ website, along with payment of fees, for open classes all semester. Annual renewal of membership is also online. For additional information, call 480-857-5500 or visit the Sun Lakes Center at 25105 S. Alma School Road, Sun Lakes, AZ. New Adventures in Learning is a membership organization that has been encouraging lifelong learning since 1998 and is affiliated with Chandler-Gilbert Community College.