Lifelong Learning

For many of us, the most anticipated measure of retirement life is the withdrawal of all the hours one has banked over the decades, saved to pursue a passion project now, to read, to explore, or just learn to bake bread. And knowing that out there in the world, there are thousands of avenues to gain knowledge and stay mentally sharp for decades. Better known as Lifelong Learning.

One organization is getting an A+ in that subject. So are many forward-thinking residential communities.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) is a vast nationwide network of college and university centers that offer intellectual and cultural experiences for people over 50, inspiring them to take a fresh look at the world of possibilities. The programs are conducted independently from the school, but are largely taught by the local faculty, graduate students, and visiting experts on a subject.

Take, for instance, the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. In recent years, their OLLI curriculum offered everything from beginner arts and crafts to expansive learning field trips to Mackinaw Island, the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, and even an architectural dig in Scotland.

But, planned amenity communities around the country are also augmenting that national initiative. Keowee Key, a gorgeous lake and golf community in upstate South Carolina, has a dizzying array of over 50 social and learning activities for club members, including a bi-monthly Speaker Series held in the community’s ballroom, conducted by regional university professors and deans, and covering diverse subjects from Facing Climate Reality to The Story of Southern English. They have a really good wine club, too!