LIFELONG LEARNING

LIFELONG LEARNING INSTITUTE – MANASSAS: Learning As If They’ll Live Forever

By Erin Pittman

Since 2003, members of the Lifelong Learning Institute of

Manassas have been learning and growing together. This welcoming and inclusive group of people, age 50 and up, who gather together in support of their mission of providing affordable, educational and social opportunities in a friendly atmosphere. LLI-Manassas is one of many LLIs across the United States, and are all based on the philosophy that keeping your brain active and inquisitive, and maintaining social connections are important components of healthy aging.

LLI-Manassas partners with local volunteers: the Manassas campus of NOVA Community College, the Hylton Performing Arts Center, Bethel Lutheran Church, Trinity Episcopal Church, the Manassas Park Community Center and Dar al Noor Islamic Center. Together with their partners, they offer programming, social events and trips that appeal to their members. The generosity of such people and organizations allows LLI-Manassas to continue to operate.

The Courses

LLI-Manassas’ courses come together through their program committee, made up of about 12 to 15 members.

“These are the champion arm twisters of the world,” said President Mike Ahern. “They are active in the community with contacts in various industries like government, the arts and education. These members are very active in getting people to deliver instruction to our members.”

Some course instructors come from NOVA Community College and George Mason University. Many courses are born from one member attending a stimulating lecture at the Prince William Historical Society or experiencing a musician giving a unique presentation on the history of the guitar, for example.

"It's a matter of shaking the bushes. This committee meets for several months in advance and spends a great deal of time working their contacts,” said Ahern.

Topics are always varied to ensure they are appealing to all of their members and prospective new members and may cover subject areas like history, fine arts, literature, science, philosophy, health and fitness, government and more. Some courses that were planned for this spring included:

n A Musical Journey: From Classical to Popular Jazz n Understanding Opera: A Guide for the Passionate and the

Puzzled

n Pottery 101 n Creating Art Through Photography

n Poems That Tickle Your Fancy n Making Space: The Art of Decluttering

LLI-Manassas offers about 50 classes and events per semester. Members can purchase full or half-year memberships. Ahern noted that they work to keep their dues affordable.

The Social Side

In addition to keeping active minds, LLI-Manassas members enjoy social benefits. The group schedules a couple of bus trips each semester. This spring, they had planned trips to the Dumbarton House and Tudor Place, and Wilson’s Presidential Library and the Frontier Culture Museum.

“In the past, we’ve had lectures ahead of time and trips related to the topics,” said Ahern. “We had a lecture on the Library of Congress and then took a trip downtown to visit.”