When you think about it, lifelong learning is not just some new educational buzzword or lifestyle fad.
For many of us it’s long been a way of life. After all, we live in a time when the world we know is changing rapidly and often forces us to change with it.
How many of you are in professions or occupations that require you to constantly learn new things and develop new skills just to do your job? How many of you expect to spend your retirement still working or pursuing a more active lifestyle than your parents did? If the people who study retirees are to be believed, there are a good number of you that will.
One of the responses to these converging trends of rapid change and active retirement is the emergence of Lifelong Learning Centers and those of you looking to relocate or retire to North Carolina or South Carolina will be surprised at the number of lifelong learning opportunities and programs available to you.
What are Lifelong Learning Centers? Generally speaking, they are programs sponsored by institutions of higher learning or community centers focused on providing classes and other programming to older adults.
Joining a Lifelong Learning Center program requires a yearly membership fee and classes are non-credit. However, once you become a member you join a new community of like-minded learners and have access to everything from clubs, workshops and special events to various forms of vocational training, all taught and organized by college faculty and others. Not only are you learning but it is also a great way to meet people in your new Best Place to Live.
One of the beautiful aspects of Lifelong Learning Centers is they are affordable and all about offering an alternative life model to the people they serve. If you don’t believe me, check out the website for the world famous North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement in Asheville, NC and see all the things you can do for only $50 a year!
Lifelong Learning Centers really do their homework. They understand the latest trends affecting older adults and the curriculum varies from place to place according to the needs of their members.
For instance, a retiree who values leisure has access to social or recreational clubs while someone else seeking leisure but also intellectual stimulation can take any number of interesting classes.
If you’re retired and want to continue working in your chosen profession or thinking about a second career after you have relocated to North Carolina or South Carolina, Lifelong Learning Centers have got you covered with any number of technology and professional skills classes to help you keep up with a rapidly changing workplace.
Also, keep an eye out for Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes or “OLLIs”. They are the brainchild of philanthropist Bernard Osher who set up a foundation to fund and encourage the growth of lifelong learning centers. If you go to their National Resource Center website you’ll find there are OLLIs all over North Carolina and South Carolina.
- Duke University in Durham, NC
- University of North Carolina in Wilmington, NC
- Coastal Carolina University in Pawleys Island, SC
- Furman University in Greenville, SC
- Clemson University in Clemson, SC
- University of South Carolina at Beaufort in Bluffton, SC
Check out the North Carolina Division of Aging and Adult Services website to see a list of other programs like those at North Carolina State in Raleigh, NC or Blue Ridge Community College in Flat Rock, NC.
Also, the South Carolina Information Highway (SCIWAY) website’s Senior Citizen Education page has a great list of lifelong learning centers and other info on continuing education for older adults.
If you choose new challenges, enrichment and community as you consider starting that new phase of your life in North Carolina or South Carolina, I hope you’ll take the time to look into a Lifelong Learning Center in the Carolinas.
A lot of people ask me about how they should go about relocating or retiring to North Carolina or South Carolina and I do my best to offer some rules of thumb on a case-by-case basis.
This week I want to offer you 7 useful steps that will help you not only physically relocate or retire to the Carolinas, but also help you comprehend the “big picture” stuff that will ultimately give you more peace of mind as you make that move to your Best Place to Live successful.
These 7 steps are based on advice given to us by Ron Manheimer, the former director of the Center for Creative Retirement in Asheville, NC and someone who believe you me really knows his stuff. I had the opportunity to interview Ron back in October ’09 and it was a real eye opener even for yours truly.
If you haven’t heard it yet, go to our Special Interviews section. Although a good deal of our discussion dealt with issues facing retirees, I think you’ll see that the steps Ron laid out can help everyone.
Anyway, here goes!
More on 7 Steps to Successfully Relocate or Retire to the Carolinas
Whether we like it or not, our careers, professions, and livelihoods often define who w
e are and if you’re considering relocating to North Carolina or South Carolina that’s not going to change.
This holds whether you’re a young professional just getting started, or looking to move to the next level of your career, or a recent retiree with a wealth of knowledge and experience who wants to stay busy in this new phase of your life. That being the case, I thought it would be good this week if we look at your job prospects if and when you decide to relocate or retire to the Carolinas.
When you think of jobs and the Carolinas, you may think of industries that have been historically dominant in the two states. Agriculture (tobacco and cotton), manufacturing (textiles and furniture) and extractive industries (lumber and mining) have long been the sectors where most North and South Carolinians made their livings.More on Can I find a Job in the Carolinas?
If you’ve been reading this blog, I’m sure you’re well aware there are a lot of things to think about when deciding about your best place to relocate or retire to in North Carolina or South Carolina.
Well this week I’m not just talking about finding the right town or city, but about your personal living space; that new(at least to you) home where you expect to be happy and comfortable for the rest of your days… or at least for the time being.
For an increasing number of people interested in relocating or retiring to North Carolina and South Carolina their choice is to help the environment and pursue a “green” home.More on Green Living in the Carolinas
It’s summertime, and for many of us that means heading to the beach for a little sun, sand, surf and, perhaps, a little solitude.
Now what if you’re the kind of person who wants to do more than visit? Maybe you’re looking out on that deep blue water breathing in the salty sea air and saying to yourself that my best place lies somewhere here, somewhere near the water.
If this is you then this week you’re in luck because we’re going to look at some of our best places to live, retire or relocate to on the North Carolina and South Carolina coasts; some the most beautiful and unique places you’ll find anywhere in the United States.
More on The Coastline of the Carolinas – Some of the Best Places to Live
