Stay Curious: Lifelong Learning Options for Madison’s Older Adults

Madison has many activities for older adults looking to stay fit and have fun. Some seniors, however, want to exercise their minds as well as their bodies. Well, Madison has plenty of opportunities for you to build your brain power. Here are some reasons why lifelong learning is important for older adults and where you can find educational programs in Madison.

So you might be saying to yourself, “I already went to school. Why would I want to go back now?” Here’s a list of very good reasons why you might want to consider educational opportunities:

• Lifelong learning helps to improve and preserve your psychological well being. A 2016 study conducted in Canada found that continuous participation in non-formal general interest courses by adults age 60 and over is positively associated with improved psychological well being. (Link)
• Learning new skills helps improve your memory. A study originally published in 2021 found that adults age 55 and older who participated in classes to learn more than one real world skill (in this case learning Spanish, drawing, and music composition) showed improvements in working memory, episodic memory, and overall cognitive ability. (Link)
• Additional benefits of lifelong learning include stimulating the brain to form new neurons, improving older adults ability to handle difficult situations, increased opportunities to socialize with others, and reducing the risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

All of these benefits are extremely important to healthy aging, so even if you don’t want to go back to school, you might at least consider taking a class to learn something new, and Madison has ample opportunities for you to do so.

Since Madison is a university town, learning is highly valued by its residents. Many learning opportunities exist, and some of them are specifically offered to older adults. Here are a few of the educational opportunities you can find in the Madison area:

University of Wisconsin - Madison - The UW has a special program for Wisconsin residents age 60 and older, called Senior Guest Auditors. This offering allows seniors to audit certain university courses free of charge. Auditing a course means sitting in on the lectures but not actively participating. Auditors do not take exams or receive grades, and they do not participate in things like discussions, recitals or performances. Not every course at the university is available for audit and enrollment in a course for audit is dependent on space available. The course instructor must also give permission. Additionally, you are required to complete an application process and be admitted to the program before you can search for and enroll in courses. (Link)

Madison Senior Center - Among the many activities at the Madison Senior Center are special interest classes that can be attended either in person or online. Some classes are ongoing and some are one time lectures. A fee may be required, but other classes are free. Check each class listing in the calendar to see if a fee is required. Here is a sampling of what is available to enrich your mind at the Madison Senior Center (Link):

• Conversational Spanish - This is a group that meets together to practice Spanish by chatting with each other. The group meets in person once per month and online through Zoom every week.
• Exploring Poetry - This group of poetry lovers meets once per month to read, write and recite poetry.
• Great Courses - Periodically the center offers scheduled sessions to watch one of the Great Courses video series. The center also has past courses on DVD that can be checked out to watch at the center or at home.
• Writing Your Life - Offered through the Greater Madison Writing Project, Writing Your Life holds workshops for seniors that help you learn how to identify the life stories you want to tell and give you writing techniques to help you share those stories in print.
• The center also has a computer lab available during open hours. During open hours, the lab also offers assistance with digital photography, as well as basic technology assistance regarding smartphones, social media, apps, email, and virus protection.

Sharing Active Independent Lives (SAIL) - SAIL, a non-profit activity group for adults age 55 and older, offers a variety of educational programs and various locations throughout Madison. Check each class listing for registration and fee requirements. Here are a few of the classes available to members (Link):

• SAILing into the future! Workshops. These are interactive classes that help older adults learn about aging and all of the changes that may impact seniors. Some of the topics addressed include learning about normal aging, how to redefine your life in its next phase, money topics, dealing with problems and finding resilience, and planning for end of life.
• Tech Tutoring - Membership in SAIL includes four free 30 minute tech tutoring sessions. Participants must register and sign up for time slots.
• Book Club - the SAIL book club meets once per month with both in person and online options. Members choose books ahead of time so participants have a chance to obtain and read them.
• Medicare Education Program - this class is offered periodically by a local insurance company. It reviews the differences between the different parts of Medicare and when a person should enroll.

There are many more educational opportunities in Madison that are offered to all adults, including seniors. With the many opportunities available, you should be able to find the programs that interest you, whether it’s learning how to operate your computer or studying ancient Greece. Maybe you’ll even get inspired to go back for that degree!