One perk of reading The Clarion is that you learn things about Sinclair that you might not expect. For example, I had no idea that Sinclair has a program called the College of Lifelong Learning until I read Paul Helmers’ article about Tom Johnson, the Sinclair student who in his late 70’s has recently represented our school on an international stage as a master sprinter.
Lifelong Learning is an Ohio Department of Higher Education program that allows people over the age of sixty to attend college classes for free, without earning college credits but gaining skills and knowledge. All Ohio colleges and universities offer free classes, but Sinclair is one of twenty two schools that hosts a community-based organization called a Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI).
Sinclair’s College of Lifelong Learning is mainly meant to encourage people over the age of sixty to continue to learn and be physically active. It offers seminars and workshops in subjects of interest to its students such as technology, health, art and history. It also allows lifelong learners to audit regular college classes, free of tuition.
Younger people aren’t completely left out though, as we too are eligible to enroll in noncredit classes called 6000-level classes. The noncredit courses in art, music, history and physical education are offered at sites all over the Dayton area, and come at a small cost in the form of course and lab fees.
“I think Ohio has been a leader in the effort to provide lifelong learning opportunities,” said Anne Holaday, the coordinator of Sinclair’s College of Lifelong Learning. “Sinclair has one of the largest lifelong learning programs in the state.”
For students over sixty, lifelong learning is an opportunity to learn about the latest technologies, study an interesting segment of history, learn to speak another language, study art in a classroom of people from different generations or practice a sport or fitness regimen. 6000-level students under sixty stand to gain an inexpensive means of learning something of interest, while witnessing the importance of continuous learning.
As we get older, we seem to regress,” said Sinclair student, Robert Mickens. “I plan on staying in school past sixty. It keeps you current, thinking, and involved in the community. As far as education goes, you should just keep doing it until you can’t anymore.”
Ohio’s Department of Higher Education describes lifelong learning as “the pursuit of knowledge to build skills, explore new ideas, enhance understanding and enrich life.” Sinclair and University of Dayton both have opportunities for people over sixty. If grandma’s been lonely or grandpa is seeming bored, they might have a lot to gain by entering a world of lifelong learning.
As Henry Ford said “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether they are 20 or 80. Anyone who keeps learning is young.”
Will Drewing
Managing Editor