Stay and be taught — and continue learning. That’s the way in which it’s for lots of parents, even after they’ve moved on from their careers and transfer into their 50s, 60s and past.
Perhaps it’s to realize new information and abilities to discover a extra rewarding job or profession, or possibly it’s simply to be taught new issues and make new connections.
Regardless of the motivation, there are an increasing number of schools and universities creating packages particularly suited to these later learners. They’re typically as much as a yr in size, with myriad alternatives to take all kinds of faculty programs, work together with cohorts and interact with college.
Right here’s a take a look at among the extra established packages throughout the U.S., adopted by a pair extra choices if one of these program isn’t for you.
1. College of Connecticut
Encore!Connecticut helps professionals within the company and public sectors transition to nonprofits with full-time jobs, part-time jobs or volunteer positions.
This system contains 40 hours of schooling in lots of features of nonprofit work, together with program administration, funding methods and governance.
The autumn program begins Sept. 9, 2023, and the schooling value is $2,950. Functions are accepted on a rolling foundation, and scholarships can be found. To be taught extra and apply, go to the Encore!Connecticut website.
2. Stanford College
The Distinguished Careers Institute goals to assist seniors “renew their objective, construct neighborhood, and recalibrate wellness.”
DCI fellows take part in four academic quarters with programs accessible in humanities, enterprise, the atmosphere and lots of extra areas, relying on the “purpose pathway” {that a} fellow chooses.
The appliance interval for the DCI Class of 2024 will open in September 2023. Candidates with careers within the public sector, “together with the navy, public schooling, the humanities, or associated fields,” could also be eligible for monetary assist.
3. Harvard College
Via interdisciplinary tutorial studying, management growth and peer-to-peer collaboration, fellows within the Advanced Leadership Institute research for a yr “to develop a social influence technique targeted on their challenge of selection.”
That technique might take the type of a program, a company, a basis, a marketing campaign for a trigger or public workplace. This system runs January via December and prices the identical as a yr of graduate faculty, which for 2022-23 was $52,456. Monetary assist could also be accessible for these with a full profession in authorities, nonprofit or navy service.
4. College of Texas at Austin
Within the year-long Tower Fellows program, fellows take as much as 4 programs per semester, have behind-the-scenes entry to campus museums, analysis collections and libraries, and join with professors and alumni.
This system is designed to assist midlife staff plan their subsequent life’s part. You can begin this system in both fall or spring, with admissions carried out on a rolling foundation, and it prices $60,000.
5. College of Notre Dame
The Inspired Leadership Initiative helps individuals turn into a “drive for good of their communities” within the subsequent part of their lives.
Members take lessons for a tutorial yr with a curriculum tailor-made to the person ILI member. If chosen, contributors start this system in August. The associated fee for these beginning in 2023 is $58,000.
Lifelong studying packages
If the distinguished — and costly — packages we’ve already mentioned aren’t what you’re searching for, many faculties additionally supply extra inexpensive lifelong studying packages.
As an illustration, Aquinas Faculty, a liberal arts school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, gives the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, with its mission “to foster accessible lifelong studying, particular person progress, and social connection for learners age 50+.”
The educational yr goes from September via June and lessons, that are often just one or two days in size, value both $14 or $17 every, relying in your paid membership level. Scholarships can be found.
That’s simply one among 125 Osher Lifelong Studying Institute packages throughout the nation, and there’s “appreciable variation” between packages at completely different colleges, the Osher Foundation says.
CoGenerate
Not an academic establishment, this nonprofit group matches seasoned professionals with social influence organizations with the concept that older and youthful generations working collectively will probably be higher in a position to clear up a few of society’s hardest issues.
Encore Fellows obtain a $25,000 stipend for one yr of typically part-time work. You’ll be able to apply via CoGenerate’s website, however observe that there are completely different utility types relying on the area you reside in.
