Schools

College Classes Come to Senior Citizens in Apple Valley

Twenty-three senior citizens this fall took Inver Hills Community College courses designed especially for them, and which were brought to them at the Ecumen Seasons at Apple Valley senior residence.

It wasn't just the seniors in high school who returned to school this fall in Apple Valley.

So did a group of senior citizens. Or rather, school came to them.

Through an opportunity that was new this fall, 23 senior citizens took either one or two courses that coordinated with staff at the residence.

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“It’s almost as if we had the luxury of being back in college without having to take tests,” said student Claire Birkeland.

Senior housing populations are changing, often including people with more education, said Julie Walton, housing manager at the Seasons.

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“It can’t just be about Bingo anymore,” Walton said. Often, the intellectual aspect of overall wellness is a missing component of activities offered at senior living residences, she said.

And so, the Ecumen Academy of Lifelong Learning was born, offering American History and American Music Appreciation for an hour and a half each week for six weeks.

Inver Hills already has a division for workforce development and adult education where often instructors go into communities to teach noncredit courses—corporate seminars, for example, said Director of Business Development Peter Hoch.

He said the idea to send instructors to teach courses at the Seasons fit well with Inver Hills’ desire to provide education resources to community groups.

The two instructors tapped to teach the classes, which were chosen based on resident surveys, could draw on resources within the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system to plan their courses.

The classes were more about absorbing and discussing information, and included minimal outside work and no tests, though music students did have to compose and perform a song, Walton said.

“It’s really just all about learning,” Walton said.

Another important component? Inver Hills was willing to send the teachers to the students.

Transportation can be an obstacle for the senior population, Walton said. Since 14 of the students live at the Seasons—nine others live in the south metro and participated as a result of the Seasons’ community outreach—it was convenient to hold classes at the residence.

The classes came at no additional cost to the students, Walton said. She plans to look for grants to cover the costs of future classes, which she hopes to offer at two per quarter year.

Many students also said they hoped classes would continue. Jim Garnett said his American History class got up to World War II by their last session, and he’d like to continue through the rest of the 21st century.

“It’s been a wonderful course,” Garnett said.

Birkeland, a former high school English teacher, said history instructor David Riggs' teaching ability was what made the class so good.

“I like hearing people lecture about history,” she said.


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