Senior Focus — Winter/Spring 2014
Page 3
Lifelong learning opportunities
abound at nearby Nicolet College
___________
environment.
“There are no tests and no grades. All
you need is a desire to learn,” said Sandy
Kinney, Nicolet College executive director.
Each class typically meets once a week for
anywhere from one to six weeks.
Along with opportunities to stimulate
the mind, the LIR program features social
activities each semester.
Annual membership is $35 and runs
from July 1 to June 30. This allows participants to attend as many discussion groups
and events as they want each semester.
BY TERRY RUTLIN
NICOLET COLLEGE COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST
___________
Northern Wisconsin is rich with retirees. Some relocated here following their
careers while others have spent much, if
not all, of their lives in the beautiful North
Woods.
To serve this growing population, Nicolet College in Rhinelander has created numerous learning, cultural and social opportunities designed to enrich the lives of seniors.
While many people know Nicolet first
as an institution that offers college degrees, “it is so much more than that,” explained Nicolet College President Elizabeth Burmaster.
“Nicolet exists to serve all the people of
northern Wisconsin, and this includes retirees, which is one of the largest and
fastest-growing demographics in the North
Woods,” said Burmaster.
Retirees look to Nicolet for opportunities in four main areas: continuing education classes, the Learning in Retirement
program, the Creative Arts Series and traditional credit classes.
Continuing education
Want to learn how to use a computer,
perfect your culinary skills, study wildlife
rehabilitation or fine-tune your golf swing?
Maybe learning swing or ballroom dance,
yoga, or mastering digital photography is
more your speed.
These classes, and hundreds more, are
available through Nicolet’s continuing education program. “What really makes this
program work — and makes it so popular
— is the wide variety of classes we offer,”
said Jodi Fox, continuing education specialist at Nicolet.
“I look through the course catalog and
am constantly amazed at the diversity of
offerings. Most people are inquisitive by
nature. They like to learn new things that
are of interest to them,” said Fox. “These
classes allow them to do that in a relatively short period of time and typically in a
casual setting.”
General categories include arts and
crafts, computers and technology, dance,
food and cooking, gardening, health and
fitness, along with special interest classes.
The catalog also features professional development offerings in business management and certification and licensing.
Classes are held at locations throughout the Nicolet district, including many in
Vilas County. They are held throughout
the year and divided into three sessions,
with the spring and fall sessions offering
the most classes and slightly fewer offerings in summer.
Many people gravitate to the out-of-
Classes in Nicolet College’s Outdoor Adventure Series give retirees the opportunity to explore many of the rich and diverse natural areas common in the North Woods. This group
spent time at the headwaters of the Wisconsin River.
—Contributed Photo
doors through the Outdoor Adventure Series. These courses offer residents the
chance to learn a wide variety of o