Seniors College of P.E.I. has been asked to speak to the Special Senate Committee on Aging in Ottawa as part of a major investigation into the needs of older Canadians.
Ian Scott, the president of Seniors College of P.E.I. will be speaking to the committee in Ottawa on aspects of Active Aging and Ageism which is part of the committee’s second interim report on April 28.
Seniors College of P.E.I. now operates in Montague, Alberton, Summerside and Charlottetown with 527 members participating. Affiliated with UPEI and designed for those age 50 or older, the concept of active learning, and active living in retirement, is a worldwide phenomenon which continues to change the public view of seniors.
Based on peer-learning in which members share their knowledge with others, the P.E.I. operation is co-ordinated by Bruce Garrity, who is assisted with each of the operations outside Charlottetown.
Recently both Garrity and Scott spoke to a packed audience at Mount Allison, where a steering committee was formed to launch a similar operation.
Earlier this year, a seniors college was launched in Halifax due to efforts of a past president Ivan Dowling, who encouraged colleagues who were retired faculty of the various universities there to work together, and spoke of the success of P.E.I. efforts.
A seniors college also launched in Cape Breton with the encouragement of Clive Keen, while he was director of Life Long Learning at UPEI.
A regional conference on learning in retirement hosted at UPEI by Senior College of P.E.I. in 2007 brought together representatives from seven provinces, and has helped spread the word even further.
“Learning in retirement is important to both individuals and their personal enjoyment but also the fact that governments are now recognizing the value that active learning plays in maintaining a healthy population, is significant,’’ said Scott. “Research continues to show the beneficial effects that new learning has on the brain, and the positive benefits of being active in a social environment to reduce isolation. It also happens to be great fun.’’
More information on the Special Senate Committee on Aging is located on their website www.senate-senat.ca/age.asp and information of Seniors College of P.E.I. is available at www.upei.ca/seniorscollege or through contacting Garrity at 894-2867 or seniorscollege@upei.ca
