Stratford Third Age Learning launches fall courses for seniors

Registration for Stratford Third Age Learning (S3AL) fall courses are now open for seniors looking to expand their knowledge on worldly topics, including philosophy, literature, gender identity and more.

S3AL is an organization dedicated to providing seniors with opportunities for active learning, which can help promote cognitive resilience and longevity, says Dr. Jean Hewitt, board chair.

“Retirement doesn’t mean you just sit back and think into old age. You can’t. It’s a whole lifetime you have left,” said Hewitt. “We have this amazing opportunity to learn about things that have always been on your bucket list.”

Unlike traditional passive learning methods such as listening to speakers or watching plays, S3AL emphasizes active engagement, stimulating various parts of the brain and fostering a more dynamic learning experience.

“It’s not sitting and doing a crossword or jigsaw puzzle or even going to listen to a speaker,” she said. “These are what we call passive learning, and they’re fun and they’re worthwhile, but there is a much more critical kind of learning that we need to pay attention to.”

This type of active learning is what S3AL courses are based on. They offer more than just lecture-style classes – they are designed to engage students in participation while fostering open-mindedness and greater learning opportunities by continuing to tap into the prefrontal cortex of the brain.

“We call this the executive functions of the brain,” she said. “When you’re still working, you’re sorting ideas out, you’re planning things, you’re setting targets, you’re discussing with colleagues. When people retire, they found that, in fact, many of them did not use those functions, and those are the very important functions for retaining cognitive health.”

Factors like strong social connections, emotional resilience, healthy lifestyles, genetics and continued education all play a role in keeping the brain healthy and strong, according to a study on SuperAgers – those over 80 who maintain the cognitive performance of people 20 to 30 years younger. Hewitt agrees.

“Healthy mental aging is something that we should take as seriously as we do fitness,” she said. “There’s another half we have to pay attention to, and that is keeping the brain as active as possible.”

Not only are the S3AL courses aimed at broader learning opportunities and continued brain development, but Hewitt notes the classes are curated around topics that may help seniors feel more connected to the world and the people around them.

“Senior depression is a very real issue because they feel the world has left them and they don’t understand what’s going on anymore,” she said. “Some seniors get very negative and think everything’s wrong with this younger generation… so by introducing courses that help to explain things (like gender identity), they better understand it, because it could well occur in their own families. Once we learn to understand things better, I think that as a society, we’re better off because of it.”

Class sizes are capped at 16 participants to ensure both small-group and whole-group interactions, promoting a more personalized and engaging learning environment. Classes do fill up, so interested individuals are encouraged to reach out as soon as possible.

For more information or to register for upcoming classes, email Denise Winger at stratford3AL@gmail.com or visit www.s3al.ca.