2016 Annual Conference

All around the world people are living longer and staying mentally and physically active well into retirement. The “Third Age Learner” is a large part of this demographic. Join us in an interactive session and “get to know” the Third Age Learner.

All facilitators of adult learners will have an interest in this session. Professionals and practitioners from business, education, law enforcement, and health care may also find the session beneficial as it can inform their practice.

This purpose of this session is to examine the “who, what, and why” of the “Third Age Learner”. Discussion will focus on how the adult learner of the “Third Age” is impacting the field of Adult Education and how we can best meet the needs of this demographic by understanding who they are, what they are interesting in learning, and perceived barriers to continuing their education. The “Third Age” is a relatively new term roughly defined as the age between 50 and 75 when responsibilities of family and career usually lessen and can be a stage in life of significant renewal and transformation for an individual. Third Age learners typically focus on having a deeper understanding of the world and exploring one’s place in it. Raising the question as facilitators, how do we promote their desired transformation? We will explore the implications of this demographic shift and brainstorm what we as adult educators can do to engage and appeal to this specific group of learners.