Rethinking the use of local community recreation centers to provide a space for Adult Learners
Session Abstract
This session will examine how community recreation centers can and should be utilized to engage adults within a community of learners. This session will also highlight some issues concerning adult leaners in specific communities and provide some examples on how community recreation centers could be used as lifelong learning centers.
Target Audience
This session should particularly benefit participants who are interested in creating programs for non-traditional adult leaners, aging adults, practitioners who provide direct services to communities or faculty and staff at both two and four-year institutions who have an interest in serving adult learners outside of academia.
Session Description
Community recreation centers (CRC) provide a place where parents can bring their kids to learn a sport or participate in recreational activities. However, does the term recreation only suggest that we pay attention to a specific age group when it comes to recreational learning? Too often do we forget that CRC's were created to provide leisure and recreational activities for children and adults. However today's CRC's cater to children and often overlook adults programs. This session will emphasize need for CRC's to provide more adult programs to assist in lifelong development of adult learners. CRC's could provide a space where adults can learn a new language, learn basic job skills as well as provide a place where older adults can stay active.