“It would have been easy to cancel summer classes then wait out COVID-19, but our new director and faithful lifelong learning volunteers had other plans,” says Dr. David Wood, senior vice president for advancement. “Lifelong Learning at Wofford is thriving in spite of the challenges.”
Expanding the volunteer base was a priority for Woodhouse. She rallied instructors and committee members around the program’s inaugural summer term, offered virtually, and organized and marketed a hybrid fall term. In the meantime, she distributed 20 weeks of online learning resources to area lifelong learners to keep them engaged while quarantining and social distancing. She and a newly created volunteer Tech Team even offered classes on how to use Zoom so Lifelong Learning members and instructors could be ready for an uncertain fall.
“The program has adapted to the moment and members are banding together during these challenging times,” Woodhouse says. “The number of committees, course offerings and their memberships have doubled as members find ways to get involved and keep engaged during the social isolation.”
Fall programming began in early September, but membership includes a variety of virtual gatherings throughout the year: wine and book clubs, happy hours, book and movie shares, takeout and talks, virtual tours and a roundtable lunch series.
“It’s well worth the $50 annual membership fee to be a part of this creative community of learners,” says Woodhouse.
Visit wofford.edu/advancement/lifelonglearning to become an annual member. The perks of membership include first dibs on course registration as well as special onetime events and seminars throughout the year.
By Dudley Brown