Cicero — The aging of the Baby Boomer population coupled with increased life expectancy has resulted in many maturing adults desiring to make lifestyle changes that will enrich their older years. Maturing adults and retirees are seeking education, new experiences, and greater opportunities to connect with others. This has led to new programs that address the interests of this population called “Creative Aging” programs.
NOPL @ Cicero will be the first library in Onondaga County to host a Creative Aging Program when Encore! Creative Aging Workshops begin in February. As a pilot program, the intention is to facilitate the launch of more of these types of programs in other libraries throughout the county.
Senator John A. DeFransisco has provided funding support for the program, and the Friends of the Cicero Library have also contributed towards making this program possible.
“The hallmark of these programs is that they offer professional instruction to people over 50 years old. What we’ve done is taken professionals and given them further training to teach and engage older adults,” said Jill Youngs, manager of NOPL at Cicero. “These programs are specifically designed for people over 50.”
A study by Dr. Gene D. Cohen demonstrated that these types of cultural programs, taught by leaders in their respective fields, promoted better physical health, mental health and social engagement among older adults.
There are three separate courses that make up the Encore! workshops: “Write Your Legacy,” taught by Linda Loomis, professor of English and creative writing at SUNY Oswego; “Creative Photography Made Simple,” taught by Norman Schillawski, an award-winning photographer; and “Landscape Painting,” taught by Stacy Finney, an art history Instructor at Keuka College who holds a masters in art education.
Each class will culminate in a final project, with the resulting works going on display for public viewing during National Library Week, which is April 10 to 16 this year.
The Encore! workshops begin the week of Feb. 7 and have eight sessions, concluding the week of April 3. Refreshments will be available at each session. Class sizes are limited and advance registration is required. For more information about Encore! Creative Aging Workshops or to enroll, visit nopl.org/encore or call NOPL @ Cicero 699-2032.
