Local seniors keep lifelong learning at forefront with regular lecture series

Active minds want to know: What does the Georgian Triangle Lifelong Learning Institute (GTLLI) have on tap for the next year?

The non-profit organization which develops programming for the curious and those who want to learn and stay sharp was initially formed 1996 by a group of 37 mostly retirees wanting mental stimulation.

“It kind of went from there and grew over the years,” explains David Green. “It grew pretty fast because there was a growing population of retirees coming to the region.

“Over that time period of time the lectures have developed into a full series.”

With a mailing list in the area of 1,300 people the in-person university-level lectures presented prior to the pandemic regularly filled up the seating area of New Life Church and overflowed to the Simcoe Street Theatre in Collingwood and the Creemore Station on the Green where audiences watched via livestream.

But the pandemic changed all that and the organization is rebuilding its base.

Green was given tickets for a series after moving to the area in 2008. The following year he joined the organization and quickly became active in its executive.

He then introduced his neighbour, Sylvia Head, to the organization after she moved to Collingwood to retire in 2011. When the pandemic curtailed many of the fitness activities she was involved in, she became more involved and now serves as its president.

The pandemic, she noticed, also had an impact on people’s routines. While there is no longer live streaming, given the smaller live audience, the lecture series is recorded and available to those who purchase tickets.

“We’re having to work harder” to build up to those numbers again, says Head. “But it’s working.”

GTLLI is one of the many organizations in communities across the country that have developed to address a demand for knowledge from the retirement community.

In Collingwood, there’s a series of four separate lectures in the early fall and then a series of six related lectures in the fall, winter and spring. The fall series on the future of farming has just wrapped up and the winter series focusing on issues related to sports and society like sports analytics, gender equity and doping and gambling is set to start in the new year. The spring series focusing on artificial intelligence is already sold out.

Head cites studies showing that lifelong learning helps to keep the brain cells active and helps to slow down cognitive memory decline which occurs with again.

“It also increases one’s sense of fulfilment and helps people feel connected,” she says.

Every lecture is two hours long and is broken up by a coffee break mid-way. Head has noticed a buzz as people get up, meet each other and chat during the break. And she’s impressed with the quality of the questions asked by audience members during the Q&A session after the lectures.

The speakers, who are often working professors, have remarked on the size of the audience and the quality of the questions.

GTLLI has a curriculum committee that works two years ahead to set up the lectures. All the lectures and lecturers are set and secured for 2025, for instance, and members are developing the plans for 2026.

The cost for a season is $72. There are single tickets available as well for $12, but only if space permits.

For more information check out GTLLI’s website.