Professor David Eaton teaching toxicology
Ken Marich, Member, Board of Directors
As many residents know, the Institute for Learning in Retirement (ILR) is an educational “Crown Jewel” in SaddleBrooke. Under the guidance of its voluntary board of directors and its excellent faculty, the ILR has provided high-quality, college-level courses to SaddleBrooke residents for 19 years. The ILR is always looking for new instructors and topics that would appeal to the needs of active retirees. ILR instructors are all SaddleBrooke residents who are willing to share their expertise with our community. Your knowledge and experience might be derived from your vocation, avocation, or your lifelong passion that could be the basis for a course. To date, the ILR has offered more than 570 courses, with over 50 instructors. You do not need a background in teaching, just the desire to share your knowledge with others. Topics have included history, geology, art, science, medicine, law, literature, music, economics, religion, mythology, magic, dinosaurs, water quality, wine appreciation, and more.
The ILR has two sessions of courses each year, one in the fall and one in the winter/spring. Courses are usually three, five, or six weeks in length, depending on the instructor request, and meet for two hours per week. Class size varies from 20 to 50 students. No tests, no grades, no papers—just a group of SaddleBrooke residents getting together to learn something new and participate in lively discussion and interaction on topics of interest. To assist you with course logistics, the ILR will publicize your class, assign a meeting room, and provide audiovisual equipment, and the registrar will handle student registration. If you are interested in teaching an ILR course, you should go to the ILR website sbilr.org and review the ILR Course Proposal Requirements. Also contact Mel Durchslag, chairperson of the Curriculum Development Committee, at [email protected] for more details needed to submit your ideas to the committee for consideration.
Whether you are new to SaddleBrooke or a longtime resident, the ILR may have many benefits for you, either as a student, instructor, or both. So, start taking or teaching ILR courses to stimulate your mind, meet new friends, and enjoy the benefits of lifelong learning. We look forward to having you as part of the ILR program.
“Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.” —Albert Einstein