COD Offers Lifelong Learning Scholarship to Adult Learners Age 55 and up

The Lifelong Learning Institute at College of DuPage provides financial resources for adults 55 years of age and older.

"This fund has helped people who need basic technology training for a job search and career retraining, or who would like the opportunity to take personal enrichment courses but don't have the expendable income to justify the expense," said Continuing Education Program Coordinator Melissa Fanella.

Providing up to $200 per term, the Lifelong Learning scholarship funds are available to assist lifelong learners who choose to participate in Continuing Education courses. According to Fanella, the scholarship, combined with the COD senior discount, offers wonderful opportunities for recipients to achieve their goals affordably.

"Seniors who are members of the National Able Network's Senior Community Service Employment program through workNet DuPage have also found the Lifelong Learning scholarship to be of great help," said Fanella. "While National Able can place seniors in paying volunteer positions, they do not have the resources to help with retraining."

Retired teacher and principal Marty Casey spent most of his career junior high school students but worked in elementary schools for the final seven years of his career. The Naperville resident earned a B.S. degree from MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Ill., and M.S. and C.A.S. degrees from the University of Illinois. Casey said he has been taking two to three Lifelong Learning classes each semester at College of DuPage for the last three years.

"There are so many wonderful course offerings at College of DuPage that it's difficult to narrow down which classes I take each semester," Casey said. "I am always looking for new learning opportunities and this scholarship program allows me to take classes that broaden my knowledge base and teaches me new information. I'm also trying to keep up with my two sons; I want them to think their old dad is cool."

Casey has taken a variety of classes through the Lifelong Learning program at the College, covering topics such as the investigation into John F. Kennedy's death, the U.S. Constitution and the life of Winston Churchill. He said he enjoys the excitement of being among the young students on the College's campus in Glen Ellyn and he would encourage all eligible adults to take advantage of the benefits offered by the Lifelong Learning program and scholarship.

"Since 2014, I have been granted three scholarships that allowed me to take classes I could not have taken otherwise due to budget concerns," Casey said. "The application process is very quick and easy. The quality of the teachers has been outstanding and I appreciate their enthusiasm and preparation. They make the learning process interactive and fun."

Syracuse, New York native JoAnn Beck has been taking classes through the Lifelong Learning program at College of DuPage almost immediately after relocating to Naperville in 2014. She earned a B.A. in Painting and Illustration and an M.S. in Art Education at Syracuse University. For much of her adult life she spent her time as and English as a Second Language (ESL) tutor to foreign graduate students at Syracuse University and has volunteered as an ESL instructor through ProLiteracy (formerly known as Literacy Volunteers of America), an international organization dedicated to promoting literacy across the globe.

Beck said she is pleased with her experiences at COD and in the Lifelong Learning program.

"I love COD and I adore the Lifelong Learning program," Beck said. "Melissa and the other staff members I've met here have been great. They go to the nth degree to accommodate; always with a warm and welcoming smile. It's really like a family here."

Beck said she has taken numerous classes at COD, including classes on Hamlet, Italian culture and the Middle Ages and that she is equally impressed with the faculty.

"The courses I've taken have been taught by highly-polished professionals who are masters of the subjects they are teaching," she said. "These instructors really live and breathe their subjects and bring them to life. What's more, the classes are enlivened by interactive learning wherein the individual learner finds course material to be relevant to his or her own perception and understanding."

Click here for more information about the Lifelong Learning Institute at College of DuPage.

Continuing Education at College of DuPage also offers the Plus 50 program, aimed at adults age 50 and over who are choosing to return to the workforce, change careers or explore academic study. Designed with awareness of the rich experiences and varied skills of adult learners, this program provides a series of streamlined classes in a variety of areas, including career searches, computer skills, networking, self-discovery and volunteerism.

Click here for more information about the broad range of offerings and opportunities provided by Continuing Education at College of DuPage.