Are you a lifetime learner?

The goal of the Drury University Institute for Mature Learning, which first began in 1995, is to continue the learning process with interesting classes for seniors. Sometimes we have gone on field trips and sometimes enjoyed social events, but our essential purpose remains that of intellectual stimulation in classes taught by a faculty member or other resource leader.

In Catherine Marshall's novel "Christy" a woman hears a report about the rural school at Cutters Gap in the Smokies and says it reminds her of the Folk Schools she had learned about traveling in Denmark. "It's hard to describe in a few words, but the Folk Schools are for older young people...There are no entrance requirements except the desire to learn...They don't use many books, but mostly rely on the spoken word through lectures and then discussions. It's called Training for Life."

Christy is excited in reading about them in a book. Pastor N. F. S. Grundtvig, the one whose ideas inspired the movement, had said, "Life is growth, and everything must come in the order of nature." He spoke of enlightenment that comes as people continue to learn as adults and this inspired the Folk Schools. When in Copenhagen, we first heard of Grundtvig who is honored by a huge stylistic church dedicated in his name. The simple rural Folk Schools developed by his followers have over time led to many lifetime learning experiences throughout the world such as Elderhostels and local learning groups such as our own IML which is affiliated with a network of Lifetime Learning Institutes which are part of the Elderhostel Institute Network.

We invite you and your friends to join us in the Drury Institute for Mature Learning. We meet on the Drury campus at 2 p.m. on Tuesdays for classes except for August and January. Please check out our course schedules for a current listing of upcoming events.

JoAnn Adams and Doris Witt
IML Co-Chairs