The theme of this Symposium is "Spreading Our Wings". Designed to answer questions about how the Third Age Learning movement can bring its stimulating lecture programs and resulting social benefits to more people in their retirement years, within existing Third Age Learning communities and into new communities in Ontario. The Ontario Age-Friendly Communities (AFC) Outreach Program will share with us some of their experiences and key learnings to help stimulate our breakout discussions.
Symposium Breakout Topics
- Getting Feedback - Key to Success.
- How do we get feedback on the value of Third Age Learning/Life Long Learning (TAL/LLL) in communities? (Some sort of survey that documents benefits as seen by members of the community?)
- TAN to pay for survey system (SurveyMonkey or equivalent) that individual members can use
- TAN to design survey templates that individual members can use. TAN members also free to design their own surveys
- Engage local community and health officials
- This information could be useful in convincing other communities to set up a TAL/LLL organization
- Can AFC organizations help with such info/surveys?
- How do we get feedback on the value of Third Age Learning/Life Long Learning (TAL/LLL) in communities? (Some sort of survey that documents benefits as seen by members of the community?)
- How to Find Dynamite Speakers.
- What are best practices in securing speakers?
- Delegates to document their process and list things that would help them
- How to expand the diversity of speakers? Is there value in this?
- Would a more diverse list of speakers attract a greater cross section of the community?
- Pros and Cons of themed lecture series vs random subjects?
- Sharing high profile speakers with other groups (even outside TAN)
- Can AFC organizations facilitate in any way?
- Growth without Cannibalization.
- Should TAL/LLL organizations be promoting the establishment of new TAL/LLL groups in their own and other communities?
- Pros & Cons?
- How would this work best?
- How to overcome fear that this would cannibalize their own group?
- Cooperation, Not Competition.
- How do TAL/LLL organizations interact with/compete with similar groups? (Probis, men’s clubs, church groups, other learning groups)
- Are there opportunities for synergies?
- How is TAL/LLL unique relative to these other groups? Or how can TAL/LLL groups be unique in meeting certain needs of the community?
- Any thoughts from AFC?
- Volunteers - Another Key to Success.
- How to attract, retain, and maintain volunteers? (This is something most groups seem to struggle with)
- Many TAL/LLL groups have large boards which include most volunteers. What is optimum board structure from a volunteer perspective?
- Any best practices or sharing of resources from AFC?
- Technology - Friend or Foe
- How can technology help TAL/LLL?
- Better meet the needs of existing members?
- Expand the reach within communities to provide benefits to an even wider audience?
- Grow the TAL/LLL movement?
- Can TAN provide a “How To Guide”?
- Do AFC have any best practices or resources they can share?
- Is Video Conferencing Ready for Prime Time?
- Can we use video conferencing (Skype, Zoom, Webinars, etc) to help TAN reach a wider audience?
- Can AFC organizations share best practices, resources, etc?
- Are guidelines required to help TAN members set up such capabilities?
- Are volunteers with special skills required to help TAN members set up such capabilities?
- Peer Learning - A Wealth of Untapped Knowledge
- Pros & Cons of peer learning?
- How to encourage peers to volunteer?
- Resources required to assist peers develop their talk?
- Sustainability - Burnout vs Vibrance
- What are the key factors to sustainability?
- Can we learn from AFC experiences?
- Key challenges for TAN and TAN members as we “Spread Our Wings”?
- How to do so without creating burn out for the few who take on the challenges?
- Support TAN can provide to facilitate “Spreading Our Wings”?
- Support AFC can provide to facilitate “Spreading Our Wings”?
After lunch, we will have reports from each table plus further open discussion.
Throughout the workshops, delegates are encouraged to jot down ideas about what their organization needs in order to function more effectively including how to reach a broader cross section of the community (whether or not it is directly related to the theme of the symposium).
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