Third Age Learning at Kwantlen celebrates silver anniversary

Tue, Sep 10, 2024

TALK volunteer Heather Cross.

Third Age Learning at Kwantlen (TALK) is celebrating 25 years of providing stimulating lifelong learning for adults over 50.

To commemorate the silver anniversary, TALK will be hosting an event on Sept. 28 at Kwantlen Polytechnic University's (KPU) Surrey campus. Members will get the chance to mingle, enjoy a lunch and learn about the origins of TALK from its founder, and former KPU faculty member, Joanne Cunningham.

Every year, TALK partners with KPU to offer a range of short and informative participatory courses led by community volunteers, including KPU instructors. Courses are offered either online or in-person at KPU's Surrey, Richmond, Langley and Tech campuses.

Jean Garnett, TALK's program chair, has been involved in organizing this initiative for the past 20 years.

"I'm always impressed with the quality and variety of our courses, and the dedication and enthusiasm of our volunteers," she says. "It's a great group of people and a fun way to get social and mental stimulation, which is so important as we age."

The fall season kicks off on Sept. 24 with "Develop your Smartphone Skills," a course on how to effectively navigate the digital landscape and leverage smartphones for educational purposes.

Other courses will include "Making Sense of Climate Change," "Small Space Gardening," "How the B.C. Health System Works," "Understanding Totems," "Unlocking the Limitless Potential of the Mind," and more.

Members will get the chance to learn outside of the classroom with field trips to South Surrey's Sunnyside Acres Urban Forest Park and Fort Langley National Historic Site led by tour guides.

This season also includes a number of Philosophers' Corner discussions, where a topic is presented to participants for open discussion, allowing them to share their thoughts and hear others' points of view. Discussions planned will explore themes related to artificial intelligence, marriage, democracy and more.

TALK's annual membership fee is $10, with an additional fee applied to most courses.

The anniversary event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Conference Centre at KPU Surrey's Cedar building, 12666 72 Ave. The event is free to TALK members, but guests are asked to register by Sept. 20 at [email protected], 604-599-3077 or on kpu.ca/talk.

A TALK class on cryptocurrencies.