Learning for a lifetime
Classes at Cameron Art Museum range from one-day workshops to courses that span more than a month. (photo courtesy of CAM)
Even if they choose to live in the Wilmington area for its beaches and golf courses, many retirees prize the retirement years as times of personal enrichment and intellectual stimulation. This kind of lifelong learning can happen at any number of places in the area, but four institutions stand out for the depth and variety of what they offer.
Cameron Art Museum
3201 S. 17th St., Wilmington | (910) 395-5999 | cameronartmuseum.org
The museum, with its three galleries, Pancoe Art Education Center, auditorium, café and gift shop, functions as a hub of art learning as well as an exhibitions center.
Cameron Art Museum, or CAM, offers everything from weekend workshops to four- or six-week classes in a variety of media and art appreciation. It also hosts monthly Art Buzz events, social and creative workshops that include a beverage from the CAM Café.
“We have a lot of retirees who take classes,” said September Krueger, director of lifelong education. “We’ve been talking a lot about how to accommodate people with a greater range of needs and disabilities: for instance, providing a device for those who are hard of hearing to use in the studio. And everything in the museum and the art building is on one level, with adjacent parking.”
The education center contains a clay studio and a large space used for other classes. The museum provides easels and other equipment; students purchase their own supplies. Class costs range from $20 for the weekly drop-in life drawing class to nearly $200 for a multi-week series.
“A lot of times our teachers will find a way to connect what is going on in the classroom with what’s on exhibit,” Krueger said. “Many of our teachers have taught also in a college setting; they can really think about what each session is building on across a four- or six-week class series.”
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
620 S. College Road, Wilmington | (910) 962-2258 | uncw.edu/olli
Wilmington’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, or OLLI, is a member-led part of University of North Carolina Wilmington. It’s also part of the OLLI national network of about 124 learning institutes endowed by the Bernard Osher Foundation and located at universities across the nation.
OLLI’s mission is to serve adults over age 50 with educational programs, according to Amy Keith, assistant director of OLLI at UNCW.
OLLI offers traditional lecture-based classes on a wide range of topics from UNCW faculty members as well as from community experts. There are also outdoor classes: think kayaking, birdwatching and yoga. OLLI members have also formed several ongoing discussion groups with a particular focus. Some classes are offered both in-person and online.
In a typical year, OLLI also offers three international trips.
OLLI operates on a membership program, with the cost to join at $30 for a semester and $50 for a year. Currently there are about 1,200 members. Classes have fees, but there are some member activities that are free of charge.
“It’s a wonderful place to make connections with other older adults,” Keith said. “Deep lifelong friendships have come out of classes and programs. We always want to offer intellectual stimulation as well as physical and social activities.”
Cape Fear Community College
Cape Fear Community College (cfcc.edu), which serves New Hanover and Pender counties, offers classes aimed at older learners through its Continuing Education Division and Community Enrichment Department. Continuing education courses are focused on academic training in various vocations, including aviation and photography. Community enrichment offerings include areas such as personal health and wellness, computers and technology, recreational sports, heritage arts and crafts, boating safety, visual and performing arts and home and garden.
411 N. Front St., Wilmington | (910) 362-7000
The college’s Small Business Center (cfcc.edu/sbc) works with people of all ages who are interested in starting a business or who want to improve their business skills and knowledge. The center offers free classes and counseling as part of this service.
502 N. Front St., suite 530, Wilmington |(910) 362-7469
Brunswick County Community College
Like CFCC, Brunswick Community College (brunswickcc.edu) offers continuing education classes. Its offerings are focused on a few vocational pathways, including health care and the culinary arts. At BCC’s Southport Center, adults can take an array of arts and crafts classes through the Heritage Arts program.
The main campus makes its Fitness & Aquatics Center available to residents of Brunswick County for a membership fee. The facility consists of a fitness center, full gymnasium, locker rooms, lap pool, shallow water pool, aerobics studio, elevated track and SPINNING Room.
Members can sign up for group exercise classes, personal training and swimming lessons.
50 College Road, Bolivia | (910) 755-7300
The Small Business Center in Leland (brunswickcc.edu/home/find-a-program/business-industry-training/small-business-center) provides counseling services as well as seminars and workshops, a co-working space and even a business and industry incubator for people interested in launching a small business.
2045 Enterprise Drive NE, Leland | (910) 755-7306
