Back to School at Emerald Heights
August 28, 2024Back to School at Emerald Heights
Thousands of Redmond students are preparing to go back to school for another successful year. However, they aren’t the only ones putting their learning caps on.
Residents at Emerald Heights are also students of life, constantly learning and expanding their horizons; school just looks a little different in their 38-acre community. Below are just some of the ways residents are continuing to keep their minds active in retirement.
Learning at Emerald Heights
Residents come to Emerald Heights from all walks of life, careers, and interests. But with dozens of resident groups and activities going on in the community, retirement is a great time to learn a new skill.
From art to gardening, music to quilting, there are countless opportunities to pick up a new hobby. Classes are offered for beginners of all types and with such a welcoming community, neighbors and experts are always happy to help residents gain skills in their new craft.
Emerald Heights also hosts guest speakers who teach residents about specific topics. Professor Dorsey Armstrong and Dr. David Smith often visit the community to give residents history lessons or lectures on interesting topics. This promotes great conversations and lifelong learning opportunities.
All of these options offered within the Emerald Heights community not only promote learning but it is also a great way to socialize with neighbors through shared interests.
Continuing Individual Learning in Retirement
There are also many ways to continue learning on your own as an older adult.
Residents at Emerald Heights can tune into the in-house TV channel for The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Washington. The Osher series covers lectures on topics such as the arts, health science research, current events, global issues and so much more.
For residents wanting to take their learning a step further, Osher and the University of Washington offer in-person courses for individuals over 50 years old at reduced rates as well.
Individual activities like sudoku, jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, and reading are also great ways to continue learning and improve the brain’s executive function.
These types of activities are not only enjoyable, but they help increase your ability to plan, focus, make decisions, multitask, and assist with recall and memory.
Why learning is so important in aging
Just like keeping your body active to promote a long, healthy life, the brain must be exercised to stay strong as well.
Lifelong learning not only improves brain health, but it also increases socialization, improves moods, reduces risk of memory loss, and increases self-confidence.
Learning does not have to be boring. It can be a passion project, trying something new with friends and stepping outside your comfort zone. As long as the neurons in the brain are firing, you will reap the benefits of lifelong learning.
Featured Image: fizkes / Shutterstock
