Since 1962 there has been a growing interest within the American adult community in opportunities to continue learning into later life.This interest is a strong affirmation of the need for acquiring new knowledge and skills after or near the completion of a career. To provide older adults avenues for learning, over two hundred LEARNING IN RETIREMENT institutes have been organized all over the United States.
Courses or sessions offered through the ILR are open to anyone who is "retired." There is no particular experience or educational background required of a participant. Course subjects grow out of member interests. Course length, scheduling, and structure are determined by the participants. Course leaders do not necessarily have formal credentials. They are people who have knowledge and skills in a particular subject. Usually leader remuneration takes the form of participant appreciation, joy of sharing, and satisfaction that is an integral part of teaching.
In addition to providing learning in areas of personal interests the Institute of Learning in Retirement provides settings for older adults to get together, relax, exchange ideas, reminisce, plan, etc. Also, members may wish to contribute their energies to some identified need within the supporting institution or in the community at large. Members are not required to engage in any specific dimension of the ILR; members determine their own relationship.
Other than being retired, there are only two requirements for membership. One is the payment of a $25.00 yearly membership fee to defray costs (paper, mailings, telephone, etc.). This fee entitles members to take courses tuition free. (However, course fees for travel, supplies, materials, etc. may be charged for some specific offerings. Fees, when necessary, are usually quite small, limited to actual expenditures, and noted in the course descriptions.) The other requirement for membership is a personal need to share, grow, and become.