Lifelong Learning Institute finds new opportunities online

In the fall of 2020, Northern Illinois University’s Lifelong Learning Institute was one of the many programs that switched to an online meeting format to keep members safe during COVID. Even before the transition to virtual, it had been drawing fans from a wide area, including a sizeable contingent from the Fox River Valley.

The LLI organizers were well aware of the risk the virus presented. They also knew that the chance to connect with peers and continue learning about a wide range of topics in an informal, noncompetitive setting was too important to put on hold until the pandemic was over.

Now registration is open for the spring session. All are welcome, and the cost is $25 to attend any and all discussion groups and lectures from March 16 through May 6. Register and get more information at niu.edu/p20/lifelong-learning-institute.

With six different study groups and lectures each week, the group Zoomed through the fall and winter terms, learning about topics such as election history and the adaptations that help animals survive in cold and snowy habitats. While there was a bit of initial trepidation at the thought of transforming a successful in-person program to bring it online, the transition has been a resounding success.

“It’s been wonderful to have LLI continue to be part of our lives at a time when we’ve had to give up other things,” LLI organizer and participant Elizabeth Bass said in a news release. “It’s not only the intellectual stimulation but also being with friends, if only virtually.”

“The transition to Zoom has been smoother than I expected, in part because of our efforts, via videos, written instructions and practice sessions, to educate our members and conveners,” Bass said in the release. “Last summer, we had purely social gatherings that allowed members to practice their Zoom skills before our classes began.”

In fact, the transition to Zoom has brought with it a number of unexpected benefits and has extended the group’s geographical reach as folks participated from nine states ranging from the Atlantic to the Pacific – and one person even joined in from Portugal.

For 20 years, the Lifelong Learning Institute has created a community of people who love to learn. Many members have volunteered as “conveners,” who lead informal discussion sessions about subjects that interest them, and the group also has appreciated the lectures by experts, including NIU faculty.

The LLI is ready to welcome new members to the group and wants potential members to know that everyone is welcome, regardless of level of education or background. The only requirements are curiosity and a willingness to continue learning at any age.

LLI member and organizer Patricia Vary sums up the group as all about “learning new things, seeing new and old friends, and being with people who still want to learn something new.”