UMN Initiative Targets Boomers

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

~ Nelson Mandela

Colleges and universities, springboards for young adults as they launch new careers and grow personally and professionally, are also destinations for those winding down their careers and seeking continued engagement, purpose, and social impact. Both life stages – young adulthood and “encore adulthood” – are times of transformation and growth, and academic institutions can offer a powerful backdrop for those seeking paths to purpose in the next phase of their lives, regardless of age.

There is a new, exciting higher education option for encore adults seeking a pathway to what’s next: University of Minnesota Advanced Careers (UMAC). UMAC offers a structured experience to come back to campus for a period of reflection and renewal, creating a learning community for those considering what’s next in their lives. The first semester is a customized experience that can include sitting in on classes and seminars, connecting with students, and engaging with others at this “encore” life stage. The next semester is also customized, including a volunteer internship in a nonprofit. This two semester program blends learning with application, and is designed to explore ways that encore adults can contribute their talents to the social good.

UMAC’s Founding Director, Professor Phyllis Moen, is a thought leader and expert on the intersection of work and life course. Dr. Moen, a sociologist, recognizes the value of older adults to address social needs: “This is truly a grand challenge of our times…enabling people who are neither young nor old to continue to contribute in new and exciting ways.”  In her book Encore Adulthood: Boomers on the Edge of Risk, Renewal, and Purpose, Moen calls on higher education institutions to “…reimagine and reinvent portals to learning that offer new skills, certifications, and personal growth across the life course, a real effort at what is truly lifelong learning” (p. 72).

With UMAC, Dr. Moen is innovating how higher education serves the needs of encore-stage adults, inviting them back to campus to grow personally and professionally, to explore ongoing civic engagement, and to strengthen intergenerational relationships.

UMAC is admitting a limited number of fellows for the 2017-18 academic year. UMAC seeks professionals who love learning, envision an active, engaged post-career life that includes meaningful work, embrace mentoring and learning across the generations, are interested in being change agents for society, are active learners, and want to connect with a community of learners.

For fellows, UMAC offers a chance to shift their thinking and experiences, as they seek to define what is next in their lives and careers, and as they explore ways to use their talents for the greater good.

Reference

Moen, Phyllis (2016). Encore Adulthood: Boomers on the edge of risk, renewal, and purpose. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.