Join us atThe 2014 Northeast Regional Lifelong Learning ConferenceJUNE 1-3, 2014 » AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

Hosted by the Road Scholar Institute Network &

Five College Learning in Retirement

Road Scholar educational adventures are created by Elderhostel,

the not-for-profit world leader in lifelong learning since 1975.

Now Open for Registration!

Conference Theme:

Learning and Social EngagementKeynote Address:

“Social Engagement and Successful Aging,”

by Dr. Susan Krauss Whitbourne,

professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst

See inside for a complete listing of conference sessions!

Enroll Today!Limited spaces are available. Visit www.roadscholar.org/20034XPA or

call Road Scholar toll free at (800) 322-5315, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET.

Please reference #20034XPA when calling.

The 2014 Northeast Regional Lifelong Learning ConferenceJUNE 1-3, 2014 » AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS

Five College Learning in Retirement, the Road Scholar Institute Network and Road Scholar are pleased to announce

the 2014 Northeast Regional Lifelong Learning Conference.

Both mental stimulation and an active social life are keys to successful aging, and the theme of this year’s

conference is “Learning and Social Engagement.” This theme will echo through many of the conference sessions

and presentations.

W Keynote Address: Dr. Susan Krauss Whitbourne, professor

of psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Dr. Whitbourne’s research has focused on adult development

and aging, and includes topics ranging from contributors to

successful aging to the relationship between physical health and

personal identity. She is the author of The Search for Fulfillment

and also writes for the Huffington Post’s “Post 50” blog.

W Presentation: Highlights of the first-ever national survey of

Lifelong Learning Institutes, by Peter Spiers, Senior Vice President

at Road Scholar and author of Master Class: Living Longer,

Stronger, and Happier.

Panel sessions, workshops and presentations will address topics ranging from Host Institution Relationships,

Sourcing and Training Great Course Facilitators to Curriculum Development and Organizing Great Learning Trips.

Of course, there will be plenty of opportunity for social engagement and networking with your counterparts from

other Lifelong Learning Institutes!

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Conference Details

Who should attend: LLI paid and volunteer executive

leadership, board members, committee chairs, LLI

members, especially those considering or being considered

for leadership roles.

What are the topics: Learning and social engagement,

with specially designed tracks on four topics: curriculum,

membership, volunteers and management.

Where is the conference: The conference and overnight

lodgings are at the Hotel UMass on the campus of the

University of Massachusetts Amherst. Rated the best hotel

in Amherst, and seated in the center of the picturesque

UMass Amherst campus, Hotel UMass blends a tranquil

countryside escape with the bustling energy of campus life,

making it an ideal conference setting.

When: Sunday, June 1 to Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Conference cost: With accommodations: $493 per

person, double occupancy; +$180 for single occupancy.

Without accommodations (commuter): $298.

What’s included in the cost: Conference registration

includes all sessions, two lunches, two cocktail parties and

one dinner; two nights accommodations based on double

occupancy, including two breakfasts and parking. The second

dinner will be on campus at your own expense. Commuter

rate does not include accommodations and two breakfasts.

If you need to cancel: If you cancel up to 14 days prior to

the conference, there is a $200 fee. If you cancel fewer than 14 days prior to the conference, you forfeit 50% of the

conference cost. If you do not attend and do not notify Road Scholar at least one day before the event, you forfeit

100% of the conference cost.

How to register: Call Road Scholar toll free at (800) 322-5315, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET. Please

reference Program #20034XPA when calling. Or register online at www.roadscholar.org/20034XPA.

Note: Pre-registration for individual conference sessions will be via an online form emailed to you approximately

three business days after you have registered for the conference.

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Conference Schedule & Breakout Session Tracks

We have designed four tracks to meet the various needs of attendees. These tracks are meant as a guide only. You

are welcome to sign up for breakout sessions outside of any track.

Tracks

Track A – Curriculum

Track B – Membership

Track C – Volunteers

Track D – Management

Please note: Pre-registration for individual breakout sessions is required. After you register for the conference, you

will be emailed an online form in approximately three business days. We will try to accommodate your session pref-

erences, but they cannot be guaranteed. Sessions will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Sunday, June 1, 2014: Conference Begins

4:00–6:00 p.m. Registration

6:00 p.m. Welcome Reception

7:00 p.m. Dinner / Introductions / Overview of Conference

Monday, June 2, 2014: Open Plenary Session / Breakout Sessions / Dinner on Campus

7:00–8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast

7:15–8:00 a.m. Breakfast Roundtable Discussions

• Community Alliances: Building Bridges and Utilizing Outside Resources: When your LLI is stretched for time and money,

how can you develop productive community relationships? This is one area where time spent up front pays big dividends

down the line. Learn how to build strong community relationships.

• Follow the Money: Tapping into Local & National Funds: Funding is a major challenge for many LLIs and this roundtable

will explore ways that other LLIs have raised money to fund their basic needs.

• Special Interest Groups: Special Interest groups are a natural extension of a successful LLI, but they can also be distracting

to you and your members. Join this roundtable to learn how to encourage controlled growth of SIGs within your LLI.

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8:15–8:45 a.m. Welcome – Five College Learning in Retirement

8:45–9:45 a.m. Keynote Address: “Social Engagement and Successful Aging,” by Dr. Susan Krauss Whitbourne, pro-

fessor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Maintaining social connections is vital to the individ-

ual’s ability to age successfully. Dr. Whitbourne’s talk will explore the concept of successful aging and the ways in which physical,

psychological and social activity can help older people achieve their maximum potential. By examining research on activity and

its relation to successful aging, you’ll gain insight into the empirical basis for understanding the advantages of being socially and

intellectually engaged. Dr. Whitbourne holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University in developmental psychology and is the author of

two textbooks and Psychology Today’s popular blog, “Fulfillment at Any Age.” Her most recent book is “The Search for Fulfillment”

(2010, Ballantine Books).

9:45–10:00 a.m. Break

10:00–11:15 a.m. Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Track A – Curriculum: Classes, Courses, Subjects and Tracks — What are the Differences, How do They Con-

nect and How do You Market and Price Them? A class is a stand-alone lecture, a course is a continuing layered

set of classes, a subject is a collection of courses scheduled in a semester and a track is a defined focus that can span

semesters or years. This panel will explore the ways that each of these educational models can be used to enhance the

learning experience for both the casual and more focused members.

Track B – Membership: Social Media and Today’s Technology — Putting What’s New to Work for You and Your

LLI From marketing your LLI to communicating with members to simplifying course registrations — social media and

new software programs can make life easier for you and your members. This panel takes a whirlwind look at what’s new

in technology and social media, pointing out the pros and cons of each product so you can make informed choices.

Track C – Volunteers: Turn Your LLI Into a Volunteer Machine: Converting Members to Volunteers Volunteerism

is a cornerstone of a successful LLI and everyone agrees that volunteers are essential to helping an LLI fulfill its daily

promises and its broader mission. Yet experience shows that LLIs often have difficulty recruiting qualified volunteers and

find it difficult to retain and productively utilize those that they do recruit. Join us to learn the strategies you can use to

make members want to volunteer.

Track D – Management: Host Relationships: How to Keep Them Thriving or How to Go It Alone. The relationship

between a host institution and an LLI should be considered a contract. Both organizations should continually invest in

ways to build mutual trust and cooperation that can further their success and reputations. However, at times, despite

mutual best efforts, it is impossible to maintain that relationship and an LLI finds itself faced with the prospect of folding

or going it alone. This panel will examine a successful relationship and its foundation for success, as well as another that

involved a breakup with an academic host and the LLI’s situation then and now.

11:15–11:30 a.m. Break

11:30 a.m.–12:45 p.m. Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Track A – Curriculum Planning: Keeping the Tried-and-True Fresh and Unique — Tips for Keeping Your Core

Courses Vibrant and Well-Enrolled. Spinning one course off another, building a series of subject-related courses,

and targeting and segmenting your audience by interests are just some of the new slants on familiar subjects that we

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will explore in this curriculum planning session.

Track B – Attracting and Welcoming New Members — Keeping the Lifeblood Pumping. An LLI’s ability to attract

new members is strongly linked to its image, the satisfaction of current members and volunteers, and the quality of

the courses offered. Join this discussion and learn how selling the virtues of your LLI through marketing strategies and

recruiting events can greatly help to position your LLI in front of potential members.

Track C – Volunteer Management: How to Keep it Meaningful By Balancing the Needs of the Volunteer and Or-

ganization. While volunteers typically represent a valuable strategic asset and strong revenue source for LLIs, manag-

ing and balancing this resource is often minimized in the planning process. Inclusion of your volunteerism model in your

plans allows you to balance the staffing needs of your organization against the backdrop of the level of service/delivery

and the need for paid and unpaid staff. This panel will examine ways to encourage volunteers while taking their needs

and the needs of the LLI into consideration.

Track D – Registration Policies and Procedures: First Come, First Served. Registration for courses is at the heart of

every LLI, but in this age of instant communication, registration can be contentious. This panel will explore topics such

as how LLIs handle general registration, electronic vs. paper registration and the over-subscription of popular courses.

12:45–1:45 p.m. Lunch

Plenary Session – Peter Spiers, Road Scholar Senior Vice President. In November 2013, Road Scholar and the Road

Scholar Institute Network conducted the most extensive survey of Lifelong Learning Institutes ever undertaken. Supported

by a grant from former Road Scholar board member K. Pat Cross, this research focused on gaining a comprehensive picture

of LLI membership, administration, and curriculum patterns and issues. Peter Spiers, Road Scholar’s Senior Vice President for

Strategic Outreach, led the research team and will share highlights and insights from the survey results. You’ll also receive an

executive summary of the survey results and have a chance to contribute ideas for future research direction.

1:45–2:00 p.m. Break

2:00–3:15 p.m. Concurrent Breakout Session

Track A – Curriculum Models: From Formal Classes to Study Groups to Brown Bag Lunches — What Works and

When. Learning for groups is changing in style and content. This panel discussion will focus on the different ways that

groups learn, from group lectures to study groups to experiential learning to on-line options.

Track B – Engaging Members Through Travel: From Local Outings to International Adventures. Every travel op-

portunity, from simple local outings to multi-night/multi-country overseas adventures, requires the same basic thought

process and approach. Take this opportunity to learn from travel experts about what to consider before you start a

travel program and how to expand an existing program.

Track C – Mining for Gold: Tapping the LLI Talent Base for Volunteers. Skills-based volunteering (SBV) is an innovative

way to build volunteer initiatives that foster long-term volunteer engagement. This panel will explore ways to design and

implement a successful SBV program by soliciting and examining information provided by their members and using that

information to identify the most appropriate volunteers for each volunteer position.

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Track D – Fee Structure Models. At times, it seems there are as many LLI fee structures as there are LLIs, and each one car-

ries its own history of success and failure. In this session you will be exposed to multiple models and the joys and sorrows

of each.

3:15–3:30 p.m. Break

3:30–4:30 p.m. Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Track A – Handling Difficult Topics: Hearing Both Sides, Keeping an Open Mind and Maintaining Order — How

to Keep Members Coming Back After Heated Debates. Whether scheduled or impromptu, educational con-

frontation among members can have a negative impact on keeping and supporting members. Learn how to diplo-

matically handle these situations and keep them from becoming personal.

Track B – Keeping Members Engaged and Delighted: What to Do When it’s All about Them —Techniques to

Keep Members Coming Back for More. Most LLIs put the bulk of their effort into getting new members and

neglect the most valuable asset in their organization: their existing members. Join us to learn the best methods to

build deep member relationships with your current audience.

Track C – Rewarding and Recognizing Volunteers and Instructors. When volunteers join your LLI, it makes the

utmost sense to make every effort to retain them. One important way of encouraging your volunteers to keep

volunteering is to give them adequate recognition. Recognition, to be effective, should be consistent and ongoing.

Volunteers can quickly lose motivation if they feel that their work is not valued and one volunteer may regard one

type of recognition as valuable while another volunteer may feel it has little worth. This panel will compare differ-

ent ways LLIs handle volunteer appreciation and their results.

Track D – Dealing With Changing Demographics. Loss of mobility or mental acuity among formerly active members

can make course delivery and social interaction a challenge for those directly affected — as well as the member-

ship as a whole. In this session you will learn about alternative methods for serving your more needy members

and how to handle difficult personal situations that can impact you and your members.

4:30–6:00 p.m. Optional Networking

6:00– 6:30 p.m. Cocktail Reception

6:30–8:30 p.m. Dinner on Campus at your own expense.

Tuesday, June 3, 2014:

Breakout Session / Wrap-Up / Lunch

7:00–8:00 a.m. Continental Breakfast

8:00–8:45 a.m. Breakfast Roundtable Discussions

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• RSIN Rising – The Road Scholar Institute Network: How Can We Help?: Since the mission of Road Scholar and the LLI

movement is the same — lifelong learning — staff from Road Scholar will solicit opinions from attendees on how the RSIN

can be helpful to LLIs.

• Finding Classroom Space: The Unique and Creative: Finding classroom space in a growth or competitive environment

can be difficult for you and disconcerting to your members. This roundtable examines some creative alternatives that work.

Learn how to compile a list of LLI off-site classroom space.

8:45–10:00 a.m. Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Track A – Selecting and Training Instructors: What Makes a Great Instructor? Successful lecturers may come from

a variety of disciplines, but all have one thing in common: They know how to convey useful information in an entertain-

ing way, thereby contributing to a truly memorable experience for their audience. A friendly and outgoing personality,

enjoying the chance to interact with a large variety of people, and possessing proven public-speaking skills are just a

few of the traits we will consider in this session on selecting and training a lecturer.

Track B – Staying in Touch: Methods & Materials for Communicating with Members: The Use of Newsletters,

Course Catalogs, Email and Websites. Knowing how to use these tools effectively can present a challenge in con-

veying clear, concise and consistent messages to your membership. This session shares tips and best practices to help

you effectively share your message with existing members and potential new members in your greater community.

Track C – Free

Track D – Predicting the Future: Long-Range and Strategic-Planning Techniques. Strategic planning is an organi-

zation’s process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this

strategy. By joining this session and exploring planning initiatives and processes that work, you will be able to assess the

variety of ways to design and implement a strategic plan for your LLI.

10:00–10:15 a.m. Break

10:15–11:30 a.m. Facilitated Wrap-Up Session

11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Lunch

12:30 p.m. Conference Concludes

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