Jeff Shinaman Photo
By Christine Graf
Founded in 1992, the Academy for Lifelong Learning (ALL) is an independent, self-funded non-profit that offers a wide variety of learning opportunities to people of all ages. One of more than 400 Lifelong Learning Institutes in North America, ALL is affiliated with Road Scholar Institute Network.
A membership-based organization, ALL charges an annual membership fee of $75. Members pay an additional $50 to take one of the many six-week courses that are offered during the fall, winter, and spring semesters. Membership is open to people of all ages, but because the classes take place during business hours on weekdays, the majority are retired.
“We provide educational and social activities for mature learners, and most of our members are retired seniors,” said ALL Executive Director Jeff Shinaman.
Although many of ALL’s 350 active members live in Saratoga County, the academy has members from throughout the Capital Region. Courses take place at numerous locations including SUNY Adirondack, the Saratoga Senior Center, senior residential communities, and local churches and libraries.
During each six week semester, approximately 25 different course offerings are available. The spring semester that wraps up in June featured numerous diverse offerings including The History of Russia, Introduction to Classical Music, and Caribbean Women’s Literature.
“We have some really interesting classes, and all of our course leaders are volunteers. A lot are retired professors or teachers or people who have a strong interest in a certain topic. For example, we had a class on the Supreme Court that just ended,” said Shinaman, noting that the duration of each class is 1.5 hours.
“We have some course leaders who have a following, and our courses change from semester to semester. We also have a Monday speakers series that features a different topic with a different presenter each week. We have some very high level courses, but you are there for fun and to learn.”
Although some courses may include reading assignments, there is no homework and no exams. In order to encourage classroom discussion opportunities, class sizes are typically restricted to 25 students or less.
Not all courses are held in the classroom, and outdoor offerings have included hiking, wildflower identification, and birding. Members also get together to golf, play cards, or participate in other social activities.
“The feedback we get from our members is just phenomenal,” said Shinaman. “They really value this time they spend with the academy. It’s also a great way for people who are new to the area to meet people.”
While ALL generates the majority of its revenue through membership and course fess, the organization also holds various fund-raisers. A grant from the Dake Foundation enabled ALL to purchase equipment necessary to be able to conduct courses via Zoom during COVID.
Shinaman said the pandemic took its toll on ALL, reducing its membership dramatically.
“We’re back up to 350 members right now, but pre-COVID, we had close to 500. We continue to rebound and are focused on rebuilding, and what COVID taught us was the social aspect of our activities was very important to our members. It gives them the opportunities to form friendships and meet new people.”
Although the spring session wraps up in June, ALL will be hosting social activities and fund-raisers in the summer. They will also be having an open house in September (to be announced) at which time prospective members can learn more about the non-profit and receive a course catalog. Fall classes will being the week of October 7th.
Those in need of financial assistance can contact Shinaman to request a scholarship through The Pat Leonard Assistance Fund.
For more information, visit www.allsaratoga.org