New initiative reaches out to baby boomers
By CCTIMES, Published May 11, 2008

As 78 million baby boomers approach retirement, their attention is turning to staying active and re-focusing their careers—and they’re about to get some help from community colleges, thanks to a new “Plus 50 Initiative.”

Ten community colleges will launch demonstration programs for students over the age of 50, with the help of seed grants from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) and The Atlantic Philanthropies. They’ll be aided with mentoring support from five mentor colleges that already have established programs for baby boomers.

Organizers say the project is designed to help with one of the largest generational shifts affecting the U.S., as baby boomers approach retirement and consider how to keep their lives active, healthy and engaged in careers and projects that matter to them.

“The baby boomer generation wants to stay active in retirement and holds a wealth of knowledge and experience that society cannot afford to see leave the talent pool,” said George Boggs, AACC president and CEO. “By retooling educational programs and adjusting for the needs of plus-50 students, community colleges can empower baby boomers to continue give back by leading the vibrant and fulfilling lives they desire.”

The three-year program is sponsored by AACC and is funded by a $3.2 million grant from The Atlantic Philanthropies. The 10 colleges receiving grants and their goals are listed below:

Chaffey Community College (California) will start a new program for baby boomer volunteers to mentor and tutor underprepared students and help them succeed in college.

Clover Park Technical College (Washington) will offer an environmental science program alongside a volunteer on-site project for baby boomers exploring sustainability. The program will apply classroom lessons while restoring wetlands, forests and an oak savannah.

Joliet Junior College (Illinois) will offer workforce skills certificate programs to students over the age of 50 for new careers in high-growth jobs in healthcare and education.

Luzerne County Community College (Pennsylvania) will provide courses and services that encourage new job skills development as well as entrepreneurship for plus-50 students who want to start a new business venture.

Northern Virginia Community College, located near Washington, D.C., will expand educational offerings targeting baby boomers and reach out to senior facilities with programs on retirement, personal finance, entrepreneurship, technology literacy and good health.

Richland College (Texas) will assess learning needs for baby boomers, develop life-enhancing curricula for plus-50 students seeking to redefine their lives and offer opportunities to retrain experienced workers.

Santa Fe Community College (Florida) will address the critical nursing educator shortage by training baby boomer nurses to become instructors for nursing education programs, enabling them to pass their knowledge onto to others and serve a valuable mentoring role for younger nurses.

St. Louis Community College (Missouri) will establish and pilot workshops on four campuses that will help plus-50 students who see retirement looming but are unsure what to do in the next phase of their lives. Travel study tours, art classes and many other topics, offered in a format for nondegree seeking students, will enable baby boomers to reconnect with their interests.

Wake Technical Community College (North Carolina) will centralize coursework and activities offered by three separate divisions under one organizational umbrella and classes at convenient times for plus-50 students. 

Western Dakota Technical Institute (South Dakota) will develop and pilot a national training model for baby boomers who want to become seasonal rangers and interpretive guides at national parks.

Below are the colleges receiving grants to serve as mentors for the program and their roles:

Cape Cod Community College (Massachusetts) has conducted focus groups and extensive surveys with baby boomers to identify courses and volunteer opportunities. They plan to expand their current programs and develop a talent bank that matches plus-50 students with civic and service opportunities.

Central Florida Community College will develop course offerings that will lead to new employment opportunities for plus-50 students, including online business classes, individual and corporate tax preparation courses, training in less physically demanding medical fields, such as medical transcription, and intergenerational computer courses. 

Century College (Minnesota) will help baby boomers retiring from professional and supervisory positions apply their leadership skills as community volunteers. They will also help plus-50 professionals who’ve been downsized with skill development courses in healthcare and technology to enable them to re-enter the workforce.

Clark College (Washington) will redesign its small business development curriculum to offer second careers through business ownership at a wine and cooking school for wine hobbyists and food enthusiasts. In addition, a joint program with the area agency on aging will train in-home caregivers.

The Community College of Spokane (Washington) will help plus-50 workers upgrade or gain new skills and receive retraining to fill regional job vacancies. The college will also expand course delivery to rural areas using distance learning, so that plus-50 students located farther from campus can participate.