This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
08/22/2017 05:00 PMStudents across the shoreline are getting ready to head back to school, but so are some adults. The Schiller Shoreline Institute for Lifelong Learning (SSILL) opened registration for its fall programs on Aug. 23 and an open house is coming up Tuesday, Sept. 5 at the Guilford Community Center.
SSILL began 10 years ago and was initiated by Paula Schiller. The idea of the institute is to provide adults, generally those who are retired or semi-retired, with a series of courses or classes to encourage adults to keep learning. The institute is run by an advisory board and various committees and is all volunteer—no one is paid, not even the speakers. Wendy Oberg, one of the founding members, said the program has grown and grown over the years.
“It started off very small, just a few of us and just anybody who knew anybody we had them come and speak for us,” she said. “We had some very talented and educated people on our board and we were able to get some good programs right in the beginning. It has gotten bigger and bigger and more and more people have gotten involved.”
Going into its 10th year, SSILL has more than 450 members. This coming semester includes 27 lectures, seven trips, 1 concert, 2 book discussions, and 13 movies. Speakers range from doctors to authors to religious experts to an Auschwitz survivor.
Oberg said they try to include a diverse slate of programs for people to choose from. Members—who include residents from across the shoreline—can pay a flat fee for the program or can pay by the class. As certain programs become more and more popular, board member Constance Fusco said the board has tried to make sure that all who want to attend a program can.
“We have a cap, but if we have more signed up and they go on a waiting list, then we go look for another venue,” she said. “We really do try and so far we have been able to accommodate everybody.”
The institute is based in Guilford and Madison and has ties to both the Guilford and Madison foundations and to the Guilford Community and the Madison Senior centers, where many events are held. However, as more people learn about the institute and want to attend certain lectures, Fusco said the community has stepped up to help provide more space.
“Within the past couple of years we have had other venues and the community has come together,” she said. “We have had Evergreen Woods say that if you get too crowded in where you are having the program, please direct it to us and we will lend our space to you at no charge. The Guilford Library has been wonderful, St. George Church has offered parking places, and Temple Beth Tikvah has offered, too. As word keeps getting out, people are offering to do things for us.”
Oberg said the educational experience is also interactive.
“We facilitate TED talks each month and we pick topics that we think people will enjoy talking about...We get between 30 to 40 people each time and we watch the program and then everybody talks amongst themselves and then we share our thoughts together,” she said. “People have really responded to that.”
Oberg said she and many other board members have had the opportunity to meet fascinating people over the years through SSILL. For members, she said SSILL also provides a social outlet as well as an educational opportunity.
“In the fall last year people were welcoming each other—it was like going back to school,” she said.
The Welcome Back reception and open house for SSILL is Tuesday, Sept. 5 at 1:30 p.m. at the Guilford Community Center, 32 Church Street. To learn more about the institute, visit www.ssill.org.