UH class aims to
enrich retirement life
A free leadership training session will be offered on Saturday afternoons from July 10 to Oct. 23 at the University of Hawaii to help organizations find ways to improve the lives of older adults upon retirement.
Professor emeritus Abe Arkoff, instructor at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, will conduct the 16-week workshop.
The leadership training is based on Arkoff's life review and enhancement workshop, "The Illuminated Life," winner of the national 2004 MindAlert Award from the American Society on Aging and the MetLife Foundation for innovative older adult learning programs.
The program, which includes a guidebook, is designed to help independent older people reflect on their lives and integrate lifetime learning to create new post-retirement roles.
The workshop's effectiveness is described in the April 2004 issue of The Journal of Humanistic Psychology.
"In addition to benefiting individuals, the workshop is well-suited for use with affinity groups and organizationsbecause it helps develop a group's sense of closeness, support and community," Arkoff said.
He said workshop leaders need people-helping skills and a sense of altruism. "Ideal leaders include psychologists, social workers, gerontologists, teachers, counselors and health-care professionals."
Space is limited for the sessions, scheduled from 2 to 4:30 p.m. in the Osher Institute in Krauss Hall on the Manoa Campus.
The registration deadline is Thursday. For more information, call Arkoff at 956-6728 or e-mail arkoff@hawaii.edu.