COMING AROUND AGAIN
group "enters the classroom at a high level and does well with
online learning and customized education. They take everything from Health Informatics to Wine Chemistry. I see people
who want to open a new business and take classes in Excel and
Web Design to support that."
Jacquie Scarborough, adult learner advisor, Cape Cod Community College, also notes another trend. "Many people at this
stage in their life want to give back to their community," she says.
"I see them trading careers; accountants training for human
services positions, for instance." These learners also want their
life experiences to be valued. Scarborough points to a Vietnam
veteran taking a class on the Vietnam War. "He ended up coteaching the class," she reports.
While adult students are coming back to colleges on their
own in droves, there are also ways to attract them. The Plus
50 Initiative has its own YouTube channel, which Vickers calls,
"Our best marketing tool. Schools should also have outreach
programs, radio ads, and mailers." One caveat though: "Any
photography should include faces that look like the students
you're trying to attract. We have lots of photos of mature people
to choose from."
And use a big font size so no one has to admit to presbyopia. CPM
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