It’s a new year. Why not spend this year learning something new. More seniors are signing up for classes online and at community college campuses. Some are heading to tech schools to learn something new. Many courses are free or discounted for seniors.
Why not take a course with your dad? He’ll love spending time with you, and you both benefit from learning something new. Options vary from one community to the next. Tech courses like cybersecurity are popular, but so are courses like sign language and pottery.
Free courses online are another option. Here are some of the more popular ones.
Coursera
Coursera compiles lists of free and tuition-based classes and programs from institutions like Duke, Johns Hopkins, Penn, and Stanford. Courses are built using recorded lectures and add quizzes and class projects to ensure you’re mastering what’s being taught.
Some of the options lead to degrees that are gained through online courses. You never have to go to a campus to complete the courses needed to get your degree. Some of the free courses include English for Business from the University of Pennsylvania or the history of the Holocaust from Tel Aviv University.
Harvard University
Through HarvardX, you can take free online courses. If you want the certificate at the end of the course, there’s a small fee. Otherwise, take the courses at your own pace for fun. Some of the popular options include things like health and climate change, neuroscience fundamentals, and programming with JavaScript and Python.
If your dad likes to read, there are classes for Shakespeare’s Hamlet, religious literature, and world literature. You can study aspects of law, classical music, and meteorology. You’ll find these and others at Harvard’s EDX.org.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MIT has an open course site where you can take many of the college’s courses. Some of the favorites include the American political system, an introduction to programming in Python, and Roman history. You can also find courses in product design or learn a foreign language. Chinese, German, and Portuguese are just a few of the options.
You’ll find these free online courses at OCW.MIT.edu. Narrow down your favorites by department, topic, or popularity.
Choose Local Courses
Look at courses locally at senior centers, hospitals, community colleges, and community centers. Your dad will have the opportunity to socialize with you and other people. Plus, you’ll get him out of the house while you learn something new.
When you’re not spending time with your dad, you can hire elder care service to keep him occupied. Elder care providers can help him read the course materials assigned by your teacher, cook his meals, get his drinks, and keep his house clean. Call our elder care agency to learn more.
If you or an aging loved one are considering Elder Care Services in Medfield MA, or anywhere in Eastern Massachusetts, please call the caring staff at CARE Resolutions – (508) 906-5572.
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