Lifelong learning

Learning does not need to stop with a day job or retirement.

Not with the Creative Retirement Institute so close by.

An outreach program of Edmonds Community College, CRI connects its 50-and-older students with opportunities to expand their knowledge on topics they’re already familiar with or an entirely new subject.

“I think lifelong learning is the way of the future,” said instructor Bill Center, of Edmonds. “The world is changing so fast, you have to constantly update yourself.”

John Terrey, one of the founders of CRI in 1993 and a Richmond Beach resident, has taught courses, taken courses and served on the all-volunteer advisory board and other committees.

Education has been a passion throughout Terrey’s adult life. He served for 18 years as the executive director of the State Board for Community College Education and has taught high school, undergraduate and graduate-level courses.

But CRI holds a special place in his heart.

As an instructor, his students were self-motivated and genuinely interested in the classes he taught, which included poetry, literature and philosophy.

“They ask questions because they want to know,” Terrey said. “It’s so delightful.”

While many of the members have been with CRI from the beginning, new students and instructors are always welcome.

Terrey remembered one student, with a vast knowledge of the Lewis and Clark expedition, who turned his interest into a course he has taught through CRI.

Other instructors teach as a profession or work in the subject field that they teach.

Center, the president of the Washington Council on International Trade and a retired rear admiral in the U.S. Navy, teaches economics and current events courses at CRI.

“I think these students are really something special,” Center said. “They have a lot of passion about the subjects.”

Center said he particularly enjoys teaching CRI students because the classes end up being discussions, rather than lectures.

Al Blasewitz of Mill Creek took his first CRI class three years ago, and he and his wife have continued to take multiple classes each quarter since.

He joined CRI’s advisory board and also is a member of the curriculum committee, which brainstorms new class topics and finds instructors for the courses.

“I think there are two major factors that have gotten me as interested (in CRI) as I am,” Blasewitz said. “One is the intellectual stimulation and challenge from the courses. I think the wide array of classes are just great, and it gives me the opportunity to do something new I’ve always been interested in.”

Blasewitz also enjoys the friendships and the social aspect of CRI.

“I consider that equally important,” he said. “It’s a wonderful group of people and a marvelous social opportunity, really.”

Pam LeMay is the executive director of CRI and also oversees other programs at Edmonds Community College. She worked for the college in 1993 and undertook the responsibility of laying the foundation for the organization.

The classes offered through CRI are typically two hours in length and meet anywhere from one to six times, she said. The cost also fluctuates, depending on the number of class sessions. They range from $10 to $60.

Since its inception, CRI has enjoyed success and a strong following, with about 150 paying members, LeMay said.

Membership costs $60 per year, but with that, members can attend a free course if they sign up for $100 worth of classes per quarter.

During a typical quarter, CRI offers around 25-30 courses and it is not a requirement that the students be a member to take classes.

In addition to the classes, CRI also has several field trip opportunities each quarter. This fall, there are four field trips, including a visit to the new Seattle Public Library for an architectural tour and a visit to St. Mary’s Coptic Church and Heritage Park, both in Lynnwood.

CRI offers options for individuals who aren’t able to attend classes or field trips as well, LeMay said.

Its luncheon and speaker series brings three individuals to the Edmonds Conference Center each year. Members can purchase tickets at a discounted price of $5 each, rather than $17.50, the price for non-members.