Retiring Minds

For Snohomish County resident Don Young and his wife Marjorie, both 71, getting older means getting smarter.

And through the Creative Retirement Institute (CRI) at Edmonds Community College, getting smarter “has been great fun.”

“We’ve both taken classes, and some I think were really above and beyond what you could find elsewhere for seniors,” Don said. “Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, Quantum Theory, The Challenges of Trade and Globalization and Giants of Opera are some of the most recent ones we’ve been to. We’ve also taken field trips to the Tacoma Museum of Glass and to the Bloedel Reserve on Bainbridge Island.

We’ve been at this for 14 years now and it’s gotten hard to remember all the things we’ve done.”

The Youngs and his wife have been involved with CRI since it began at EdCC in 1993, serving on the advisory, finance and the curriculum board. Don also created and serves as webmaster for CRI’s webpage.

“We got involved with CRI when we moved here from Oregon. I’d retired and we didn’t know anyone,” Don explained. “We wanted to find some people who were interested in the things that we were, but we also wanted to learn more about what’s going on in the world.”

The program and curriculum is designed by seniors, for seniors, and new members are encouraged to get involved with the various boards and committees that encompass CRI.

“Seniors can decide for themselves what level of commitment they want to have and what they want to get out of it,” Executive Director of CRI Pam LeMay said.

Also, most of the teachers who offer classes through CRI are retired themselves.

The physics and science classes are taught by a retired high school science teacher, and the Giants of Opera class is taught by a retired conductor from the Seattle Symphony, LeMay said.

Because the program is self-supported and does not receive state money, CRI is funded mainly through tuition fees. A typical class session costs $10, though grants are available to those who qualify through the program. Classes are offered quarterly and are often held once a week.

For many of the CRI participants, the program serves not only as an academic environment in which to stay mentally active, but also as a social outlet.

“It puts people in touch with people, and it brings together people who are simulating,” 69-year-old John Nadeau said. “Sometimes the discussions that come up during coffee breaks are the most rewarding.”

Many members of the group said that typically, those who join are “intellectually literate, enjoy the give and take of the academic setting and are also very friendly.”

“We all like to keep very busy, and have always liked keeping up on new things and new thoughts,” Marjorie Young said.

“And, it keeps the ‘gray cells’ functioning.” For more information or to join the Creative Retirement Institute, go to www.cri.edcc.edu or call 425-640-1243.