Hobart William Smith Speaker Series: "Lifelong Learning and Well-Being: Lessons from Older Adults Before and During COVID-19"

Join Wood Library for the return of our Hobart William Smith Seminar series via Zoom. Associate Professor Craig Talmage will discuss how before COVID-19 loneliness among older adults bordered on epidemic proportions, and COVID-19 exacerbated feelings of social isolation further for many. Before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, some older adults turned to lifelong learning for cognitive and social stimulation to bolster their well-being. The rapid pivots from in-person learning to Zoom learning was a heavy lift for both learners and providers; however, many lessons were learned that should not be forgotten.


This presentation summarizes U.S. older adults’ perceptions of well-being, specifically loneliness and social isolation before and during COVID-19. This presentation also showcases lifelong learning’s individual and community impacts for U.S. older adults, including bolstering well-being and reducing loneliness and social isolation risk factors before and during COVID-19. Data from a national survey of older adults, a national survey of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute members, and a case study at Arizona State University will be leverage to achieve this presentation's aims. Registration required for Zoom Code