It is common to meet people who believe that once you get old it becomes impossible for you to learn new things. These people think that the only time for individuals to go to school, university, get a degree on a complex subject is when they are young. Due to this affirmations, there is a question that immediately pops up: Is it be possible for these people to be right? And the answer is a definite NO.
The human brain is plastic, this means it has the permanent ability to change regardless the age. Neuroscientists believe that gray matter’s size depends on how much we train our brain, making it possible for it to shrink or thicken depending on how much new things we learn. In other words, every new concept we learn, no matter if it is a simple dance step, has the capacity to affect our entire neurological structure thanks to the plasticity of our brains.
Keeping this information in mind, a concept such as lifelong learning obtains a completely new significance since it is the process of continuously acquiring knowledge, skills, and values at any moment of our lifetimes. Lifelong learning can be defined as a supportive process that helps us to learn new ideas and apply them in a creative form in a wide variety of roles, environments, and circumstances along our lives.
Kenny Slaught knows that lifelong learning doesn’t have limits, it encourages learning outside traditional education methods and approaches throughout adulthood. It allows individuals to master learning tools instead of getting structured knowledge; also it equips people to do different types of activities since they have the capacity to adapt to new environments and situations, this helps individuals resolving difficulties and understanding other cultures and social situations. It is needless to say that being a lifelong learner helps people develop their intelligence, spirituality, sensitivity and even their bodies.
There are many institutions dedicated to promoting lifelong learning in different cities in the world and in Santa Barbara things are no different. As a response for different lifelong learning needs adults in Santa Barbara had the community decided to found the Santa Barbara Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL) as an organization dedicated to promoting knowledge in different fields, such as the arts, intellectual studies, and healthy living styles.
Importance of the CCL in Santa Barbara
With a clear vision of becoming a social, educational and cultural hub for everyone in the Santa Barbara County community, the CCL has been working during the past three years as an educational facility for adults who want to be personally enriched by the classes and workshops offered by the center.
The CCL plays an important role in the development of the Santa Barbara County community by acting as a college and offering continuous education programs that allow adults to learn new skills and obtain certificates, college degrees and even attend to technical education programs. The CCL is committed to offering enriching classes in a wide range of interesting subjects based on the student’s’ needs and interests. Always keeping in mind that there is no expiring date for the brain to learn new things and that no one can restrict individuals who want to take Continuing Education classes in their adulthood.
Operating as a community college, the CCL has proven that it charges half the fees other institutions do. Also, the CCL offer more classes than the average community college in the County. To sum it up, adults in the CCL get the chance to attend to more classes by half the price other institutions charge. This is only possible because the organization is committed to maintaining its fees at the lowest possible rates without affecting the number of choices available for current and potential students. It is also important to say that all this is possible thanks to the generous contributions received by donors and the tuition assistance awards provided to low-income students who happen to be remarkable at what they do.
How can you contribute to the CCL?
Everyone can contribute to the permanence of the CCL in the Santa Barbara community. Every action counts to help this college last as an organization that aims to serve the current and future generations of lifelong learners.
Economical contributions can be made through the college website. These contributions help low-income students get tuition assistance awards. Also, every penny donated to the CCL plays a vital role in the development of classes that aim to respond to the needs of Santa Barbara’s diverse community.
The CLL is an integral part of the Santa Barbara County that is compromised to raise awareness around the importance of lifelong learning. It is constantly in the look of improving the classes It offers, for this reason, one of the biggest contributions individuals can make to the organization is sharing their experience and ise in each program.
Don’t be shy and visit the CCL, maybe there is something new waiting for you that will help you make your dreams come true regardless your age.
To read more about other institutions in Santa Barbara dedicated to promoting education, click here.