History and Accomplishments of the Center for Positive Aging
Reverend James Ellor founded NLU’s Center for Positive Aging in 2002. Dr. Ellor headed the College of Arts and Science’s Graduate Certificate Program in Gerontology at that time. In 2005, Dr. Maria Malayter and Dr. Maureen Kelly were asked by university leaders to reignite the Center for Positive Aging at National-Louis. Since NLU recognizes its primary target audience as that of the non-traditional learner, including working adults returning to school, the Center for Positive Aging has since been identified as a strong priority to the university, and as such, was redesigned to provide a multidisciplinary approach to the experience of aging.
The summer of 2005, Dr. Maria Malayter, now director of the Center, and Dr. Maureen Kelly, worked to create an advisory board and launch an educational seminar event. In October 2005, an Aging Creatively panel presentation was held at the North Shore Senior Center announcing the Center to a packed audience of over 300.
In fall of 2006, the Center launched a Lifelong Learning Institute that attracted more than 225 members aged 60 and above.
The Chicago chapter of The Transition Network, a national organization for women 50 and over in career transition, launched its programming event at the Chicago campus of National-Louis University. The Transition Network of Chicago hosted programs throughout the year and gathered more than 100 members.
In spring 2007, to represent the Chicago and northern Illinois region, Dr. Malayter was named to the executive committee of the Illinois Lifelong Learning and Service Coalition. Within this role, the Center has been able to interact and engage with the Aging is an Asset policy paper work of Dr. Jane Angelis’s Intergenerational Initiative at Southern Illinois University.
The summer of 2007 brought the Center for Positive Aging international attention as Dr. John Copelton, a Senior Careers Adviser at Queen’s University, Belfast and leading authority on active retirement, won a prestigious Travel Fellowship from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust. The Travel Fellowship allowed Dr. Copleton to travel to the U.S. this past summer to meet academic and civic leaders engaged in initiatives that enrich the third age in areas of community involvement, education, fitness, health, leisure, social contact, and work. Dr. Copelton investigated the operations, research and activities of the Center for Positive Aging to include in his research report on the Third Age.
In September 2007, the Center partnered with the Chicago Bar Association/ Women’s Illinois Bar Association’s Joint Task Force of Women’s Issues as They Age for their educational symposium on Women at Risk: Timing, Financing, and Coping in Retirement. The event, funded by the Actuarial Foundation and WISER Foundation, was a great success and completely sold out. Since completion of the course, several participants have taking steps to secure better financial opportunities, seek assistance from financial experts, network for new positions, and advance continuing education to update skills.
In fall 2007, The Center for Positive Aging and The Women’s Transition Network, supported by funding from the Women’s Bureau of the Department of Labor, launched Project Second Act, a program to advance the economic success of women over 40. Twenty women, aged 40 to 60, participated in six Saturday workshops designed to help expand career opportunities, advance professional development and increase financial security. As a follow up to the six week workshop, 40 women participated in two sessions on how to improve their networking skills. Participants evaluated the program as highly meaningful and have formed a support group that still meets on a regular basis.
In summary, the Center for Positive Aging at National-Louis University has positively impacted the lived of more than 1,000 people through promoting education, research, and community engagement. This will continue into the fall with future conferences on the aging workforce and positive aging.
