NCCCR

The late philosopher Eduard Lindeman believed that self-improvement was the purpose of adult education -- but he added all important qualifier: Learning adults would find self improvement in illusion unless they pursued it in harmony with the surrounding social context. In I Lindeman's view, adult learning of this variety is no passive undertaking: He believed that adult education should beckon "more intelligent responses" from Individuals in their roles as members of organized groups. Lindeman looked to adult education as the most reliable 
instrument of social activism.

Given his position, Lindeman would smile on the mission and activities of Leadership Asheville Seniors, a program directed by Denise Snodgrass at the Center for Creative Retirement , University of North Carolina (UNC) at Asheville. Participants in the western mountain region of North Carolina are offered a series of daylong seminars to 
acquaint them with local institutions, resources and community concerns. One 
of the primary objectives of the program is to open the door to civic engagement and 
volunteering.

My wife Billie, and I were among the 35 older adults enrolled in the orientation session for the 11th annual Leadership Asheville Seniors program in 1997, shortly after relocating to the area as a retirement home. In the seven subsequent weeks we systematically explored and 
evaluated the institutions, agencies and organizations in our new community. 
Each session included specific suggestions on how to get involved in the activities discussed.

We began with the history of Asheville and Buncombe County. How did this community become what it is? We heard from local authors and historians and from 
the executive director of the local preservation society. We met with William 
Cecil, CEO of the Biltmore Company one of the city's major employers. In the 1890s, Cecil's grandfather, George Vanderbilt, built what is still the largest private home in America, a major draw for tourists in western North Carolina.

How does local government work? We heard from key city and county officials including the mayor, the chair of the County Commissioners, and the
police and fire chiefs. Both county and city superintendents of schools also addressed us in an entire day-length session devoted to education.Administrators from the state university, 
a community college and two local private colleges spoke to its about their institutions and answered questions.

A number of other aspects of the local community also received attention. Economic development issues were faced head-on during a session held at the 
airport industrial park. The conductor of the symphony and representatives of the area's vibrant arts and crafts community welcomed us to their worlds. We even reviewed the federal government's sizeable local programs in agriculture and forestry.

As a long-time civic activist who wanted to get involved in our new home city, I especially anticipated the daylong session on the local environment. It set forth the whole gamut of concerns -- water and air pollution, neighborhood health, billboard control, historic preservation, zoning and transportation issues. 

As one of the founders of a "smart growth" land-use planning organization, I am using every bit of the knowledge gained about government and environmental problems. In the process I have noticed that I have a much better foundation for our work than do many of my colleagues who have not had the Leadership Asheville educational experience. (I like to think I also have an advantage over some of our opponents in these endeavors.)

I wish our family had not had quite so many opportunities to make practical use of the information gained about Asheville's medical establishment. We started modestly enough when my wife began volunteering at a hospice program that had intrigued her. Since then we have gotten well acquainted with both local general hospitals, the rehabilitation hospital, and more doctors and medical support staff than we care to count. Negotiating the system is my mother in-law and I dealt with our many illnesses was made infinitely easier as a result of the learning acquired through Leadership Asheville Seniors. We are relatively healthy at the moment thanks to the highquality of care available in these parts.

Individual program sessions for I Leadership Asheville Seniors were held at sites appropriate for the day's topic. When we talked about education, we met in a school. While discussing the arts, we toured the local art museum, galleries performance spaces and concert halls. We wrestled with medical issues in a classroom located in a residential facility for out-of-town 
families of patients in Asheville 
hospitals. The city council loaned us its 
chambers, as did the county commission 
next door. 

Since Its inception in 1987, More than 325 older adults have graduated from the Leadership Asheville Seniors program and have been awarded certificates signed by the chancellor of UNC. The program has served is a model for several similar initiatives elsewhere in the state. 

I have participated it nearly all of the many programs offered through the university's Center for Creative Retirement. Most of these experiences have been satisfying both the intellectual and the emotional level. However I consider my Leadership Asheville Seniors education to be especially valuable in that it has helped me to become a more informed and productive citizen of this community. 

I believe most of the other participants would agree. I see their names in media accounts of local events and civic programs. 

And oh yes the process was great fun. Our class from Leadership Asheville Seniors gets together for I lunch every few months, with a lot of good fellowship and laughter.