NCCCR

A message from the Executive Director of NCCCR

Dear Visitor:

A warm welcome from the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement, the award-winning lifelong learning, leadership, and community service program of the University of North Carolina at Asheville. UNCA, located on a beautiful knoll of 250 acres in the heart of north Asheville, is an innovative, public liberal arts institution, one of 16 senior institutions of the UNC system. NCCCR is headquartered on campus in the Reuter Center. An architecturally dramatic, privately funded, classroom and office building for all NCCCR programs, Reuter Center opened in June of 2003.

Unique among some 300+ lifelong learning institutes in the United States affiliated with colleges and universities, NCCCR goes beyond simply offering courses for mature learners taught by peers. We support a comprehensive program for people venturing into the “new retirement.” Recognizing that some are seeking post-retirement employment, we offer the "Transitions...Life Planning for Boomers" for exploring second and third careers and other mid-life options. For those still working and pondering the big “what’s next?” questions, we sponsor several annual workshops on “Paths to Creative Retirement in Uncertain Times.” If you’re one who enjoys rubbing elbows with university undergrads, we have periodic intergenerational classes on topics such as “Wisdom and Desire,” or “The Journey of Life.” And if you’re motivated to getting seriously involved in the community to share your knowledge and meet exciting movers and shakers, we annually sponsor Leadership Asheville Seniors. You might like to learn about mushrooms, ferns, bats or wildflowers in our Blue Ridge Naturalist program.

In addition, we have a wonderful array of non-credit courses in our College for Seniors. With two, eight-week long, fall and spring semesters, plus a four-week winter and month long summer semester, CFS attracts over 1300 individuals annually to some 200 courses that range from computers to tai chi to brain research to studio arts.

Visiting our web site, you will learn how we implement this philosophy of progressive education through a wide range of programs that draw on the resourcefulness of hundreds of volunteers and the expertise and commitment of a small paid, professional staff. NCCCR, now in its 19th year, has grown from 162 inaugural participants to over 1800 in 2005-2006 academic year.

Our growth is partly fueled by the influx of talented retirement-aged individuals and long time residents ready to explore new horizons. You probably know that Asheville and surrounding communities are consistently rated for their high quality of living as among the top relocation destinations in the nation.

Our goal is to help make our region a national model for showing how native and newcomer, old, young and middle aged, can learn and work together to promote healthy, attractive, and caring communities. We disseminate information on our successes and challenges to other organizations across the country and around the world. If this ideal appeals to you, then NCCCR is the place where you belong.

I hope you will find something of value in this web site and that you will come visit.

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