FGCU Academy Fuels Lifelong Learning for Locals

By  D. K. Christi

 

“Learning should be lifelong, accessible and, most importantly, joyful,” says John Guerra, director of the Florida Gulf Coast University Academy.

He’s been with this unique adult enrichment program almost from its inception in 2001. The academy’s mission is “to create intellectually stimulating, culturally enriching and socially engaging experiences that invigorate the mind and enliven the spirit.” There are no grades, no tests, no homework — “just the pure pleasure of learning with friends, neighbors and fellow knowledge-seekers,” Guerra said.

FGCU Academy, formerly Renaissance Academy, is open to anyone ages 15 to 105. It offers classes on a wide variety of topics in a non-credit atmosphere purely for the joy of learning, inspiring minds, enriching lives and strengthening community.

With 7,500 participants in over 1,500 programs of their choice at 21 locations in Southwest Florida, FGCU Academy is one of the largest such initiatives in the country. If what’s desired is not in the catalog yet, it likely will be soon. Extensive course offerings are provided year-round in single-session lectures, short multi-week courses, interactive discussion groups, film and speaker series, and workshops in writing, art, wellness and hobbies. There are also cultural day trips and domestic and international travel opportunities.

Subject matter includes everything from space exploration to ancient history to current events to orchids — each offered in fully equipped partner communities and facilities from Marco Island to North Fort Myers, as well as online.

Edward Grace, an aerospace engineer and Apollo 13 local expert, represents the caliber of instructors who present their expertise. He worked on the Apollo program from 1963 to 1972 while MIT Draper Labs had a contract with NASA to design and develop the Primary Guidance & Navigation Control System used to control both the command and lunar modules during flight missions. Grace has stayed current on space exploration and brings his enthusiasm and expertise to the classroom.

The academy seeks instructors who love their subject and whose expertise and life experiences don’t always require academic credentials, although many instructors have them. The FGCU Academy is a two-way exchange among educators and learners who share the pursuit of happiness through lifelong learning together.

FGCU Academy is a nonprofit, self-sustaining program that seeks volunteers and donations. Instructor pay starts at around $100 per 90-minute session. Student fees average $27 to $44 per class; world travel and full-day events have separate fees.

“Anyone not engaged in lifelong learning doesn’t know what they are missing,” said Bernadette Rouse, who has been adding classes to her active life for 14 years, ever since she glanced at an academy enrollment poster. “Retirees in this area come from every walk of life and often move here after life experiences that need sharing — CEOs from corporations, ambassadors, entrepreneurs, builders and members of society whose experiences excite the mind and fill knowledge gaps,” said Rouse.

Philip Rovner has found Zoom classes advantageous. “Every class that I have taken was outstanding,” he said. “The quality of the material and the expertise of the instruction makes these classes in any form a benefit to everyone.”

Instructor Thomas Eastwood teaches the truth about espionage and the secret service, drawing from his experiences conducting counterintelligence and criminal investigations for the federal government. His lectures often attract students with similar experiences and occasionally even former colleagues to his talks revealing “… the real James Bond 007.”

“I’ve been attending discussion groups on current events for years,” said student Marshall Swain, a retired philosophy professor who has facilitated similar classes. “The students change over time, but a core group enjoys (learning about) the challenges of modern-day events from different perspectives. We become friends, even owning different opinions.”

Swain said academy director Guerra often leads discussions on technology, artificial intelligence and other subjects that “challenge the thinking and open the mind.”

According to Rouse, the diversity of senior students is enriching, along with the variety of classes she has enjoyed.

“Lifelong learning is more than acquiring knowledge; it also fits the human need to socialize and be among people,” she said. “Many of us have become friends.” 

Curiosity and seeking knowledge are processes that contribute to the pursuit of happiness, not the collection of things, according to many philosophers old and new.

Seniors can find it easy to start slipping into a solo world which might contribute to cognitive decline, failing to excite their curiosity or exercise memory and problem-solving skills. Expanding health and exercise, mental and physical, may help end the national epidemic of loneliness that too often follows retirement or the loss of a spouse, family member, partner or home — changes that often occur at the same time as aging. A class of mutual interest may create an opportunity for new friendships and purpose, the development of a latent skill or hobby, or the appreciation for technology, music or artifacts.

Nancy Maxwell, an FGCU Academy instructor who retired from a career in education, meets requests for lectures presenting factual data about the world of monarchies and their personalities, such as Marie Antoinette, King George and Empress Sisi, who are often dramatized in movies and documentaries. FGCU Academy instructors explode the myths and delight students with little-known secrets.

Academy students are as diverse as the course offerings. While the average student is retirement age, a younger adult with a specific interest and availability during the day (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) may certainly participate. Topics serve every experience and expertise level.

One exciting offering of the FGCU Academy is the concierge-style, small group travel opportunities to visit other countries and learn about their cultures. Experts guide travelers to see these lands from more than a simple tourist perspective. Locally, day trips take students to cultural events and points of interest within driving distance.

Three FGCU Academy course catalogs are published each year and are available online. For those who live in the communities where classes are offered, it doesn’t even take transportation to attend. An optional $85 annual membership provides a variety of special perks, including a significant discount on per-class charges, and helps with budget sustainability. The next catalog will be for September through December 2025. 

Find more information and the full course catalog for FGCU Academy online at www.fgcu.edu/academy. Guerra may be contacted by phone at (239) 434-4838 or by email at jguerra@fgcu.edu for questions about teaching or taking courses.