Academy For Lifelong Learning Services Community Age 50 And Older

What began as a program affiliated with Cape Cod Community College at West Barnstable in 1987 has now spun off on its own as a nonprofit organization. ALL rents two classrooms and an office lobby area from the college, offering two semesters in fall and spring each year. Most classes meet once a week and run six or 12 weeks.

Though the COVID pandemic moved classes online for the last two years, ALL will be back on campus for in-person learning. Zoom will be an option for coordinators and members who choose it, and a hybrid model might be offered.

Last fall semester, ALL had more than 70 classes, with class sizes ranging between 18 and 25 people. Notable classes from the spring include origami, writing, short stories and using children’s literature to teach science. In the past, there have been classes on history, literature, current events, world religion and music, including classes on opera and various composers.

Most courses change each year, although a few popular ones repeat.

“The whole idea started with a group of people who wanted to continue intellectual, educational and social stimulations,” said Dianne Tattersall, a resident of Sandwich and the president of ALL.

“It gives people a chance to enjoy learning again without pressure.”

In a normal year, ALL also hosts social events to give people opportunities to connect. For example, there is a back-to-school night in the fall and an end-of-the-year event during spring. The organization invites different speakers—four or five per year—to address different issues. Ben Sliney, now a retiree in Sandwich, spoke at one of ALL’s special events as the traffic control officer responsible for grounding all the airplanes during 9/11.

ALL members have also enjoyed activities like attending local theaters.

“People don’t just come in and take classes; they socialize. A lot of people are what Cape Codders call ‘wash-ashores,’ so this helps you build friendships and share interests with others. It keeps them from becoming isolated, and people enjoy it,” Ms. Tattersall said.

Volunteerism is key to ALL’s success. The class coordinators, or teachers, draw from the organization’s members “who have a passion, expertise or background in an area of interest.” Any member is encouraged to teach classes, participate on committees and work on administrative activities, in addition to attending classes.

“There’s a lot of people who have stayed with the program for years. It allows people 50 and older to pursue educational interests, socialize and become a community. Word of mouth brings more people in,” Ms. Tattersall said.

A new feature of ALL is a series of podcast interviews with coordinators, hosted by Joan Freedman. She moved to the Cape in 2011 and has been involved with ALL ever since. The podcast’s mission is to expand outreach to new members.

“My first course was an introduction to wine, which was great fun, and my next course was ‘Catching and Cooking, Cape Cod Seafood.’ And I said this is just a wonderful place, and my husband and I went on to take a number of courses,” Ms. Freedman said on the podcast.

“Then…COVID, everything on a dime went into Zoom, my ALL courses were my lifeline, so I was able to maintain some structure and maintain some friendship through that very dark time.”

Other coordinators featured on the podcasts are Mary Joyce, a Yarmouthport resident who is a self-proclaimed “lifelong lover of books and a connoisseur of beaches”; Christine Johnston, who taught math and worked as an administrator in private school; and Joe Gonzalez, a native Cuban who came to the United States in 1958 and worked in magazines and films.

ALL will again offer more than 70 courses this fall. Interested members can look through the course catalog on www.capecodall.org, which will appear in early August. The membership fee is $105 per person, paid for each semester in which a member chooses to take courses. The fee includes courses, plus other activities (although some events might require additional charges).