Audio of Ruth Edwards by Growing Bolder, at growingbolder.com

Caption: Ruth Edwards

Posted: 10/19/2007 10:36am

Lifelong learning programs are popping up all over the country, which is great news for you and your brain.

Our brains are wired to continue learning, and in many ways, late-life learners say they are able to learn more deeply than ever before.

Ruth Edwards, coordinator of the Lifelong Learning Institute in Winter Park, Fla., says programs like hers have shown people that there is no expiration date on our ability to learn.

She says programs like wine tasting, drumming and lectures draw people of all ages to the institute.

To find out more information about signing up, click here. Ruth says people to not have to a Winter Park library card or even live in Winter Park to attend classes.

If you don't live in Florida, call your local university or college. Many offer free or reduced price college-level courses to seniors. And here's the best part -- typically there are no tests required! Simply sign up for the classes that interest you and attend riveting lectures by academic leaders and guest lecturers.

For more information, check out the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Maine, which serves as the national center for the network of 101 lifelong learning institutions throughout the country.