Renaissance Academy launches a 'gym for the mature mind'

Filling a niche for the over-50s seeking continued education and social engagement in a post-Covid environment

Mark Conway, Renaissance Academy. Older people. Lifelong learning. Continued education

Renaissance Academy has launched into the Irish market as a ‘gym for the mature mind’. Aiming to promote lifelong learning among those who are seeking to take up new skills and meet like-minded individuals, the facility based at Leopardstown, Co Dublin, provides over 28 in-person courses with an emphasis on social engagement to later-in-life audiences.

The courses hosted by the academy include technology, architecture, gardening, design, photography, philosophy, entrepreneurship and politics. 

“The academy will fill a niche for those seeking continued education and social engagement with like minded people and a bridge to retirement, particularly in a post Covid world, where isolation has been an issue for many," MD Mark Conway explains of the academy’s guiding ethos. 

Renaissance Academy is the first educational facility of its kind in Ireland offering lifelong continued education and social inclusion to mature learners who are on the cusp or in the midst of retirement. In its promotion of ‘a gym for the mind’, the academy aims to empower later in life learners to upskill and meet like-minded individuals in a socially comfortable setting. 

The new 8,000 sq ft facility aims to have over 200 members by the end of 2021. 

“The level of interest is already well beyond what we envisioned at this point in time, and our open days, which we held every week in September, were very well attended given the current climate of hesitation within that cohort," Mark says. 

"Such has been the level of interest not just from Dublin, but all around the country, we do hope to open at locations in Cork, Limerick and possibly Galway in the near future."

Among the more encouraging signs has been the level of interest from sons and daughters enquiring on behalf of parents: "Family members have been proactively going out of the way to get in contact with the prospect of getting their parents involved in a safe environment where they can spend quality time with other like-minded people.

Courses attracting the most interest at present include practical psychology, modern languages and philosophy, in addition to the health and wellness areas of tai chi, pilates, and yoga. 

Former England football manager Roy Hodgson supports the initiative.

“What is very gratifying is the word of mouth publicity we get from people, members who turn up the following week with neighbours or relatives that they have encouraged to come along and join not just in the classes, but also in the whole socialising aspect of the academy.”

Promoting the fact that one is never too old to learn, the Renaissance Adademy is supported by Roy Hodgson, ex-England football manager. Noticing a gap in the market for an often ‘forgotten’ cohort of enthusiastic learners, Hodgson saw the opportunity to help provide educational courses to those who are approaching or are new to and in the midst of retirement. 

“Senior citizens are frequently neglected somewhat by society, with loneliness as well as psychological health issues becoming severe issues. These have been highlighted a lot more during these pandemic times,” he said.

Rise in loneliness

According to research from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, one in five people resident in Ireland will be 65 years or older by 2030. The study also found that 37% of people aged 50 and over felt lonely on a regular basis — a figure that increased to 45% after the age of 74. 

In addition to this, studies from Age Action have shown that lifelong learning results in a range of positive outcomes for the growing number of older people in Ireland, including improvements to quality of life, reduced risk of social exclusion and isolation, an overall increase in self-confidence and general well-being, keeping mentally and socially active and learning new skills. 

Age Action released its report, ‘Digital Inclusion and Ageing Population’ to coincide with United Nations International Day of Older Persons earlier this month showing more than 466,000 people over the age of 65 experience digital exclusion in Ireland, lacking the digital devices or necessary skills to navigate the internet, and are limited in their ability to access public services. 

“While factors such as income and levels of education play a part, age is still the biggest indicator of who is digitally excluded,” it points out. "Digital exclusion has a large impact on people’s ability to access services and information, to stay independent for longer, to save money, to participate in the development of national policy, to teach and learn skills, and to stay connected to community, culture and news.

Older people are at risk of being left behind unless active steps are taken to ensure their inclusion, including through non-digital forms of communication.

Research from a US study in 2018 equates the health danger of loneliness to smoking a packet of cigarettes a day.

“Ageism and loneliness is nothing new, something we are reminded of particularly at this time of year with adverts to keep an eye on our elderly neighbours. But rather than just be aware of the older generation in cold winter weather, we need to make it something we are proactive on all year.” 

The pandemic has stripped an entire older cohort of their independence and sense of purpose, he points out, and the Renaissance Academy can assist these people to once again feel empowered and useful. 

“People forget just how much life experience is available within the over-50s cohort, and how incredibly that gained experience can be to younger generations out there," says Mark. "In Ireland, this is a relatively untapped resource compared to other places like Japan where older people are honoured and respected for their experience. 

"Places like the Renaissance Academy are everywhere in Japan. In the US state of Florida a similar situation prevails, and actually a recent survey revealed that 30 per cent of all new businesses in Florida are started by people over 65.

"There is no reason why the same wealth of experience and wisdom we have here in Ireland among the over 50s should not be catered to in a similar way.”