Talk of Ages Club – Come Join!- Vanessa Ardai

We are so lucky to have Lasell Village, a retirement community, share our Lasell campus. The Villagers have a lifetime of learning, ideas, and stories. They have lived through events that happened before many of us were even born. Lasell Village is an active community where residents live in their own apartments and can even have a dog or cat. Continuity of care is also offered such as short-term rehabilitation, long term care, and assisted living studios.

Lasell Village was established to be an educational experience. Education is important during our time at Lasell University, but it does not stop there. In order to live at Lasell Village, residents agree to partake in various activities of lifelong learning for at least 450 hours a year. This can include participating in classes, cultural activities, day trips, art exhibits, physical activities, and more. Some Villagers even take classes towards a degree at Lasell.

There are also several specific intergenerational classes offered each semester. I took one class called Forensic Psychology which had several Lasell Villagers in it alongside traditional Lasell students. The class was held at Lasell Village. I remember one discussion about what we might want to do as careers. One Villager mentioned that she would not start a career in her future which got us all laughing and connecting, but then she talked about some interesting experiences in her career.

In order to take full advantage of this unique relationship Lasell University has with Lasell

Village, I have been working with Joann M. Montepare, PhD, Director of the Mary Rose B. Fuss

Center for Research on Aging and Intergenerational Studies and Professor of Psychology. The Fuss Center is part of Lasell University and Lasell Village. It started in 2001 with a focus on lifetime learning and community-based learning. The Fuss Center conducts research and organizes activities that emphasize intergenerational aspects of learning. As part of its Talk of Ages program, the Center also sponsors guest speakers and other opportunities for younger and older learners to come together around shared interests. The Fuss Center worked with Lasell to become the first Massachusetts institution of higher education to belong to the Age Friendly University (AFU) initiative which is committed to lifelong exchange, aging education, and intergenerational learning.

Dr. Montepare, Julia Ramza (Class of 2024), and I have been exploring ideas that would allow us to launch a Talk of Ages Club for Lasell students and Lasell Villagers to have time to come together to work on social, educational, and community-service projects. Dr. Montepare is retiring, and the plan is for the new Fuss Center Director to take over and advise the club. It will also be a chance for all students to join in the fall of 2024 and help the club grow and develop from the ground up. The Talk of Ages club would be the first of its kind in the AFU global network and beyond! 

Many Lasell students are working towards jobs in fields that will involve working with people of all ages. The Talk of Ages Club will allow first hand interaction with individuals from different generations. Not only would we all be able to learn from each other in new and interesting ways, we also would be able to co-design events and programs that could be fun and benefit our entire community. And this would be a great experience for entering the age diverse workforce when we graduate. 

Lasell Village is a hidden gem at Lasell University and has so much to offer Lasell students. We have several ideas for social, educational, and community service ideas to help kickstart the club such as playing games together, exploring food from people’s cultures, and making no-sew blankets to donate to a group that can use them. We can see if Villagers are interested in helping with Lasell Student Clubs. There are even ways to be part of the club that can lend themselves to use as honors components, linked credit, or for class assignments/projects. Lasell Villagers may have great ideas as well. 

If you’d like to become a Board or Club member, contact me at VArdai@lasell.edu 

See more here about the Age-Friendly University (AFU) Global Network  and happenings at the Fuss Center.