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Blog archive

October 2024

September 2024

August 2024

1619 Wide Ranging Interests
08/19/2024

1619 Wide Ranging Interests
08/19/2024

First Anniversary
08/19/2024

Alexandra Leaving by Leonard Cohen
08/16/2024

Muse des Beaux Arts by W. H. Auden
08/16/2024

The God Abandons Antony by Constantinos P. Cavafy
08/16/2024

Ch – Ch – Ch –Changes
08/15/2024

Cultural Activities Team offers an ‘embarrassment of riches’
08/15/2024

Engaging in Pasadena Village
08/15/2024

Future Housing Options
08/15/2024

Message from the President
08/15/2024

There Are Authors Among Us
08/15/2024

Villagers Welcome New Members at the Tournament Park Picnic
08/15/2024

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas
08/14/2024

A narrow Fellow in the Grass by Emily Dickinson
08/13/2024

Haikus
08/13/2024

One Art by Elizabeth Bishop
08/13/2024

Poem 20 by Pablo Neruda
08/13/2024

Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
08/13/2024

Trees by Joyce Kilmer
08/13/2024

July 2024

June 2024

May 2024

Emergency Preparedness: Are You Ready?
05/28/2024

Farewell from the 2023/24 Social Work Interns
05/28/2024

Gina on the Horizon
05/28/2024

Mark Your Calendars for the Healthy Aging Research California Virtual Summit
05/28/2024

Meet Our New Development Associate
05/28/2024

Putting the Strategic Plan into Practice
05/28/2024

Washington Park: Pasadena’s Rediscovered Gem
05/28/2024

Introducing Civil Rights Discussions
05/22/2024

Rumor of Humor #2416
05/14/2024

Rumor of Humor #2417
05/14/2024

Rumor of Humor #2417
05/14/2024

Rumor of Humor #2418
05/14/2024

Springtime Visitors
05/07/2024

Freezing for a Good Cause – Credit, That Is
05/02/2024

No Discussion Meeting on May 3rd
05/02/2024

An Apparently Normal Person Author Presentation and Book-signing
05/01/2024

Flintridge Center: Pasadena Village’s Neighbor That Changes Lives
05/01/2024

Pasadena Celebrates Older Americans Month 2024
05/01/2024

The 2024 Pasadena Village Volunteer Appreciation Lunch
05/01/2024

Woman of the Year: Katy Townsend
05/01/2024

April 2024

March 2024

February 2024

January 2024

We Don’t Know What We Don’t Know: That’s Why We Have Educational Programs

By Sue Addelson
Posted: 09/17/2024
Tags: sue addelson, newsletter october 2024

Our highly dedicated and enthusiastic Educational Programs Team continues to deliver one meaningful program after another after another. Some are online, some in person. All are interesting, interactive and member-driven.

How much do you know about the different types of home health care available to you? Are you curious about the important work Flintridge Center is doing to break the cycle of violence in Pasadena? Have you driven along the Arroyo Seco and wondered about its history?

These are just a sampling of recent topics organized by the Educational Programs Team, at least one every month. In the September Voice of the Village, Karen Bagnard reported on the team’s eye-opening presentation in July about Future Housing Options

Kären found the information valuable, though she still regards the panel discussion on The Red Flags of Undue Influence, held several years ago, as the best program this team offered. “This is very important information for all of us and those who love us,” she said. It’s so important, the Educational Programs Team is planning another panel discussion covering undue influence and financial elder abuse after the first of the year. 

Lorrie Gray attended both the recent Stay Safe from Fraud and Scams and Emergency Preparedness sessions. Although she was familiar with the information that was presented, she found both to be good refreshers. “This is practical information we all need to be aware of. A review never hurts,” she said.

Some presenters are experts from outside the Village; some are Villagers sharing their wealth of knowledge. Some programs are extremely well-attended; some appeal to a more targeted interest group. What they all have in common is, they are relevant and informative. 

The group who does all the behind-the-scenes work to bring these programs into being includes Villagers Barbara Madden, Wayne April, Dave Folz, Toni Johnson, Doug Colliflower, Sally Asmundson, Patti La Marr and Susan Carr. In addition, JuliAnne DeChaine, who is not a Villager but works with the elderly, is a valuable and respected member of the team.

All team members find their very rewarding. Susan Carr is a nurse and former director of public health. “I have a lot of experience putting together education programs. A natural fit for me. This is a very professional group of people and I enjoy them very much,” she said.

Doug Colliflower, the newest member of the team, joined because he thought it was a good fit considering his background, experiences and current career. “I’ve hosted a couple of events that were well received and that is a good feeling. Providing information and resources that are helpful to our members is rewarding,” he said.

The team meets once a month. They go over their list of topics to see what to offer up next and decide who is going to be the organizer. The organizer contacts the speaker, creates the agenda, comes up with a catchy title, gets the biography of the presenter so they can introduce the person, and then facilitates the Q&A and thanks the speaker. “Often the hardest part is finding an appropriate speaker who is able to present on the topic,” says former team leader Wayne April.

Marv Dainoff recently gave a talk on Practical Ergonomics. “It was relatively well attended and there were good questions afterward. My sense is that there is a ton of expertise among Villagers. I would encourage anyone who has the same passion for explanation as I have, to get engaged,” he said.

If you would like to be a presenter, or know someone with an area of expertise, contact Katie or any team member with your idea.

This is the second in an ongoing series about Village teams. You can read about the Cultural Activities Team here.

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