Connie Baber has been an active member of the Academy of Learning in Retirement (ALIR) for 10 years. She is one of dozens of ALIR members who came out to listen to San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg speak at North East’s Community Learning Center on Monday, Sept. 17. Mayor Nirenberg discussed topics like economic growth, development in the city, and the tricentennial anniversary before taking questions from the audience.
“I’ve visited with this group a couple times before in the past and I think it’s critically important to have programs like this that keep our residents engaged with community issues,” said Nirenberg. “There are a lot of issues we have to confront together and this is a forum for us to talk about what those issues are.”
ALIR particpants, also known as ALIR-ians, had an opportunity to talk one-on-one with the Mayor, while getting to showcase their unique program.
More than 600 individuals over the age of 50 participate in classes that cover a variety of topics from calligraphy, yoga, history, painting, cooking and much more. ALIR uses NEISD’s Community Learning Center and community volunteers to offer educational classes in the arts, history, literature, languages and sciences.
Baber has a full load of classes this semester. She’s currently signed up to learn about the Celtic World, Great Trials of World History, Private Life of a Masterpiece, Life in the Middle Ages, Beginnings of Judaism, Pompeii, and Travel to Medieval European Cities. While Baber loves learning about new topics, she really enjoys the sense of community that ALIR has to offer.
“I think the fact that there’s so many really smart people that come here, and they want to learn,” said Baber. “They’re not sitting at home watching soap operas and eating bonbons. I have a book club and I go to the gym all the time, but it’s the community I enjoy. It’s a fun way to socialize. I can really tell when there’s no school because I sit around and think, what do I do now?”
Click here for more information on ALIR, or contact ALIR facilitator Rhonda Mcrae 210-407-0167.
Posted on 9/17/18
