An aging studies major laughs with a resident of Longview, an adult residential community in partnership with IC.
According to the Administration on Aging, there are approximately 37 million people aged 65 years and older in the United States. By 2010 that number will be 40 million, and by 2020 it will climb to 55 million. Our interdisciplinary program in aging studies is designed for those who want to gain knowledge about and pursue careers with America's fastest-growing population.
The aging studies program offers numerous opportunities for experiential learning in field placements, internships, service learning projects, and at Longview, a residential facility for older adults near campus. In addition to completing courses in at least a dozen departments at Ithaca College, aging studies majors collaborate on research, attend professional meetings, and receive mentoring from gerontology faculty and Gerontology Institute staff members. In 2008 the aging studies major received the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education's Program of Merit designation.
In our Gerontology Institute you'll find opportunities that engage faculty and students from all areas of the College. You may be interested in our workshops series and distinguished speakers to learn more about important topics such as lifelong fitness, care giving, or spirituality and aging. The institute also sponsors research, facilitates projects on creativity and aging, provides training to professionals, and provides resources to faculty and students in any department or academic program.
Even if you're not pursuing the degree, you'll have plenty of opportunities to get involved with our intergenerational community. Our students have organized and participated in dozens of events.