Community Corner

Suffolk County Community College Pairs Up with Holtsville's Island Nursing and Rehab

Offers lectures to seniors, who graduated from program last month.

Realizing a huge population could be served by the education of Suffolk County Community College, the school's Faculty Association Community Outreach program recently jumped at the chance to work with senior citizens.

Teaming with the Island Nursing and Rehab Center in Holtsville, "Professors on Wheels" was born with the goal of, "bringing the community to the college," according to Daniel Linker, the co-chair of the Faculty Association, which also serves as a union.

"The residents loved it, and the professors really enjoyed the opportunity to speak and work with them," he added. "It takes people who have a deep interest in a topic, as well as experience teaching that topic, and pairs them with a group of people who want to learn." 

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From a workshop called "The Collaborative Playwright," to classes about stem cell research, the Great South Bay and jellyfish affecting the ecosystem, the 33 seniors, who graduated last week from the inaugural program, were offered an eclectic grouping of lectures.

"We weren't sure how much they would take in," said Lorrie Prescott, the Director of Therapeutic Recreation at the facility and a 1989 graduate of Sachem High School. "They asked questions. They went crazy for it."

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The lecture series didn't involve tests or grading, just one requirement – that they come to the presentations.

"We couldn't figure out who got more out of this," Prescott said, "the professor or the students."

 Graduation was like any other with caps and gowns, diplomas and a procession down the hallway.

"We're going to keep going and expand it," Linker said. "We're pretty excited about the potential of this program, and we see this as something that can continue and grow for a long time.

"This program finds people who have something to say and puts them in front of people who want to hear it. It's simple, it's free, and everybody benefits. And it's fun, interesting, and educational on all sides."

One of the first comments the Faculty Association received from a resident at Island Nursing indicated that this was the type of information they wanted, the sort of event that is interesting and treats them like the intelligent adults they are. 

"What more could we ask for?" said Linker.


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