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Kirkwood Hosts Conference on Midlife Planning

By October 19, 2010January 11th, 2019No Comments

“Creating the Second Half of Your Life” program set for Nov. 4

It wasn’t that long ago that the concept of retirement meant a parting gift, a going-away party and an end to productive work. A one-day conference at Kirkwood Community College aims to replace those few ideas with a literal world of possibilities.

“Creating the Second Half of Your Life” is set for Thursday, Nov. 4 at the Kirkwood Center, 7725 Kirkwood Blvd. SW in Cedar Rapids. Engaging speakers, interactive workshops and networking with area professionals are all planned during the day, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Continuing Education Program Director Janet Slimak says the event is aimed at professionals who are interested in “new options for the future” and not simply leaving work and involvement.

“This is our second annual program for Creating the Second Half of Your Life. We expect people in their 40s and 50s to get a lot out of the ideas and information shared during this day. We have heard from many people who embrace the idea of moving into a whole new way of enjoying the decades to come, and want to define those years in a positive and productive way,” Slimak observed.

The conference will begin with keynote speaker Michelle Napier-Dunnings, who will discuss “Heroic Journeys in the Second Half of Life.” Napier-Dunnings Her varied career includes time as a professional actress and director of education at Michigan State University. Since 1995 she has led individuals and groups in creative methods for increasing productivity in both corporate and non-profit settings.

“The heroic journey is quite different in the second half of life than in the first half,” Napier-Dunnings observes. “The second half journey is not characterized by unlimited possibilities as in youth, but rather by the deepening of possibilities within limits.”

The day’s program will continue with 20 workshops and discussion sessions on topics from natural foods for healing, starting small businesses, understanding social media, profiting via eBay, and writing a personal “bucket list” of life goals. Lunch is provided, along with a post-event networking reception for participants.

Tuition for the Nov. 4 Creating the Second Half of Your Life conference is $99, including lunch, a choice of workshops and closing reception.

Participants may register online at www.kirkwood.edu/ce or by calling 319-398-1022 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. any weekday. A brochure describing programs and speakers for the conference is also available by calling Kirkwood Continuing Education, 319-398-5529.