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Friday, March 29, 2024

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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Learning Program for Older Idahoans Aims to Keep Brains Active

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Tuesday, March 8, 2022   

Keeping our brains active as we grow older is key to our health, and an offering of courses in Idaho is helping people stay engaged.

New Knowledge Adventures is supported by AARP Idaho and Idaho State University. The program offers classes to people ages 50 and older and, due to the pandemic, the classes are virtual.

Carol Hourcade, outreach committee chair for the program, emphasized the benefits of keeping the mind active,

"Continuing to learn about new things, challenging your brain, continuing to socialize," Hourcade outlined. "They realize these are all very important things to enable our brain to remain healthy as we grow older."

Registration starts today. The first course is next week, and a host of different classes run through May.

Hourcade pointed out one advantage of being virtual is most courses do not have a limit for participants. She explained people can register the day of classes in most situations.

Hourcade noted there are a wide variety of opportunities, such as classes addressing health care and medication issues, but she added there also are lessons on local history.

"For instance, we have a class this semester on the history of Boise's Chinatown," Hourcade remarked. "We also have a class on camping on a tankful of gas. So in other words, it's campgrounds and places you can go within a day's drive of Boise for camping."

Hourcade stressed there are classes on many other topics, including coin collecting, tai chi and even cooking.

Disclosure: AARP Idaho contributes to our fund for reporting on Consumer Issues, Energy Policy, Health Issues, and Senior Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


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