Education
UMaine Penobscot Valley Senior College
Affiliated with the statewide Maine Senior College Network and the UMaine Center on Aging, Penobscot Valley Senior College (PVSC) offers non-credit courses and other learning opportunities for area residents age 50 and older. With “learning for the fun of it” as its motto, PVSC provides opportunities for learning, social interaction, and intellectual stimulation with no requirements for college degrees, tests, or grades.
Volunteer members plan and teach a variety of courses throughout the year. Spring and fall terms typically feature 10–16 courses, with courses meeting for four to six sessions and costing $35 each. PVSC also offers Summer and Winter Extravaganza variety courses for $35. Summer offerings may include field trips with additional costs, while the Winter Extravaganza is held via Zoom.
As an added benefit, PVSC members may participate in programs offered by other Senior Colleges throughout Maine, paying only the applicable course tuition.
Click here to visit the Penobscot Valley Senior College website
Interprofessional Graduate Certificate in GerontologyThe Interprofessional Graduate Certificate in Gerontology at the University of Maine is a 3-course, 9-credit, program offered on-line. It is designed to increase the knowledge, skills, and abilities of health and human service professionals who provide care to older adults and their caregivers in various settings. The curriculum, offered via distance-education technology, meets the needs of working professionals everywhere, who, because of the rapidly aging population, find themselves caring for a growing number of older adults.
Click here to visit the Interprofessional Graduate Certificate in Gerontology website
Annual Maine Geriatrics Conference
This annual 3-day conference program sponsored by a partnership of Maine organizations including the UMaine Center on Aging is geared to a wide range of health care providers including nurses, physicians, social workers, nursing facility administrators, physician assistants, psychologists, certified nursing assistants, mental health practitioners, occupational and physical therapists, and substance abuse counselors. The conference is held in Bar Harbor, Maine every June.
Click here to visit the Annual Maine Geriatrics Conference website
University of Maine Clinical Geriatrics Colloquium
Held yearly in the fall, the Colloquium brings together students and practitioners to learn about contemporary issues in clinical geriatrics. The conference is planned by the University of Maine School of Social Work and the University of Maine Center on Aging.
Click here to visit the University of Maine Clinical Geriatrics Colloquium webpage
Grandfamilies Certificate Program
The University of Maine Center on Aging has created a certificate program providing core education, technical support, and leadership development for professionals delivering grandfamily and kinship programming across the country. Funding for the Certificate in Grandfamilies Leadership is provided by the Brookdale Foundation Group.
This online certificate program is comprised of 9 modules delivered over a 12-week period using a cohort model. The curriculum will meet the needs of working professionals working in a variety of social services providing supports to grandfamilies or who find they are working with extended family members who are raising another family member’s child or children and are seeking specialized training to meet the unique needs of these families.