With a diverse selection of online and in-person courses, there is something for everyone. Whether you are interested in history, literature, science, personal development, or creative pursuits, these courses provide an enriching opportunity to learn and engage with like-minded individuals.

And we’re proud of it. That’s because we stand for the wisdom that comes with age. Learning starts the day we are born but wisdom takes a lifetime. We reject ageism and the fear-based notion that the word “Elder” is something to hide away.

Mid Island Elder College is pleased to announce its new program offering membership and course fee waivers to those in financial hardship.

Our popular Saturday Speaker Series returns to the Nanoose Place Community Centre over the next three months with sessions addressing challenging social issues.

The opening session, on Saturday, February 15 at 10:00 AM, is entitled Walking Together: Land-Based Wisdom for Urgent Change …

Here’s an Antidote for Those Dark January Days!

Are you finding these winter months dark and maybe even a bit depressing?  Mid Island Elder College has an antidote for that!

It’s called lifelong learning.

As the third, and final, speaker in Mid Island Elder College’s Fall 2024 Saturday Speaker Series, former Nanaimo Poet Laureate Kamal Parmar will look at the role poetry can play in emotional and psychological healing.

Did you know that 80 percent of health is socially determined? So says Dr. Adam Hoverman, a family physician at the Wellington Clinic in Nanaimo, and the speaker at the November 9th lecture in Mid Island Elder College’s Saturday Speaker Series.

There’s something for everyone in the Mid Island Elder College courses starting in November.  

What’s your interest?

We are excited to offer a diverse range of one-day courses over the next month. Take a look at what’s available:

Mid Island Elder College is pleased to announce its Fall Saturday Speaker Series, with three timely and thought-provoking talks on the topic of “Owning Your Health.”

Over the next year, Mid-Island Elder College will be inviting our students and supporters to provide input though a series of short surveys.   These surveys are one of the ways we are working to ensure we remain relevant to your needs and interests.

To complete today's survey, please ...

Did you know that we have an active Facebook page?

If you are a Facebook user, search for “Mid Island Elder College” and follow us to see updates on all of our latest news and courses.  Also, please share our posts with friends who would be interested.

Now that it’s September, things are in full swing at Mid Island Elder College!

Some classes have already started, but there is still time to register for many more.  In total, we are offering more than 60 courses over the next few months of our fall season.

To see the courses available and to register just click on the “Course List” button above.

Robin Fisher, feels honoured to become the first elected President of the Mid Vancouver Island Elder College Society. “I am humbled and in awe of the surge of community support that the new Elder College is receiving,” says Robin. “The hard work of our board members, plus their unshakeable belief in the value of learning, is the wind in the sails of our ship.”

Welcome to the website of the newly independent Mid Island Elder College!

We are launching it now so that you can explore what the future holds, for us and for you. You will learn about our new setup, our recent activities and our current fundraising campaign.

Elder College has been reborn as an independent society. This move came after Vancouver Island University cut its Elder College program due to budget constraints, as of December 31, 2023.

Within weeks of becoming independent, Elder College offered six in-person courses at the Community Centre in Parksville. They included the kinds of lifestyle and academic courses that are Elder College’s specialty.

It takes more than smart and passionate people to launch a non-profit enterprise like Elder College. It also takes money.

Learning is an important aspect of aging productively. Studies have shown that life-long learning is key to healthy aging as well as offering benefits to the community as a whole.