University of Regina senior education program receives help from book sale

Seniors will again have a full selection of classes to take this fall at the University of Regina. A group of volunteers have taken over the Lifelong Learning Program after the university discontinued funding last year.

A massive book sale was held on the weekend to raise money for the program. The event may of been Regina’s largest ever sale of donated used books, CDs and DVDs, about 180,000 items in all.

Evan Johnston was surprised by some of the treasures that she found.

“So there’s a Netflix show called I Think You Should Leave and one of the skits, this one guy talks constantly about these really obscure jazz musicians and he’s like, ‘oh you’d know him from the Colgate Comedy Hour’ and I didn’t realize that the Colgate Comedy Hour was an actual thing but apparently it is so now I need to buy it,” she said.

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The sale, which wrapped up on the weekend, was expected to raise over $100,000. It will help fully restore seniors’ non-credit learning opportunities at the University of Regina.

“It goes to a good cause helping seniors’ education, post-retirement education if you want to call it that, so retired seniors,” Spokesperson Kevin Wagner told CTV News.

The Lifelong Learning Program at the U of R ended a year ago because the university didn’t have the funding. Upset seniors lobbied to bring it back.

The U of R is now offering classroom space but the seniors have to organize and fund the program. Board member Dennis Mennie says it’s important to the group’s 400 members.

“Well it keeps your mind active,” Meenie explained. “You know there’s a social aspect of it too.”

A few classes were offered this past spring to test the registration system.

That will be expanded to about 40 classes this fall as book sale helps seniors get back on a path of lifelong learning.