The Peace Corps was founded 51 years ago, attracting young college graduates with the appeal of service in an idealistic time. While younger volunteers still predominate, the Huffington Post reports that now Peace Corps volunteers 60 and older have more than doubled in the past three years. Click here to read more. Click here to find out about volunteering. Short term projects are available.
In 2008, a “pensioner’s playground” opened in Manchester, England. “Instead of slides and roundabouts, it is equipped with machines specially designed to provide gentle exercise for different parts of the body such as hips, legs and torso…Gordon Lishman, director general of Age Concern, said: ‘A well-designed fitness park could be a great way to encourage older people to exercise and socialise.”‘ Read more and see more pictures here.
In 2010, Westminster City Council created a similar playground in Hyde Park, the first in the city of London. ”People need to stay active, maintain independence and are never too old to play,” said Madeline Elsdon, spokeswoman for the Knightsbridge Association which proposed the playground. Read more here.
“The first pensioner’s playground in Europe opened in Berlin in 2007. It was designed by Renate Zeumer, an engineer who noticed older people in China using simple pieces of government-provided equipment to exercise in parks, on the streets and in subway stations.” You can read about it here.
And here’s an article from Athletic Business that compares senior playgrounds around the world.
What do you think about this idea? Would you like to see a playground designed for seniors in your neighborhood?
“I was born in New Jersey, lived in Buffalo and Rochester, NY; California; North Carolina; Bahrain; and Kuwait. I got a BS in Art Education in 1970 and worked on all grade levels in North Carolina, Bahrain, and Kuwait. I am first and foremost a mother and an artist. I was married and widowed twice, bore four children (two boys and two girls). I’m now a grandmother of eight and a great grandmother of one. I have been a teacher, silk-screen artist, courtroom artist, restaurant owner (two), crafts instructor, and portrait artist, but always a mother and an artist.”
Tune in to Experience Talks, our “Radio Magazine for the Experienced Listener.” Saturdays 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time on KPFK 90.7 FM Los Angeles, 98.7 FM Santa Barbara, 99.5 China Lake, 93.7 N. San Diego, streaming live online and now syndicated on up to 100 Pacifica Network stations! You can also enjoy hearing all of our previous shows on the Listen Page of our Experience Talks website.
This week: Tim Carpenter talks with Sheldon Epps and Martin Casella
Sheldon Epps has been Artistic Director of the renowned Pasadena Playhouse since 1997. Sheldon also served as Associate Artistic Director of the Old Globe Theatre and was a co-founder of the off-Broadway theatre, The Production Company. He has directed both plays and musicals at many of the country’s major theatres including the Roundabout, Manhattan Theatre Club, the Guthrie, Arena Stage, and the Goodman Theatre. Sheldon has also had a busy career as a television director, and received the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award for his efforts and accomplishments at The Pasadena Playhouse. Tim Carpenter talks to Sheldon Epps about the next wave of theater in Pasadena. Learn more about The Pasadena Playhouse here.
Martin Casella’s award-winning plays include Scituate, Mates, Paydirt, Desert Fire and George Bush Goes to Hell. He wrote the book for the musicals Paper Moon, Happy Holidays, and Play It Cool. His plays have been seen across the country and around the world. In film and TV, Martin has written for Steven Spielberg, Rob Reiner, John Milius, and Francis Ford Coppola. His feature screenplay One Night Stand was directed by Talia Shire. Tim Carpenter talks to Martin Casella about his play, The Irish Curse, which opens at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles on July 7th. Learn more about the play at the Odyssey Theatre website here.
EngAGE is always interested in and supportive of the efforts of other non-profit organizations to provide opportunities for seniors to be creative. Arts for the Aging is the Washington, D.C., region’s leading arts service organization delivering life-enhancing and innovative experiences to older people — in day care centers, nursing homes, assisted living and community centers. Click here to learn more about AFTA and click here to 
read their brand new blog (you’ll also find their blog on our blogroll on the right side of your screen).
Murray Gershenz amassed a collection of hundreds of thousands of recordings that he’d now like to sell. But first, he and his shop are the subjects of a new short film by Richard Parks, “Music Man Murray.” Listen to the story and read more at the NPR Music link HERE.
Join us for Experience Talks Online, exclusive podcast interviews posted on our website. Carrying on the same tradition as our KPFK-FM/Pacifica Network syndicated radio show, the podcasts feature talented, creative people with experience worth talking about. Find our podcasts on the Listen Page of our website. They’ll post on an intermittent basis, so read this blog for updates about new podcasts as well as new Experience Talks radio shows. You can also like Experience Talks on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to get the latest news. ET Online is produced and hosted by John Semper Jr. and Cynthia Friedlob.
Host John Semper Jr. continues his interview with actor Victor Lundin.
NOW POSTED! CLICK HERE to listen any time!
VICTOR LUNDIN has appeared in numerous television shows including “Batman,” “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea,” “Get Smart,” “The Time Tunnel,” “Babylon 5,” and as the first Klingon on the original “Star Trek.” But science fiction fans particularly appreciate Victor’s iconic co-starring role in the 1964 classic sci-fi film, “Robinson Crusoe On Mars,” in which he was the alien, Friday. More recently, Victor starred in the movie, “The Theory of Everything,” which made its television debut in November 2007. In addition to being an actor, Victor is also a singer/songwriter and has produced two albums: “Little Owl” and “The Storyteller.” CLICK HERE to get more information at his website.
