My Mid-Term Reflection as Scholar in Residence at Beatitudes

The Scholar in Residence Program is designed to bring individuals to  Campus who will help  enhance the quality of life through both presence and education and is funded by a special grant from the Beatitudes foundation  

The month of September marks the mid-point of my tenure as Scholar in Residence at Beatitudes Campus. This past year has been one of the most satisfying of my life and one full of blessings here at Beatitudes. I have felt embraced by the community for which I am most grateful. I have also been provided the opportunity to engage in a number of teaching activities as a member of the Lifelong Learners committee including serving on its Executive Committee. My teaching activities included the following:

• Presented a course introducing the Psychology of C.G. Jung to 12 residents in 2014. Participants have continued to meet weekly to deepen their knowledge and fellowship with each other.
• Facilitated a weekly evening seminar being presented by Barbara Marx Hubbard on Conscious Evolution. Participants continue to meet weekly every Monday evening as a support group.
• Facilitated three sections of a course based on six TED Talks in the first Lifelong Learners term of 2015. The course involved 45 residents in the three sections.
• Repeated the TED Talks course for 45 residents in the Spring/Summer term of 2015.
• Designed a course for the Fall term that will present six TED Talks focused on ecology.
• Designed a new course on the Psychology of C.G. Jung that will be taught in collaboration with a new resident, Dr. Scott Haasarud, during the Fall term.
• Designed a course to inform residents about the 350 refugees living in our neighborhood, and our plans to provide ELA instruction. The course will be presented in the Lifelong Learners Fall term.
• Brought a new course on SoulCollage to the Campus for the Fall Term.

In addition to teaching I have been involved in these organizational initiatives:

• Organized monthly coaching sessions involving volunteer teens and adults from Hands On Greater Phoenix, to increase the skills of residents on iPhones, iPads and Android Tablets.
• Founding member of the Senior Roundtable with the Tanner Community Development Corporation.
• Engaged the Department of Human Services from the City of Phoenix in providing assistance in the initiation of Our Neighborhood Project.
• Led the start of Our Neighborhood Project in collaboration with Leroy Calbom.
• Led the effort to organize an English Language Assistance (ELA) Program for the 350 refugees living in walking distance of the Campus. 17 residents have volunteered to assist in this Program.
• Managed the relationship with Refugee focus in relation to the ELA project and initiated observations of ELA classes at the Refugee Focus headquarters for Campus residents participating in the Program.
• Coordinated the interface with the Area Agency on Aging to offer ELA instruction to elder refugees being supported by the Agency.

I am looking forward to the coming year and the additional opportunities it will provide to serve this very special community as its first Scholar in Residence.

Author Info: Beatitudes Campus

At the foundation of Beatitudes Campus is the vision of Church of the Beatitudes pastors and congregation members to create a better alternative for older adults than the nursing homes of the early 1960s. The type of community they imagined was the first of its kind in Arizona. Beatitudes Campus is proud to continue the legacy of our founders, by being a leader in the field of aging services for over 50 years.