People often ask me why I am a member of Lincoln Land Community College’s Academy of Lifelong Learning (ALL). I tell them there are several reasons. I like that for only $60 per year I have access to a wide variety of activities that seem to keep me active, informed and part of a community through which I continuously meet new friends.

I can keep up my physical well-being by walking, biking, playing pickleball and golfing. I can learn new games and find new friends with whom to socialize by playing Mahjong, Pinochle, and Hand and Foot. I keep my mind active by taking advantage of the programs that explore our world such as Chatauqua, History Hunters, Around Town and Wander on Wednesday.

My creative side enjoys telling stories with Scribes. I read books for Book Lovers. I watch classic movies with Flicks on Friday. I enjoy eating out with Meet, Greet, Eat and also listening to fantastic speakers with Breakfast Round Table.

Special programs like the series coming up on Artificial Intelligence keep me abreast of new developments in our world. The year-long study based on Aldo Leopold’s book “A Sand County Almanac” has included a variety of activities and new knowledge that has been fun as well as interesting. There’s even a new group getting together to practice Spanish.

All of these activities are open to people 50 years and better. I find many things to do each and every month.

There is one other aspect of ALL that I’m not sure many other people know about. As a group, ALL sponsors scholarships for relatives of our members (or even our own members) to help them further their educational goals while attending Lincoln Land Community College. When I met with Karen Sanders, executive director of the LLCC Foundation, and Michelle Burger, scholarship program and alumni services coordinator, I learned how these scholarships are applied for and awarded.

The LLCC Foundation ALL scholarship was established 17 years ago by ALL members and continues to be supported by donations from members. Applying for the LLCC Foundation scholarships, means you are also able to apply for the ALL scholarship, as it uses the same online application as all other LLCC scholarships, so applicants only have to fill out one form.

Applicants can apply Nov. 15 through Feb 15 at www.llccfoundation.org/scholarships. Students from the more than 40 high schools in the Lincoln Land Community College district are open to apply as well as those already attending LLCC or beginning their education later in life. One of the special requirements for the ALL scholarships is that the applicant be a member or relative of a member of the Academy of Lifelong Learning.

A review committee of about 30 members, broken down into smaller teams, reviews all the scholarship applications. This group is made up of LLCC staff, faculty and members of the LLCC Foundation Board. Approximately 40% of LLCC students receive some form of financial aid. Each year ALL awards $1,000 scholarships to qualified students who apply. In the past few years there have been 3-5 such scholarships awarded annually. Recent students receiving those awards have written thank-you notes to the organization that all of us enjoying seeing.

The Academy of Lifelong Learning is a group of 400+ diverse individuals. We come together each year to help further the education of some very deserving students at Lincoln Land Community College. All donations are welcome. Every little bit helps us to consider applications and award scholarships to as many students as possible. The college follows these students throughout their careers as they go through the LLCC programs and beyond. The members of ALL are proud to be supporting the education of those who may one day become members of our great organization.

To learn more about ALL, call 217-786-2432 or visit www.llcc.edu/all.