FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)



  1. Who attends the Paths to Creative Retirement workshop and what motivates them?
    Typically, participants (usually 30-40 per workshop) are professionals (couples and singles) in their fifties who are still pursuing a career. A small number have already taken their next steps but want to reassess their options. Surprisingly, about half the participants say they already have a plan for what they want to do next. Their purpose in attending the workshop is to evaluate and improve upon their plan by using the resources of the workshop and by comparing notes with others who are seriously seeking to optimize their opportunities. At least one-fourth of participants tell us they need a way to "jump start" their planning process and that, for them, going away to focus specifically on planning their transition is essential.
  2. What is included in the cost of the workshop?
    The fee for the workshop includes three continental breakfasts, three lunches and two dinners, handout materials, and the activities of the event itself. Lodging is a separate expense with a wide range of options available. The workshop is conducted at Reuter Center, an attractive classroom and conference center type building located right on the University campus. Many attractive hotels, motels and B & Bs are located 5-15 minutes by car from Reuter Center.
  3. How do I/we know this is the right workshop for me/us?
    The Paths workshop is an important investment in time and money. Participants have made it abundantly clear that they are seeking solid information, an exciting and inviting group of peers with whom to share insights, a well-organized and well-run program, and a helpful workshop framework that will ensure they are asking the right questions. Participants generally welcome a creative, highly interactive environment that is unpretentious. They like the fact that the workshop is conducted by a university-based program, with no products are for sale, and a diversity of people from around the country. Participants tell us that the workshop either helps to confirm and refine a plan already partly formed, or to motivate them while feeling less anxious about the changes ahead. Again, the Paths workshop is mainly about the lifestyle issues. Financial issues are explored in terms of values, attitudes and self-awareness.
  4. Do you ever have participants who are reluctant to attend?
    Yes, occasionally we learn that one half of a couple is somewhat reluctant to attend. Some people are uncomfortable in groups. Some spouses "send" the partner whom they believe "needs this workshop more than I do." Generally, evaluations and conversations reveal that the less eager partner becomes more comfortable as the workshop goes on, is pleased to not feel coerced into anything, enjoyed meeting the other attendees, and is pleasantly surprised that the event is personally helpful. We understand that programs like this are not for everyone. We do believe that for couples the planning process works better if both are directly involved.
  5. What makes the Center for Creative Retirement qualified to offer this workshop?
    The Center's professional staff and its cadre of member-volunteer facilitators combine their knowledge of research and practical experience relevant to the changes and choices people face as they make decisions about retirement. The Center's work over two decades in offering workshops on how to successfully navigate the uncertain waters of senior career development, personal rejuvenation, relationship enhancement, and other life goals as related to financial and emotional resources, makes our team uniquely experienced and well informed.
  6. What can I/we expect to take away from this workshop?
    This varies depending on the individual or couple's starting point and their openness during the sessions. Past participants tell us that as a result of attending the workshop they feel less anxious and more excited about planning their next steps. They are delighted to have found a group of fellow travelers with whom they can exchange ideas and practical information. The planning stage model provided in the workshop gives participants a way to analyze and evaluate where they are in the process, what they need to do next, and where and how they can find additional information and assistance when they return home. For many couples, the workshop enables them to more easily share their individual expectations and goals as related to retirement-related decision making (including extending their working years).
  7. Who are the facilitators of this workshop?
    The workshops are led by small teams of facilitators that include Dr. Ron Manheimer, executive director of the Center and research associate professor of philosophy, and Denise Snodgrass, assistant director of the Center and one of the key designers of the Paths program. Manheimer is widely published in both professional and popular journals, frequently cited in the media and a sought-after speaker who has lectured on the personal and social impacts of the "new retirement." Manheimer and Snodgrass have also led life transition programs for organizations such as the Smithsonian Associates program in Washington, D.C., a professional lawyer's organization, and at national conferences. Other facilitators are members of the Center with backgrounds in business consulting, business ownership, counseling, and financial planning.



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Upcoming Workshops
  • September 3-5, 2010
  • April 15-17, 2011
  • September 2-4, 2011
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