- Elderhostel
Elderhostel is the world's largest
not-for-profit educational travel organization for adults. Elderhostel offers more than 8,000 learning adventures every year, in all 50 U.S. states and in over 90 countries around the world. Over 160,000 people enroll in Elderhostel programs every year.History
Founded in
1975 by David Bianco and Martin Knowlton, the first Elderhostel programs took place on theUniversity of New Hampshire campus. The organization expanded to campuses acrossNew England , and now offers programs around the world, many affiliated with colleges, universities, museums and other learning centers.Elderhostel has evolved over the years. Early Elderhostelers slept in college dorms and ate in cafeterias. Many early participants had foregone college because of
World War II , and Elderhostel provided learning experiences on college campuses. In 1980, the first Elderhostel program was offered inCanada at theUniversity of New Brunswick .Governance
Elderhostel is headquartered in
Boston ,Massachusetts .Program
Elderhostel programs last from one day to several weeks. Education remains the core of Elderhostel's mission, and the organization offers scholarships to those learners who would otherwise be unable to attend a program.
While no two programs are exactly alike, all Elderhostel programs emphasize learning in a collegial environment, featuring lectures by experts combined with field trips for a more hands-on learning experience.
Eligibility
Elderhostel began as an organization for people age 60 and older, but has since reduced its age requirement to 55. People of all ages, however, can enjoy Elderhostel, provided that they travel with at least one person who is 55 or older. Grandparents and their grandchildren often enroll in the organization's intergenerational programs. In
2004 , Elderhostel began offering a new initiative called Road Scholar, with specialized educational programming for adults of all ages.Accommodations
As Elderhostel has grown, accommodations have changed. Most Elderhostelers now stay in hotels and conference centers, or, when they participate in the organization's water-based programs, they sleep in comfortable berths aboard ships.
References
All facts, unless otherwise stated, are from Elderhostel's web site. [http://www.elderhostel.org]
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