Founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1974, People Program NOLA provides an active program for seniors in the New Orleans area. Now the organization offers over 170 weekly classes, teaching seniors about fitness, fine arts and much more.
Program Director Scott Wallace and Campus Coordinator Jan Martino — a mainstay at the program for fifteen years — are thrilled to share the message about their work. For the most part, People Program’s benefits extend far beyond learning something new in a classroom.
“Here at People Program, we combat elder loneliness one senior citizen at a time,” said Wallace. “Classes are about community.” Although learning new skills in the classes is valuable, the real goal is fostering connections and friendships among participants.
For an enrollment fee of $200, seniors aged 55 and up can take any number of classes with People Program. Languages, humanities, finance, literature, science, mental health, and sewing are just a few of the topics covered.
Classes are arranged like college semesters, with spring, summer, and autumn semesters. Each course lasts for about 15 to 16 weeks.
First, People Program’s exercise classes are a popular choice, with yoga, dance, stretching and more offered each week. Participants can learn how to tap dance, play pickleball, or take a barre ballet course. Meditation and tai chi are available as well.
Next, the arts courses are also beloved, with options to learn acrylics, oil, stained glass, ceramics, pastel, and drawing, among other mediums. As Martino explained, many people never knew they had a gift for the arts until getting involved in these courses.
Additional classes teach participants how to play games such as Mah Jongg, bridge, canasta, chess and dominos. There are also plenty of music classes that cover everything from violin to ukulele.
Many courses offer practical advice as well. For instance, the Healthy Aging and the Brain class teaches participants how to understand the typical cognitive effects of aging. The course also provides evidence-based strategies on how to reduce potential risks. Meanwhile, the Elder Scams and Financial Exploitation course helps participants avoid scams targeted to the elderly community.
In addition to the many in-person courses, People Program also provides online and hybrid classes. Participants can use Zoom to attend classes if they can’t make it to campus. This also allows people all over the world to attend classes via Zoom, so they can learn a language or participate in a book club discussion from any place. This technology provided a big boost for the program overall.
Both Martino and Wallace stressed one thing: People Program is for everyone. It’s non-denominational, nonsecular and welcomes a diverse group of participants. In fact, the interaction of people from all sorts of backgrounds is part of what makes the program so special.
People Program has an ongoing relationship with the Tulane University’s Aging Studies Program, whose interns teach classes and provide information about staying healthy while aging.
People Program’s overall mission – to support seniors’ need for community – is a vital one. In fact, Harvard University followed a cohort of people from 1938 to 2023 to study human happiness and well-being. As Robert Waldinger, author of The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness, remarked on the research: “[T]he finding that surprised us was there is tremendous predictive power in predicting who’s going to be happy and live longer in the quality of their relationships, that the people who have the warmest relationships and the people who are most connected to other people in their lives are the people who stay healthier and live longer.” It was one of the most critical findings from this massive 85-year-long study.
As Martino explained, the classes and friendships offered by People Program go a long way toward alleviating senior loneliness and building these crucial relationships. “People will stop by my office and say, every day is a good day at People Program,” said Martino. “People are engaged, learning, laughing and enjoying themselves.”
GET INVOLVED
Martino described People Program as the “best-kept secret in the area,” and welcomes anyone interested to get in touch. Give them a call, check out the website, or visit either campus for more information. In addition, donations are always welcome. People Program also hosts a yearly gala and auction for additional fundraising. It’s a simple way to support the robust community of active seniors who make People Program so vital.
Contact nolapeopleprogram.wildapricot.org
Locations:
Lakeshore
2240 Lakeshore Drive
New Orleans, LA 70122
504-284-7678
Westbank
Holy Spirit Catholic Church
6201 Stratford Place
New Orleans, 70131
504-394-5433
