Education for Older Adults

SCOSA offers educational, socialization, and recreation programs for older adults (60 and over) that encourage vitality through physical, social, mental and spiritual engagement.

COVID-19 Precautions: SCOSA's programs are being offered in-person (masks recommended, and Stockton Health Pledge required), and/or online via Zoom. SCOSA complies with Stockton guidelines. CLICK HERE for the latest from Stockton. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) provides useful information for everyone. (CLICK HERE)

SCOSA programs are partially funded under Title III of the Older Americans Act of 1965, as amended, through grants from the Atlantic County Division of Intergenerational Services, Cape May County Department of Aging And Disability Services, and the Ocean County Office of Senior Services. Each funding source requires us to collect basic demographic information from our participants. The NJ Division of Aging Services also compels us to inform participants about their Privacy and Non-Discrimination policies, available for review by Clicking Here.

SCOSA gladly accepts voluntary donations. Such donations are not a fee and are not required. Donations are used to develop and operate future programs. To donate directly to SCOSA please make checks payable to SCOSA and send them to: SCOSA/SOBL, Stockton University, 101 Vera King Farris Drive, Galloway, NJ 08205-9441. Please indicate if you need your donation to potentially be tax deductible. If so, we will put it into one of our Foundation funds; if not, we will deposit into a revenue account that directly supports our operating expenses.

Upcoming Older Adult Education, Socialization and Recreation Events

* We also encourage you to visit our Stockton Institute for Lifelong Learning listing by Clicking Here.

Players and Playwrights Meeting

January 21 - December 16

Players and Playwrights Meeting Each third Saturday, 1-4pm, John F Scarpa Academic Center | Players and Playwrights (P&P) is a collective of playwrights and readers (aka players) who meet monthly to read original plays. Performances are organized several times a year. Interested players and playwrights are invited to attend a meeting once before committing to join.

Time to Tell Memoir Writing

February 06 - December 04

Time to Tell Memoir Writing First Monday of each Month, 10-11am, Online via Zoom | Personalized instruction with monthly meetings to help you chronicle the stories of your life. Creative writing styles, including poetry and photographs, can also be used to tell your story.

Greeting Card Workshops

February 07 - May 02

Greeting Card Workshops Tuesdays, 2/7, 3/7, 4/4, & 5/2/2023, 11am-12pm, Stockton at Manahawkin, 712 E Bay Avenue | Join us for greeting card classes. We will make two creative greeting cards, suitable to send to your friends or family. Bring scissors, glue, and either colored pencils or markers to each class.

Tour of Poetry

February 11 - June 10

Tour of Poetry Second Saturday through June 2023, 11am-1pm,Otto Bruyns Public Library, 241 West Mill Road, Northfield | During each session of this monthly program, an established poet will read original work, present an engaging lecture, and encourage participants to write & share something of their own. Participants will have an opportunity to have their poetry included in the Tour of Poetry Anthology.

Players and Playwrights Meeting

February 18 - December 16

Players and Playwrights Meeting Third Saturdays each Month, 1-4pm, John F Scarpa Academic Center, Room 311 | Players and Playwrights (P&P) is a collective of playwrights and readers (aka players) who meet monthly to read original plays. Performances are organized several times a year. Interested players and playwrights are invited to attend a meeting once before committing to join.

The Contemporary American Novel

March 03 - 31

The Contemporary American Novel Fridays, 3/3,10, (skip 17), 24, & 31, 2023, 12:30-1:30, Galloway Campus | This course will outline the status of the contemporary American novel in the first session. Participants will select one to three recent American novels for the remaining three sessions, with a specific focus on contemporary American women writers as March is Women's History Month. The remaining three sessions will focus on the novel(s) selected, with lectures focused on genre, historical and cultural context, and other writers who explore similar themes. There will be time in each session for discussion of the lecture and novel. Participants are encouraged to read the novel prior to the session or use the course for enrichment of future reading. Novel list (participants will pick 1-3 for sessions 2-4): The Vanishing Half (2020) by Brit Bennett, A Children's Bible (2020) by Lydia Millet, A Woman is No Man (2019) by Etaf Rum, The Idiot (2017) by Elif Batuman, The Round House (2012) by Louise Erdrich, Salvage the Bones (2011) by Jesmyn Ward.

Chair Yoga: Spring Session 1

March 17 - May 12

Chair Yoga: Spring Session 1 Fridays, 3/17- (skip 4/7)- 5/12/2023, Stockton at Manahawkin | Join Lois for Chair Yoga, for modified poses that can be done while seated, which makes the poses accessible to more men and women.

Adult Tap Dance: Spring Session 1

March 17 - May 12

Adult Tap Dance: Spring Session 1 Fridays, 3/17- (skip 4/7)- 5/12/2023, 10-11am, Stockton at Manahawkin | Join Lois Allen of Lois Allen's School of Dance to learn adult tap dancing, an exciting and social activity.

Adult Belly Dancing: Spring Session 1

March 17 - May 12

Adult Belly Dancing: Spring Session 1 Fridays, 3/17- (skip 4/7)-5/12/2023, 11am-12pm, Stockton at Manahawkin | Join Lois Allen of Lois Allen's School of Dance to learn belly dancing!

Ball Room Dance: Spring Session 1

March 17 - May 12

Ball Room Dance: Spring Session 1 Fridays, 3/17-(skip 4/7)- 5/12/2023, 12-1pm, Stockton at Manahawkin | Join Lois Allen of Lois Allen's School of Dance to learn Ball Room Dance, men and women are welcome!

Knit & Crochet with Lois: Spring Session 1

March 20 - May 08

Knit & Crochet with Lois: Spring Session 1 Mondays, 3/20-5/8/2023, 9-11am, Stockton at Manahawkin | This eight-week class will teach you to knit and/ or crochet like you are a pro! You will learn to read patterns and make something for yourself, or as a gift.

One Stroke Painting: Spring Session 1

March 20 - May 08

One Stroke Painting: Spring Session 1 Mondays, 3/20-5/8/2023, 11am-1pm, Stockton at Manahawkin | One Stroke Painting is sweeping the decorative painting world. It's fun! It's easy! It's quick! One Stroke is a multi-loading style of acrylic decorative painting that is very friendly to novice painters. It is equally usable on metal, plaster, glass, wood, fabric and ceramic surfaces. You will be excited too, when you find out for yourself how easy One Stroke is. Imagine, blending, shading, and highlighting all in One Stroke! Classes teach you to freehand various strokes and to build your own unique pattern.

Who Hijacked my Fairytale?

March 25

Who Hijacked my Fairytale? Saturday, 3/25/2023, 7:30pm, Stockton Performing Arts Center | A NIGHT OF COMEDY AND INSPIRATION FOR WHEN YOUR GLASS SLIPPER TURNS OUT TO BE PLASTIC! Step into the magical, heartwarming, incredibly funny journey of a wayward southern belle who went from being a shy child who tried to be invisible, to a tacky woman who just won't shut up. This story starts and ends on the other side of the fairy tale - the place the books and movies never showed you. To the land of muffin tops and turkey necks, ungrateful children, and fairy dust that turned out to be just dust. Award-winning storyteller, comedian, and author, Kelly Swanson, will have you laughing your way through her twisted journey to a happier ever after. And just when you least expect, your heart gets tugged on. But that isn't the true magic of this show...The true magic of this show isn't just the comedy and the stories. It's a show that's also about YOU. For as you walk through Kelly's story, you find yourself standing in your own, and realizing that it's not too late to find your own happier ever after. A night you'll never forget. A message you'll always remember. Grab your girlfriends and share the experience in one colossal girls' night out. BECAUSE IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO WRITE A NEW ENDING TO YOUR FAIRY TALE.

And Then there Were None

April 02

And Then there Were None Sunday, 4/2/2023, 2-4pm, Stockton Experimental Theatre, 101 Vera King Farris Dr, Galloway | One of Christie's darkest tales and a masterpiece of dramatic construction, its growing sense of dread and unfaltering tension will keep you guessing to the very end. Ten strangers are summoned to a remote island. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. As the weather turns and the group is cut off from the mainland, the bloodbath begins and one by one they are brutally murdered in accordance with the lines of a sinister nursery rhyme. Only 20 complimentary tickets through SCOSA are available.

Spring Walks with Alyssa

April 04 - 25

Spring Walks with Alyssa Tuesdays, 4/4, 11, 18, & 25/2023, 10-11am, North Lot, Stockton University | Join SCOSA intern Alyssa for a weekly walk on Stockton's beautiful campus. Meet in the far end of the North Lot (nearest Pomona Road entrance to campus) for a nature walk. Please wear comfortable walking shoes, and bring water.

The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising: An Echoes and Reflections Webinar

April 10

The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising: An Echoes and Reflections Webinar Monday, 4/10/2023, 3-4pm, Online via Zoom | The Warsaw Ghetto uprising in April 1943 is an iconic symbol of heroic resistance during the Holocaust. Who were the members of the youth movements that participated in this uprising? How were they able to resist, after years of oppression, starvation and persecution? In honor of Holocaust Memorial Day, Yad Vashem educator Liz Elsby will present this astonishing example of armed resistance, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the uprising.

National Healthcare Decisions Day Commemoration: Fundamentals of Estate Planning

April 14

National Healthcare Decisions Day Commemoration: Fundamentals of Estate Planning Friday, 4/14/2023, 10-11am, Online via Zoom | Join SCOSA in welcoming Bratton Law Group in discussing the fundamentals of estate planning. Estate planning, or legacy planning, entails preparing your affairs for the future, including death and other life events. While older adults might give more thought to estate planning, it is an essential tool at any age.

Oval Footed Basket

April 15

Oval Footed Basket Saturday, 4/14/2023, 10am-12pm, Swan Bay Folk Art Center, 300 Sooys Landing Rd, Port Republic | This basket is a 10"x 8" oval, sits on 4 feet , has a swing handle and would make a great small project basket.

Liberation and a Return to Life: An American Liberator's Story

April 17

Liberation and a Return to Life: An American Liberator's Story Monday, 4/17/2023, 3-4pm, Online via Zoom | As the Allied forces liberated war-torn Europe, what did they bear witness to as their units entered unfamiliar territory? John L. Withers of Greensboro, North Carolina, was commander of the U.S. Army's all-black Quartermaster Truck Company 3511 that had been tasked with supplying emergency provisions to the German town of Dachau in May 1945. Victims of racial abuse themselves, they were shocked to discover Jewish survivors of the Dachau concentration camp. Today's webinar is presented by John L. Withers' own son, John L. Withers II, who penned his father's experiences in Balm in Gilead.

Honoring Holocaust Remembrance Day: A Second-Generation Voice

April 18

Honoring Holocaust Remembrance Day: A Second-Generation Voice Tuesday, 4/18/2023, 2:30-3:30pm, Online via Zoom | In commemoration of Holocaust Remembrance Day, Pearl "Peppy" Margolis, SCOSA staff member, a Second-Generation Holocaust Survivor, will share the truly moving story of her parents, who defied the odds and survived the death camps, married in a displaced persons camp (where Peppy was born), and moved to America. "Since my parents could not talk, I was their voice. "

NEWSical The Musical

April 28

NEWSical The Musical Friday, 4/28/2023, 7:30pm, Stockton Performing Arts Center | No one in the news is safe! NEWSical The Musical, the fifth longest-running Off-Broadway musical and winner of the 2011 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical, is the always changing musical comedy that features all the news that's fit to spoof. Through hilarious sketches, songs, and parodies, NEWSical tackles everything from the highest office in the land to the lowest depths of reality. See why the Daily News calls it "The Daily Show set to music!"