Members of Shepherd’s Center of St. Andrews join in on classes via Zoom.
Whoever said you can’t teach an old dog new tricks hadn’t reckoned with the Shepherd’s Center of St. Andrews. This Columbia-area all-volunteer, interfaith learning program for senior adults completely disproves that adage. When the COVID virus struck in the spring, most Midlands centers for senior continuing education went dark but not the Shepherd’s Center of St. Andrews, headquartered at Columbia’s Ashland United Methodist Church and home to some 285 energetic members.
In March 2020, the Shepherd’s Center of St. Andrews distinguished itself as one of few affiliate centers in the country to tackle offering classes via Zoom. Shepherd’s Center president B.J. Bickers, executive director Amy S. Crook, and chair of the Adventures in Learning Committee Carol McGinnis Kay led the charge to transform the center into a COVID-resistent resource for 50-plus year olds.
According to Kay, “When COVID began to close things down, our only choices were suspend all activities until we could safely meet again in-person or learn a new format of online learning. Since social interaction and human connection are so important, especially to seniors, many of whom live alone, we immediately decided we should learn how to work through Zoom. A core group of us taught ourselves how to manage classes on Zoom and we spent the summer offering sample one-time classes so our teachers and members could learn and adapt.”
“We tried,” says president of the board B.J. Bickers, “to leave no stone unturned. We recruited ‘Zoom hosts’ for every class so teachers wouldn’t have to concern themselves with technological issues. A group of willing members created an eight-page guide for teachers and hosts to help navigate the new format. We practiced all summer and offered Zoom tutorials. We even reached out to a sister Shepherd’s Center in Greensboro, N.C., and have been able to begin sharing Zoom classes.”
But the transition wasn’t carefree. Could seniors learn how to manage Zoom effectively without a resident 12-year-old to help with the technology? Would center members actually want to take classes online?
“ We went into the fall session pretty petrified this could be a big waste of our time and energy,” Kay says. “Instead we were bowled over by how grateful our members were for the classes.”
A full array of 11 classes was offered in the fall session—from lighthearted fun gatherings for Trivial Pursuit and creative outlets with the Creative Writing Group, to subject classes such as “The Story of Native America” and “The Theology of Harry Potter.”
Response to the Shepherd’s Center of St. Andrews fall offerings was overwhelmingly positive. Teachers report scores of emails thanking them and the center for continuing to offer classes. Ninety-five percent of the respondents to a survey at the end of the session said the experience was excellent. Some even pointed advantages of Zoom classes, including the participant’s close-up, unobstructed view of PowerPoints offered. In the words of one member, Zoomers managed to keep “the identity, spirit and even the flavor of the center burning brightly. I never left a single class without hearing a steady stream of kudos.”
It comes as no surprise Zoom is here to stay. According to executive director Amy S. Crook, “While it will be lovely to see each other in person again and to have activity classes (line dancing, art, bells, chair yoga, quilting) again, we have been delighted to see new members who have transportation issues or live miles away, people who could not have joined us earlier. We know many folks living in retirement communities will enjoy taking classes online with us. We had been considering ways to offer classes online before COVID hit. We were simply forced to move faster than we’d planned. Now, we are delighted with where we are.”
The fall participants are already asking when registration will be open for winter session, which will begin February 2. Winter will offer even more classes, including subject classes in “History of Aviation,” “How Organized Religion Gets in the Way,” “The Secret Art of Listening,” and “President Lincoln’s Assassination and the Hunt for John Wilkes Booth.” Classes will be offered on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings. Call the center office 803-731-9394 for a winter brochure. And stay tuned to the Shepherd’s Center of St. Andrews website (www.shepherdscenterofstandrews.org) for additional details.
Anyone with a computer can learn how to use Zoom, plus there are folks at the center who can help a new member get started. Registration for winter will begin the last week in December.
Registration by January 11 is recommended in order to ensure there is space. As many classes as a member chooses may be taken for one low registration fee of $35.
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