The Midlife Academy Director Kate Schaefers was a guest on 4-Quarter Lives, a podcast hosted by Aviva Wittenberg-Cox that explores the profound impact of longer lives and careers. Kate and longevity expert Simon Chan, who co-chair the NEXEL Collaborative, were invited to discuss why universities must be reshaped to meet the needs of adults in midlife and beyond. NEXEL is a nonprofit alliance of higher-education leaders advancing midlife and later-life learning by connecting universities that are building Encore programs for adults in transition.
In the conversation, Kate and Simon describe how demographic change, longer working lives and shifting expectations are driving demand for new kinds of learning experiences — ones that support reinvention, not just credentialing. They explore how universities can become places where adults in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond can reflect on what’s next, build community, update skills and stay engaged in meaningful work and life, rather than viewing education as something that ends after early adulthood. Listen to the podcast
