| Type | Not-For-Profit |
|---|---|
| Industry | Educational Travel |
| Founded | 1975 |
| Headquarters | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Employees | 270 |
| Website | www.Elderhostel.org |
Elderhostel is a not-for-profit organization established in 1975 that allows senior citizens to travel and take educational programs in the United States and around the world. Its 8,000 programs are offered in all 50 states and 150 countries and have enrolled over 5,000,000 people since the organization's founding in 1975.
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Elderhostel was founded in 1975 to provide lifelong learning opportunities at a significant value for older adults. It was founded by social activist Martin Knowlton and university administrator David Bianco.
In the summer of 1975, five colleges and universities in New Hampshire offered the first Elderhostel programs to 220 “pioneer” participants. In 1980, based almost entirely on word-of-mouth promotion, more than 20,000 people participated in educational experiences in all 50 states and most Canadian provinces.[1] Elderhostel offered its first international programs in 1981 in Mexico, Great Britain, and Scandinavia.
These first international adventures afforded participants the opportunity to discover the people, culture, environment, and history of the countries visited through in-depth lectures, course-related field trips, cultural excursions, and extracurricular activities.
Road Scholar educational programs offer a broad range of lifelong learning adventures, including Theme-based, Intergenerational, Outdoor Adventures, Service Learning, Adventures Afloat and Independent City Discoveries.
All of Road Scholar’s 7,100 programs can be found in their iconic printed catalogs or online at the Road Scholar website.
Elderhostel offers scholarships to participants who would otherwise be unable to attend a Road Scholar program. It awards approximately $300,000 in scholarships towards programs in North America each year[2].
Elderhostel conducts research on successful aging and lifelong learning[3]. Research articles include, “What Will Baby Boomers Want from Educational Travel,” and “Mental Stimulation and Lifelong Learning Activities in the 55+ Population.”
The Elderhostel K. Patricia Cross Doctoral Research Grant was founded in 2006 to aid doctoral students researching topics relevant to aging and later-life learning. This $5,000 grant honors the work of K. Patricia Cross, PhD., former Board Member and Professor Emerita of the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley.[4]