Lifelong Learning Celebrated In Bensalem Senior Community Courses

BENSALEM, PA — For residents of Juniper Village, a local senior living community, every month of the summer is marked by workshops promoting “lifelong learning.”

Juniper Village launched the 2021 Summer Educational Series for Lifelong Learning in collaboration with Bucks County Community College — and classes are open to the local community, too.

The program offers a mix of hands-on informational sessions by visiting artists and lectures by experts on engaging topics. Registration is required and admission is free.

“A tenet of Juniper Village is to give back to the community and provide events that support the community and residents at Juniper alike,” said Tamara Moreland, executive director of Juniper Village. “Partnering with Bucks County Community College and sharing these enrichment events with the outside community and our residents helps provide an environment where people learn and grow.”

The program feels especially critical following lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It decreases social isolation and leaves everyone with a positive experience,” Moreland said.

In June, residents attended "Exploring the History of the PA Lenape Tribe" with archeologist Matt Bieleck. In July, it was "Creative Painting, Design a Summertime Birdhouse" with visiting artist Antoinette Marchfelder. Registration at both events was full, and more than half of the attendees came from the community at large, the Village said.

The next event, scheduled for Aug. 24 from 1 p.m.-2 p.m., is "Civil War - The Battle of Antietam," presented by John S. Benson, Esq.,an adjunct professor of Civil War courses at Bucks County Community College. Antietam was the deadliest one-day battle in American military history, which allowed Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.

Benson, a lifelong resident of Bucks County, has personally led more than 1,500 people on tours of the Gettysburg and Antietam National Battlefields and has authored more than 45 book reviews for two internationally recognized Civil War publications.

To learn more about Juniper Village and their education series, visit them online.

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