Institute for Education in Retirement

The Institute for Education in Retirement, Inc.'s (IER) major focus since the summer of 2019 has been supporting the Lifelong Peer Learning Program (LP2) at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY) which serves the New York Metropolitan Area. Founded in 1962 as the Institute for Retired Professionals at the New School for Social Research, LP2 is the oldest Lifelong Peer Learning Group in the nation. It moved to the CUNY Graduate Center in the summer of 2019. LP2 is based on a model of adult continuing education known as peer learning. LP2 members from various backgrounds share the responsibility for designing, teaching, and participating in weekly noncredit study groups that mirror the content and structure of college courses. Learning at LP2 is both an intellectual and social experience, where common interests provide a foundation for new friendships. IER supports a number of programs at LP2, including free public lectures that bring some of the nation's top intellectuals in the arts and sciences to attendees in person or via Zoom, online classes for homebound older adults, and group art shows. These programs serve the growing retired and semi-retired community of the New York Metropolitan Area with the opportunity to keep intellectually engaged and give back to the community. IER also provides scholarships for those LP2 members in need.