The Perceived Benefits of Participating in Volunteer and Educational Activities

Abstract

A program evaluation of OASIS, a national non-profit organization which provides educational and volunteer opportunities to people over the age of 55, focused on the benefits of participating in educational and volunteer activities. A total of 289 older adults provided their perspectives on the extent to which participation in these activities benefited them in four domains: socialization (social interaction), generativity (productivity), well-being (life satisfaction), and opportunity (chance for new endeavors). The survey results indicate that, in general, older adults perceive that they benefit from participation in these activities. Participants perceived the most benefit in the domain of opportunity, followed by well-being, and then, at the same level, socialization and generativity. Volunteers reported more benefit overall than class takers. When asked what was most beneficial about participation, most respondents mentioned interacting with new people.

Key Words:

• Volunteerism
• late life learning
• productive engagement