A key element throughout "What's Next!" is an abundance of positive storytelling based upon the Appreciative Inquiry model developed in recent years at Case Western Reserve University.

The "What's Next!" process begins with a "taking stock" survey that sets the stage for participants to start thinking about their present situations relating to a number of categories that might impact their lives in the years ahead. The survey is followed by four seminar sessions on the subjects of Learning, Wellness, Creativity/Beauty, and Values/Spirituality.

The Learning Seminar urges participants to look at their continued learning potential. It examines the learning process critically and suggests that learning is not so much diminished as it is just different as we age. It stresses the notion that, in fact, we often become more focused learners as years pass. It also examines myths attached to the learning process in older adults.

While wellness is generally considered a holistic term, in the "What's Next!" Wellness Seminar our focus is primarily on the body, recognizing that other sessions address issues relating to mind and spirit. Participants are urged to pay particular attention to their physicality and to engage in purposeful physical activity. Much discussion centers around debunking the myths related to being active, and to the potential joys of taking back control of one's physicality.

The Creativity/Beauty Seminar looks with a critical eye at the many aesthetic wonders of our world and at how participants might engage in both appreciation of that world and in the creative process itself. Discussions often center around the apparent expansion of our awareness of such things as we age, and about how we may be stimulated to move beyond previous boundaries relating to art.

The Values/Spirituality Seminar is presented in two parts. In the first, a representative from Hospice of the Western Reserve leads a discussion about ethical wills and the importance and rewards of leaving a legacy. In the second, we address our often expanding awareness of life's larger questions, and how we may adapt that awareness to our own personal needs in a meaningful and purposeful way.

Session five of "What's Next!" is entitled Options and Opportunities, and is a discussion, led by three expert panelists on the subjects of (1) volunteerism, how to go about it, and its benefits to both the volunteer and the organization; (2) the obstacles and opportunities of further employment after retirement; and (3) where to find resources for continued lifelong learning.

Session six is entitled Planning for What's Next! In this seminar, participants actually work on a model for a life plan that is the culmination of basic exercises they have completed as homework assignments each of the previous weeks. We are careful to point out, of course, that life planning means different things to different people, and that this methodology is just one way to go about it. Our experience is that most participants readily embrace at least some elements of this process.

Each week high caliber presenters - noted experts in their fields - lead lively discussions with "What's Next!" participants.

"What's Next!" is powerful, it's joyful, and it's empowering. It has been a hugely stimulating and meaningful experience for participants, facilitators and presenters alike. The program has reached people of diverse backgrounds and motivations, and the feedback we've received from nearly everyone who has taken part has been overwhelmingly positive and gratifying.

Here's what Darlene Montonaro of the Poets and Writer's League of Greater Cleveland had to say after presenting to a "What's Next!" seminar this past year:

"These lively folks demonstrated an abundance of enthusiasm for learning and sharing, and are a great example of how life can be enriched if we take the time to experience new areas of growth. From what I learned about "What's Next!" in my time with the participants, I'm inspired by the ways it has offered meaning and a sense of transformation to those who take part in the classes."