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<!--StartFragment--> <div class="MsoNormal">A research program with the potential to provide both intellectual stimulation and social engagement for older adults who may not be socially active, is currently recruiting participants for the next cycle scheduled to begin in September.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Senior Odyssey, funded by the National Institute on Aging, is a fun and engaging program where participants work with other older adults to solve puzzles and creative problems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We are examining the effects of these mental activities on cognition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">Eligible participants are randomly assigned to one of three groups. Some participants are grouped in teams of seven and meet weekly at Lincoln Square for 1˝ hours over a span of 16 weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Undergraduate coaches help them work on solving a long-term creative problem and spontaneous problems that require “think on your feet” solutions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Another group of participants work at home to solve weekly puzzle packets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Some participants may get randomly assigned to the wait-list group and will not be able to participate in the activities until the next season.</div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">All participants are paid $50 for cognitive testing at the beginning and then again at the end of the program.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify">To be eligible, participants must be age 60 or over, and involved in less than 15 hours per week of volunteer or other employment. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><o:p></o:p></p> <div class="MsoNormal">If you think this program would benefit older adults with whom you are in contact, we can send you informational brochures to distribute.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We also have informational open houses at the Senior Odyssey storefront at Lincoln Square throughout the summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For more details about the program or the information sessions, please contact Jennifer Kapolnek, Assistant Program Coordinator, at 244-3945 or email: <a href="mailto:kapolnek@illinois.edu">kapolnek@illinois.edu</a>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Thank you,</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div class="MsoNormal">Jennifer Kapolnek</div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></div> <!--EndFragment--> <br><div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div><div>----</div><div>Jennifer Kapolnek</div><div>Assistant Coordinator</div><div> Adult Learning Lab</div><div> Interactive Cognition Lab</div><div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">The University of Illinois</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">405 N. Mathews Ave.</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Urbana, IL 61801</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">E-mail: <a href="mailto:kapolnek@illinois.edu">kapolnek@illinois.edu</a></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Phone: 217-244-3945</div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">The Adult Learning Lab (TALL) Website: <a href="http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/all/">http://www.ed.uiuc.edu/all/</a></div></div></div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"> </div><br></body></html>