At the Sugar Grove campus of Waubonsee Community College, the halls overflow with fresh faces weaving between classes. But if you enter one classroom on most Monday afternoons, you'll find a less traditional group.
This class is called "Knowledge Enrichment" and everyone here is over 50 years old. Most here are over 70.
"Knowledge Enrichment" is part of the Lifelong Learning Institute or LLI. It's for older students to learn new topics long after they've left school. The Waubonsee branch is one of many at colleges across the country, including numerous others in Illinois.
This class is being facilitated by Marjorie Logman. It's smaller than usual, only around a dozen students. But Logman says everyone will have a chance to have their voice heard.
"Many of us are trying to change the view on aging," she said.
Their chapter has been growing steadily in the past few years. Just this year they added another 50 new members. They've got students in their early 50s. Some are hovering around 90.
"LLI has almost 400 members, and the socialization is so needed today," Logman said. "We have banquets, we have coffee klatch, we have tours that we take."
Logman is 70 and has been a part of the group for about four years. She got hooked initially after taking a class about Fox News and its impact on culture.
The class today is more conversation than lecture. They'll tackle one topic per week for two hours -- anything from the effects of climate change to the health-care system.
Today, the topic is a bit lighter: a wide-ranging discussion about how things have changed versus how they've stayed the same.
Two others in the class are Gail Tattersfield and Val Henrich. They've been a part of LLI for more than a decade. In fact, Henrich has been taking classes close to 20 years.
She's 75 and a retired teacher. She found out about the program from a library flyer about wildlife classes.
"I thought, 'Well I'll check that out.' And I did and I've been with it ever since. That was about the year 2000," said Henrich.
Tattersfield is 78. She says the reason she stays involved is not just the classes but the community. "I mean, we have close to 400 and yet it feels like a family," she said.
Some LLI programs are funded withlarge grants or endowments which allow teachers to be paid. But in this case, a lot of people in the program volunteer outside of their classes to keep the organization going. Some join the board, help send mailers, or even teach a class themselves -- including Tattersfield.
"I ended up being on the curriculum council and on the board, and I facilitated a class on writing your memoirs," said Tattersfield.
Val Henrich also facilitated classes. She did some wildlife courses and even an art class. She and few classmates kept that art class going after their instructor moved to California -- and it kept going well after most classes ended.
"So five of us volunteered to become what they called the 'Studio Five' because we didn't want to formally teach. We wanted to experience and keep the class going," said Henrich. "We did that, and we've continued to do that for a number of years."
Henrich agrees that it's those friendships that keep her coming back.
"I've met many different people, made many good friends. And I'm impressed that they come from all across the Fox Valley area," she said. "I don't have to confine myself to my neighborhood or my local church or wherever to build those relationships."
Students and former students from that class are still making art and will have their own display soon at the Sugar Grove library. The library is another community-based venue that holds LLI courses.
Some courses also involve trips. This year a class is going to Iowa for three days to visit various historical sites and museums across the state.
Like "Knowledge Enrichment," a lot of courses steer toward a more conversational structure. And the classes themselves become more varied as the organization grows.
Much like in college, Henrich and Tattersfield are both taking several classes during this session -- Everything from literature, to travel tips, to one titled "About Our LGBTQ Family and Friends."
Logman says expanding the diversity of classes is a priority.
"We want to have all part of the brain -- How can you learn through music? How can you learn through art? How can we learn about different populations?" said Logman. "It's so important in the United States now to be aware of all cultures."
They expect the program to keep growing as the U.S. population continues to gray. By the 2030s, people over 65 are expected to outnumber children under 18 for the first time.
"We want to be active," said Logman. "The Baby Boomers were very active back in the '60s and we still have that in us."
That means more people than ever will be looking to rewrite the narrative of aging.