Retirement In-Person: Building Relationships

Retirement Reimagined: Building Relationships
One In-Person Workshop
Sat., Mar. 8, 2025, 9 am-12 pm MT

There’s no question that retirement brings a great deal of freedom to pursue new interests and experiences, but it can also bring unexpected challenges, particularly when you consider losing daily connections and social networks you formed and enjoyed at work. This workshop, led by emerita professor Barb Kreisman and Rebecca Chopp, former chancellor of the University of Denver, is designed to help you cultivate meaningful relationships that can enrich and enhance your retirement years. In the course, you discover the importance of forging new connections and nurturing existing ones. And at the same time, see how strong, supportive relationships can enhance your happiness, your health and your overall well-being during retirement. You also learn strategies to build a robust social life, whether through community involvement, hobbies, volunteering or simply reconnecting with old friends. “One of our main goals in teaching this workshop is to help students gain practical tools and insights to create the kind of robust social network that supports and energizes them,” Kreisman says. “So whether you're newly retired or you’ve been retired for a while, this workshop is about helping you navigate the social landscape of retirement and aging with confidence. What we experience with our families, friends, pets and even passing acquaintances can make all the difference in how we experience and live life.”

Barbara Kreisman, PhD, recently completed a fellowship at the University of Chicago focusing on transition programs for maturing populations and opportunities during retirement. She was associate dean of the Executive MBA Program, Daniels College of Business at DU and currently teaches in the Knoebel Institute for Healthy Aging. Kreisman was recently named to the Governor’s Commission on Aging, responsible for workforce-related issues.