Learning Ambassador


Nan Bosler


Overview


Nan Bosler feels strongly that learning is a lifelong experience. She has been heavily involved in community work for almost 60 years holding positions ranging from member to National President. She has worked with, and for, people of all age groups and levels of ability, with particular emphasis on the needs of older people and those with a disability.


She was over 50 when she first went to University, has five tertiary qualifications covering Adult Education, Community Organisation, Local and Applied History; and she completed her last qualification, Masters In Local Government Management in 1996. She has community awards including Anzac of the Year, Advance Australia Award, an OAM and a Centenary Medal.


Nan is a published author and has written books on Local History, War History, Craft, Activities and Programs for Diversional Therapists, Creative Development of Preschoolers, Creative activities for disabled children and Community Management. She has presented at Conferences - International to locally; she has also organised many conferences.


She retired from paid employment at the end of 1996. At that time she was the Community Development Officer - Aged &Disability for Pittwater Council. She was also a part time lecturer and adviser in the faculty of Adult Education at the University of Technology Sydney. She was the first Adviser appointed by UTS specifically to assist students who were working with older People. She also taught many of the units in the Advanced Certificate of Working with Older People at TAFE (she wrote two of the curricula for that course).


Nan Bosler is committed to the growth and development of the Australian Seniors Computer Clubs Association (ASCCA) as it seeks to empower Seniors Computer Clubs to help older people use modern technology. ASCCA is the national peak body for Seniors and Technology and it is a Public Benevolent Institution. She has been involved in all aspects of the work of ASCCA and was the foundation president of ASCCA. She represents ASCCA on many telecommunications committees including the Telstra Consumer Consultative Council, Australian Communications Industry Forum Consumer Council and the Consumer Telecommunications Network.


She is, or has been a member of many Ministerial, Community or Departmental committees, including the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Ageing, Seniors Portal Editorial Board, NSW Aged Care Planning Advisory Committee, COTA (NSW) Board, National e-Security Awareness Committee and Community Care (Northern Beaches) Inc Board.


She has also been a primary carer for 13 years - her husband died in January 2007.


  • Extent of contribution to the Australian adult learning community
  • Mentoring roles in the adult learning community

It is hard to separate these two elements as Nan Bosler endeavours to be a mentor to everyone who seeks her support or attends her various courses, organisations or events.


Many of the groups she has helped to get started and supported with adVice and encouragement over the past 35 years are still operating and flourishing to-day because of the application of adult learning principles and sound management she shared with those running those organisations. One such organisation is Northern Beaches Interchange Inc. In the book Like a Family written by Lucy Moody in 2004, Fiona Winter is quoted "Nan was responsible for the establishment of Interchange ...and has remained a central figure in its growth and development. Her involvement has always been in a voluntary capacity, yet she has given as much time and attention to the organisation as any employee. Without her involvement Interchange would not be the organisation it is today."


The names of several members of the Creative Writing group have become well known as published, successful authors. Some of the tutors employed for this group in the very early days of their careers have also developed their talents and are now extremely well established authors. Nan recalls one young man coming to one of these courses - complete with writing arm in plaster and a sling! He really wanted to break into journalism. He was to eventually become the Sports Editor for the local paper.


One of the students from the film making group gained entry into a prestigious course in the USA helped by a recommendation from Nan. Yet another student called Mark had no interest in being either behind or in front of a camera - he just wanted to direct. He probably doesn't remember Nan or the Creative Leisure Movement but his career has been followed with great interest. He is now known as Baz.


Her involvement in Adult Education has spanned many decades and many fields; the following details outline some of her major contributions to life long learning.


1971 - 1994


As Northern Beaches Co-ordinator of the Creative Leisure Movement Nan was responsible for the establishment of centres across the Northern Beaches region of Sydney. By the end of the 70s some 2000 adults and children went through those centres per week. Adult education programs included craft, music, discussion groups and dance. Training programs were also a feature; these trainings included:


  • Creative Growth in Pre-schoolers - for Under Fives and Playgroup leaders and parents
  • Craft training - for after school care staff
  • Working with handicapped children - for staff of after school and holiday programs for handicapped children and their children
  • Playing &Working with Handicapped Children - for high school volunteers
  • Motivation "That's not too hard for my people" - for Diversional Therapists
  • Use of Leisure Time - for those about to retire
  • Public relations and use of the media - staff training
  • Exploring make up and Fashion - for handicapped adults
  • Residential film making workshops
  • Co-ordinated the International Folk Dance Camps - for dancers 10-18; & adult teachers. Plus special workshops for those who wanted to introduce dance for disabled adults and Folk Dance for Adults
  • Plus adult education classes in local history, crafts etc.

Involvement in the Creative Leisure Movement and the programs it created continues to the present moment.


1979 - 1992


Co-ordinator, later Manager, Narrabeen Community Learning Centre. This centre was the first joint project between the Department of Education and Local Government. Located in the grounds of Narrabeen High School the centre catered for a wide range of community groups. Through responding to changing community needs and fostering a policy of co-operation the centre showed rapid growth in a range of services it provided and the number of people using the centre. Increasing from 2000 participants in the first year the centre serviced approximately 40,700 in 1991. The Narrabeen Community Learning Centre was a multi purpose centre servicing the whole community with a wide variety of activities including:


  • Community Education
  • Community Service
  • Creative Activities
  • Performing Arts

In 1991 more than 10,800 older people made use of the centre and four new classes were established for U3A which indicated the increase in the range of learning opportunities provided by the centre for the elderly.


Computer classes were introduced in 1982.


The centre was used as an 'off campus' location for the first two year of the Association Diploma in Community Organisation which was run by the then KuringGai College of Advanced Education.


Nan Bosler was first employed in 1979 by the Education Department as part time coordinator. In 1984 Warringah Council took on the role of employing the Manager and the position was funded from three sources, The Board of Adult Education, Warringah Council and the Centre's Management Committee. The learning centre included a community radio station, Manly Warringah Community College and an outreach of Seaforth TAFE.


When Plttwater became a local government area with a new council she was transferred from the Centre to become Pittwater Council's first Community Development Officer - Aged &Disability.


1983 - 1990


Was a member of the Brookvale College of Technical and Further Education Committee from May 1983 until the committees were abandoned in June 1990. She was then Deputy Chairman of the committee


1990 - 1994


Nan designed a program to help Diversional therapists improve their skills when working with clients. The course was run twice at the Narrabeen Community Learning Centre and then she was asked to run the course at Brookvale TAFE. This course was part of the incentive that led to the establishment of the Certificate, and then the Advanced Certificate, in Working with Older People which was then taught at TAFE Colleges. She taught many of the topics in this course at both Seaforth and Brookvale TAFE. Nan wrote the curricula for two of the courses.


1992 - 1996


She was appointed as the first adviser for students in the faculty of Adult Education who were working with older people. She also became a part time lecturer in that same faculty. Many of her former students still keep in touch with her sometimes with news but often seeking advice and support.


1998 - ongoing


When the Australian Seniors Computer Clubs Association was successfully nominated for the 2005 Adult Education/Life Long Learning Seniors Week award the nomination began as follows:


"The Australian Seniors Computer Clubs Association" (ASCCA) is the National Peak Body for Seniors and Technology. Founded in 1998 under the guidance and leadership of its pioneering and creative President Mrs Nan Bosler, it is now recognised by those involved In the community and consumer sector as 'the' key organisation representing seniors in their interests in communications technologies. It is an organisation run BY seniors FOR seniors with all ASCCA services provided by volunteers.


Their goal is to assist older and disabled Australians to access the benefits of computer-based technologies though their national network of computers clubs around the country. Skills such as using the Internet, using search engines, email, and numerous other computer-based applications significantly contribute to making older persons' lives more interesting, to enabling them to communicate with family and friends, and to participate in the educational and life-long learning in ways they never could before being comfortable with using computer-based technologies.


INITIATIVE


Without the initiative shown by Nan Bosler in forming a national peak body for computer clubs, there would not be any overarching organisation that gave a sense of unity, purpose, and representative strength to the many small and diverse seniors computer clubs around the country. The "voice" of seniors computer clubs and their interests, problems, issues, and concerns in communication technologies can now be heard.


I have nominated ASCCA in the Education and Life-Long Learning category because what they have achieved for their member organisations in providing leadership in the development of a wide range of programs, training, and networking, has significantly contributed to the goal of enhancing the lives of many seniors/disabled/QlPer persons who would have otherwise not had those opportunities. Learning is a life-long experience and if a senior is motivated to use a computer and seek the support and encouragement of peers at a Seniors Computer Club that person is highly likely to succeed with their lives enhanced accordingly.


ASCCA now has 131 clubs established throughout Australia. It is estimated that more than 110,000 seniors have been taught how to use a computer and at present there are about 25,000 seniors engaged in peer learning at a Seniors Computer Club.


Authored material


Nan Bosler has been writing books, newsletters, training programs, submissions, course curricula & conference papers for many years. She has been a full member of the Australian Society of Authors since 1983.


From 1998 until 2006 she wrote the ASCCA newsletter. ISSN 1446-862X. She still edits and distributes the newsletter.


She authored the Development Kit to start a Seniors Computer Club which is available on the ASCCA website: http://www.ascca.org.au/ASCCADevKitlAugust2002.pdf


The manual is set out as a gUide to help groups start a computer club - there are two versions, one for an incorporated club and the other for a club to be set up under the auspices of another organisation. This guide has been used by many groups throughout Australia. It has been pleasing to also receive emails from South Africa, Canada, USA and South America saying that the manual has used as a guide to help them set up a similar club in their area.


A recent research project she undertook has been actively sought by Government Departments and Telecommunications bodies. Seniors Telecommunications Issues; their interests and concerns. It is also available online at http://www.ascca.org.au/TelgcQmmunicationsSurvgy.pdf


Pleasingly the above report has been an incentive to encourage Telstra to make available $3Million funding over 3 years for training programs pertaining to communication technology. She writes a syndicated column on technology in The Senior publications that appear monthly in each state of Australia.


Demonstration of an ability to converse with a wide range of practitioners and decision makers at community and government levels in relation to lifelong learning policy and practice.


Nan has a great deal of experience in conversing with a wide range of people and has been an actively participating member of many roundtables, councils and committees on matters relating to lifelong learning policy and practice. She has been/is a member of many Ministerial committees - both state and federal - on issues pertaining to ongoing learning.


She has also developed a good working relationship with officers of government and corporate organisations. She has met with Bill Gates and discussed the needs of Seniors as they learn how to become computer literate and argued that the Microsoft Unlimited Potential program must address the needs of life long learning not only the need to help younger people use a computer for employment.


She feels very strongly that ASCCA's mature aged members are vital to the Australian workforce and will endeavour to help them further develop their capacity to seek employment. The choice is then theirs as to whether they actually seek employment or use their neWly acqUired skills to enhance their lifestyle, self esteem and general wellbeing.


The Hon John Howard, Prime Minister of Australia has argued that keeping older people in the workforce will also help drive the economy along faster, and he 5 foreshadowed more steps to keep mature aged workers in jobs. "Increasingly women and mature aged Australians are at the cutting edge of this do-It-yourself enterprise culture."


The Hon Peter Costello, Australia's Treasurer commented that "Mature-age workers are vital to our workforce - they are important in our workplaces and we need to support their ongoing participation and the choices they will want to make about work and leisure," Mr Costello said. "This will be more important as Australians grow older and live longer."


ASCCA is a foundation partner in the Microsoft Unlimited Potential Program.


In July she organised a day long seminar on Seniors learning activities and services in Australia for a delegation of 12 Chinese delegates [Director General level] who were visiting Australia on a study tour.


Delivery of information, papers and/or material to participants at seminars and/or workshops at any of the following levels: adult and community education; vocational and technical education; community and lifelong learning; and/or tertiary


Nan has delivered information, papers and material to participants at all of the above levels.


She is sought after as a guest speaker for AGMs, Launches and the like.


She has presented conference papers on a wide variety of topics. One of the most satisfying was given in Fiji at the 1st Asian Pacific Arts Conference in 1981. This presentation was to delegates who wanted to know how to plan and run after school programs for children in Fijian villages.


And one of her most recent presentations was at the launch of NetAlert, Protecting Australian Families Online program by Senator Helen Coonan in Brisbane where she spoke of the role grandparents had to help teach their adult children and grandchildren how to be safe online. (She is a great-grandmother.)


She has taught and prepared class notes and handouts at community centres, Evening Colleges, TAFE and University.


Many of her presentations are available on the internet.