Drawing on brain health and aging research, University of Illinois Extension Educators, Molly Hofer and Chelsey Byers, developed Wits Workout, a 24 session curriculum guidebook designed for professionals or lay leaders to facilitate their own brain exercise classes. This interactive model serves a need in increasing socialization, reducing isolation, and promoting intellectual engagement in older clients, all of which complement current aging brain health research.  Through its interactive dialog and experiential activities, Wits Workout can assist recreation therapists, lay leaders, and volunteers in helping their participants maintain or adopt long-term health-promoting behaviors through ongoing brain exercise classes.

Participants may choose from one of two training dates: January 22, 2021 or January 29, 2021 from 10 a.m. to noon CST. Login information will be sent to registered participants via email at a later date. Please register for training by January 18, 2021 to allow sufficient time for our team to mail you the curriculum.

Register By: January 18, 2021 (updated)

Training Dates: (choose one of two, updated)

• January 22, 2021
• January 29, 2021

Participants will be able to:

• Identify examples of how older adults can practice/implement research identified brain health contributors
• Reteach learned intellectual challenges as a programmatic approach with older adults
• Provide purposeful opportunities for older adults to increase social connectedness and intellectual challenges

(virtual outreach approaches will be addressed with this curriculum)

Prices include: 

• Wits Workout Training Package | $60
  Curriculum will be mailed upon training completion.
• Optional CEUs | $20
  Allied health professionals may receive two (2) CEUs upon successful completion of training.

The curriculum will be mailed upon completion of training.

The Wits Workout curriculum package sells separately for the following when not included with training. If you are not able to attend the training but would like to purchase the materials, you can do so here!

If you have any questions or need reasonable accommodation to participate in this training or access the materials, please email Family Life Educator Chelsey Byers, clbyers@illinois.edu. Early notification is strongly encouraged to allow sufficient time to meet your access needs.

*Current registration and training dates have been updated from original dates of Dec. 2, 2020 and Dec. 11, 2020 to accommodate additional participants.