Encore Careers is a new initiative of Civic Ventures. "The Encore Careers campaign aims to engage millions of boomers in encore careers, providing personal fulfillment doing paid work and producing a windfall of human talent to solve society's greatest problems."
Yesterday, Encore Careers announced its 2008 role models for those of us looking to recreate ourselves in new careers for this new stage of our lives. Each of these six entrepreneurs over 60 receives a $100,000 grant to support their new work. Nine others receive $10,000 each.
All of the winners are engaged in socially beneficial activities, from inventing new technologies for poor farmers to helping war refugees to reducing toxins in household products.
As I approach the big Six Oh, I understand what has driven these people to start new careers with new purposes. We learn through our first rounds of career what it is that we'd really like to be doing, and recognizing the needs of others - and our abilities to address those needs - is one of the greatest things we learn.
This weblog contains many examples of medical professionals who - after long careers in offices and hospitals - describe whole new experiences as they practice as volunteers in clinics.