Retired School Leaders Needed: Join the AFSA Mentor Squad

School leaders who have retired from their jobs but are still looking for adventure—something meaningful and fulfilling to do with their time—can consider joining the AFSA Mentor Squad, created to help improve our professions, support children, build our union and, ultimately, improve communities.

Using your time in retirement to give back to civic activities like union work is a great way to stay active. Moreover, imparting your wisdom and experience to the next generation of leaders can provide you with a rewarding experience, while at the same time change the lives of the people you are helping. Your work today can be an inspiration to others to do the same if you take advantage of this “pay it forward” opportunity.

Here are just some of the ways you can support the AFSA mission:

  • Become an organizer and recruiter for AFSA. Let people know how the union changed your life.
  • Research and develop materials and collect information for AFSA publications, social media, professional development programs and our website.
  • Serve on AFSA committees to help develop programs and policies, or represent us at meetings.
  • Lobby for public education at the local, state and national level.
  • Run for public office, like school board, city council, state representative or even Congress.

Research indicates that those who are happiest in retirement note that “giving back” and discovering a sense of purpose is the key. For a growing number of retirees, it often comes in the form of a significant volunteer position or encore career, said Stewart Friedman, practice professor of management at Wharton and founding director of the Wharton Work/Life Integration Project. “The most successful people in retirement look to use their talents and passions to make a contribution,” he said. 

The lack of a sense of purpose in your life increases the risk of dissatisfaction, according to several surveys of retirees—and what should be a meaningful time becomes an anxious or uninspiring one. 

Over the past few years, older adults have reported volunteer work as the driving source of happiness and providing their life with meaning. The notion of retirement as a time of leisure is outdated. Most older adults want a similar level of engagement and meaning as in their working years, writes Jacob Schroeder, manager of investor education for Advance Capital Management in Kiplinger.

To join the AFSA Mentor Squad, email us at: TakeAction@TheSchoolLeader.org.

Photo by Tumisu on Pixabay.