"Successful Aging: Good News for the 21st Century," a workshop designed to help prepare individuals and organizations for the challenges and opportunities presented by our aging society, will be held Sept. 26 and 27 in University Hall on the Coastal Carolina University campus.

"As longevity increases in our society, we must find ways to assure that life is added to our years, not just years to our life," says Richard D. Tucker, director of the Initiative on Aging and Longevity at the University of Central Florida and director of the conference. "Participants in this workshop will gain a better understanding of the physical, psychological and social forces that combine to influence aging, and learn how we can systematically plan to improve our chances for aging successfully."

The program will benefit active retirees, professionals in the aging services sector, and businesses that serve retirees.

Tucker is a professor of psychology at the University of Central Florida, where he has taught courses on the psychology of aging for more than 25 years. He is president of the Southeastern Psychological Association and is a founding member of the Learning Institute for Elders (LIFE).

The Successful Aging workshop is the inaugural event of Coastal's Center for the Study of Aging and Active Retirement. The purpose of the center is to provide educational, research and community outreach programs for professionals in gerontology, students, community members and those involved in areas relating to aging and retirement.

The Center for the Study of Aging and Active Retirement is operated jointly by Coastal's College of Natural and Applied Sciences and the School of Continuing Studies.

For more information about the workshop, call 349-2665 or visit the Web site at www.coastal.edu/learn.