Elderhostels teach local history, while boosting economy North Central Oklahoma Historical Association has found a way to tell Northern Oklahoma's story and bring Tourists by sponsoring Elderhostel International sessions. Elderhostels are college classes for senior citizens. Each month they bring 20-40 class participants to the Ponca City area to learn about subjects such as The Cherokee Strip Ranches and Land Run, the Dust Bowl, the Roaring Twenties, the Tallgrass Prairie, the Petroleum Industry, Native Americans and Pioneering Women.
Participants stay a week, listening to professors and local experts and touring local attractions.
The package include lodging, meals, education, local transportation, attractions and entertainment for a bargain price. Enthusiastic classmates often return to Oklahoma for further elderhostels and refer a great deal of tourism to the state. Elderhostel is a non-profit organization based in Boston, Mass. which has sponsored college classes for seniors for 20 years. They have 20,000 programs in every American state and 70 international countries. Originally conceived as a way for colleges to fill dorms, educate seniors and provide summer employment for professors, the programs have evolved considerably over the years to include enhanced amenities, better accommodations, and on-site attractions.