General Information

The National Academy for Teaching and Learning about Aging (NATLA) bridges the life-span by strategically changing the extent and nature of aging education in K-12 public schools. Founded in 1983 as the Center for Understanding Aging, NATLA is a collaborative effort among UNT's College of Education, Texas Institute for Research and Education on Aging, and Department of Applied Gerontology, and the National Retired Teachers Association, a division of the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). NATLA provides training, resources, and technical assistance to organizations across the United States to promote education about aging-related issues. Support is provided by the Administration on Aging and the Retirement Research Foundation.

NATLA's Mission

The mission of the National Academy for Teaching and Learning about Aging is to promote a life-span approach to increasing understanding about aging issues through education and intergenerational cooperation. Today's young people have the potential to live long productive lives in an increasingly aging society. However, they are more likely to learn about the problems than positive aspects of aging. Without deliberate educational intervention, ageist humor, literature and media will continue being the primary sources of information for young people. These sources perpetuate ageist myths and stereotypes, age discrimination and gerontophobic behavior.

Did you know that . . .

• Instructional materials used in public schools address issues of racism and sexism, but not ageism.
• Young people are more likely to learn about negative than positive aspects of aging.
• Young people today will face more work and family issues related to aging than any previous generation.
• Front-page headlines such as Social Security and Medicare are scarcely mentioned in most school textbooks.

NATLA's Goals

• Increase public awareness that skills and knowledge of aging issues are essential education for youth.
• Promote life span content in college preparatory courses for K-12 educators and administrators.
• Improve the quality and quantity of K-12 aging-related instructional materials.
• Assure that the curricula and the content of textbooks used by all disciplines and grade levels includes a life span approach.
• Collaborate with education and gerontology professional organizations at the national, state, and local levels in promoting K-12 education about life span issues.
• Develop applied research on education about aging and intergenerational understanding.

NATLA's Accomplishments

• Faculty development
• Infusion of gerontology curriculum in teacher preparation classrooms
• Guidelines for education standards in Texas
• Aging education research
• Models of aging education in elementary classrooms
• Textbook reform
• Aging education advocacy
• Call to action by the National Retired Teachers Association