NISC Programs of Excellence 

• Year Awarded: 2025
• Programs of Excellence Name: Twilight Tuesdays
• Hosting Organization: Forsyth County Senior Services, Georgia
• Forsyth County Population: 251,283
• 60+ Population: 45,452
• Senior Center Members: 1,200+ across two senior center locations

About Twilight Tuesdays

Forsyth County Senior Services, an entity of local county government, values feedback from the public and had been receiving requests for evening programming from older adults, still working in their 60s and 70s, who wanted access to the same resources and programs for aging better.

With research supporting the desire to offer programs to this demographic and the department’s passion for delivering innovative programming, they created a series of programming called Twilight Tuesdays. Knowing that adults of any age are hesitant about driving in the dark, organizers chose the months of May and June as the time of year to implement this program. Another intention of this program was to reach adult children who are typically age 40 – 60 and generally still working during the day. Patrons often join Forsyth's senior centers when their children encourage them to participate and socialize in programs and use the center's services. This group could also possibly be caregiving for an older adult, and perhaps the evening hours afforded them a break to come to the centers for programming on caregiving.

Fitness, lifelong learning, and technology were the basis of Twilight Tuesdays, along with Decades Dance, featuring music from the '70s and '80s. As an option, dance attendees could dress from their favorite decade for this “afterhours” fun. Programmingfit a curriculum of topics for each month. May programming consisted of topics for older adults like estate planning, tips for aging well, and financial planning. June is Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness month, so offerings consisted of brain health classes and a dementia panel from local subject matter experts advising on caregiving, memory care, and in-home care options. As a site for AARP’s Senior Planet Classes, technology instruction was also offered, with the most interest in a class on artificial intelligence. For creative interest, acrylic painting instruction was offered, with step-by-step instruction for a summer-themed acrylic project. This activity was centered around socialization just as much as the art instruction.

Key takeaways from Twilight Tuesdays:

• Twilight Tuesdays not only addressed the requests from the community but also gave inspiration to older adults that there are resources for aging better available, whether you can access the centers by day or evening.
• Evening programming offerings showed that a department can adapt to needs for service outside regular business hours. On average, 50% of attendees were new to the centers.
• A key part of the support for this program was program instructors from our community that could deliver presentations and panel discussions.

About Forsyth County Senior Services

Forsyth County Senior Services has a mission "to provide engaging, impactful life enrichment programs and services" for area adults 60+. Offerings at two centers include fitness and art classes, social groups, day trips and hikes, and links to services such as home-delivered meals.