The Athens Community Council on Aging and the local Retired and Senior Volunteer Program opened registration for the 18th annual Senior Leadership Academy.

It is scheduled for eight consecutive Thursdays beginning Feb. 1 and ending March 22.

The Senior Leadership Academy is a community awareness program designed to develop informed, motivated and committed retired and semi-retired persons in the greater Athens area.

Each class is structured based on the topic to be covered, such as business, human services, government, education, health care, arts and humanities and the University of Georgia, and is held at various locations throughout the community.

Classes begin in the morning and end at approximately 2 p.m.

The half-day courses include presentations, tours, discussions and site visits.

The program is a chance to build relationships with fellow participants, explore current issues in the community and learn about opportunities to support the community through volunteerism.

“We are so excited about the schedule that is lining up for the 2018 academy. Each year the program continues to get better, and the 2018 academy is shaping up to be one of the best yet,” said Tegan Hurley, program director for the RSVP program at ACCA.

The cost of the program is $150 per person. It includes lunches, supplies and some transportation for the program.

The deadline to register is Jan. 26. Online registration is available at www.accaging.org.