Graduation doesn’t mean the end of learning, according to the Friends of Marion Council on Aging.

On Thursday night, the Friends, in conjunction with the Sippican Historical Society, offered a lecture by Bob Miller of The Second Half Lifelong Learning Institute on “Political Polarization.”

The discussion kicked off the Historical Society’s 2015 lecture series and also doubled as an introduction to Second Half for Marion residents.

“Second Half’s mission is to provide intellectual stimulation and social interaction for older adults,” said Friends Treasurer Priscilla Ditchfield. “We though it would be good to invite them to Marion to help expand programming opportunities.”

Second Half offers study groups for adults who want to learn about a variety of interests, such as languages, cultures, photography, art and more. There are also discussion groups on politics, economics, the environment, literature and music.

Second Half was invited following a series of focus groups to address senior needs the Friends conducted last fall.

Ditchfield said the lack of a place for residents to gather was raised. While the town examines the possibility of building a senior center, the Friends decided to see if their was enough interest in making Second Half programs available in town.

Joyce Miller, Bob’s wife, provided an overview of the group before the talk. The institute is located in Fall River and offers programs at satellite locations throughout southeastern Massachusetts.

“The life expectancy is now eighty-two years old. Whoever named the institute Second Half was playing fast and loose with the math,” she joked.

The all-volunteer group, whose motto is “live, learn, connect,” is affiliated with UMass Dartmouth. Classes at the Institute last from five to eight weeks, she said.

Outside of the Fall River classrooms if a community wants local programming, Joyce said Second Half would help.

“If we find that a community is interested in what we offer we’ll try to find a space in town to accommodate them,” she said. “We try to cater to the interests of the group.”

In addition to the classes, trips to historical places across New England and New York are planned. International travel is also available through the Institute.

Above all, the group wants to make learning fun and interesting.

“There’s no pop quizzes and no tests,” Joyce said. “There sometimes is a little homework.”

For more information on Second Half, visit www.secondhalflli.org.