Crafting Your Next Chapter - UChicago | Graham School We use to enhance your experience on our site. Crafting Your Next Chapter What Comes Next and How Do I Get There? Join a cohort of experienced individuals who want to imagine the next chapter in their professional and personal lives. Type Cohort Program Format Online Duration 8 sessions Cost $3,995 Priority Application Deadline May 1, 2026 Next Start Date Sept. 8, 2026 Apply Now Request Info Program Overview Find Your Purpose in Life’s Second Half The latter part of one’s career for highly motivated individuals can be a time of stress and uncertainty about the path forward. But it can also offer a unique opportunity to reflect on what matters, to reimagine the possibilities, and to proactively realize one’s promise and potential for a flourishing future. The University of Chicago Graham School offers Crafting Your Next Chapter specifically for mid-to-late career professionals who want to pursue a next chapter of purpose. In this cohort-based online class, you will chart new paths for your personal and professional journey alongside a community of energized and committed peers. Course Benefits Gain a deeper understanding of yourself by reflecting on your values, experiences, and goals. Explore possibilities and build on your unique strengths. Continue to grow, develop, and contribute during the next chapter of your life. Engage in thoughtful dialogue with others who are at a similar turning point in their lives and passionate about exploring important questions together. Access tools, resources, and frameworks that empower you to forge the right path. Join the vibrant alumni group with graduates from previous cohorts for continued support and community, once the course is complete. I really learned to be patient and incremental, to celebrate the successes however small. I am also left with the realization that this is a ‘rest of my life pursuit’ and that doing this with my significant other and family involved in my own personal growth is exciting and will be the most meaningful. Past Crafting Your Next Chapter cohort member The best insight for me was how many other like-minded people, from all walks of life, were at a similar stage in their life via-a-vis thinking about the next steps post their executive/working careers. Past Crafting Your Next Chapter cohort member The course was invaluable to me in identifying where I’m heading and what’s most important to me as I approach my late 50s and decide where to spend my time. Past Crafting Your Next Chapter cohort member This course helped me focus on what I should really let go of, and what I really could do, and wanted to do in the next few years. Past Crafting Your Next Chapter cohort member Be the first to know when applications open. App Alert Learning Experience From Reflection to Reinvention Crafting Your Next Chapter supports accomplished individuals in mid- to late career to activate a meaningful new stage of their lives. Incorporating the latest findings in lifespan development and positive psychology, this intimate online program provides in-depth support for more intentionally navigating what’s next. You’ll seek the answers to questions like: How can I fully leverage my capabilities and talents in the years ahead? Where will I find meaning and purpose in this next chapter? What legacy do I want to leave? Curriculum Crafting Your Next Chapter Curriculum The program provides the resources, tools, and frameworks to support your progress, not just in the classroom, but in practical application to your life and work. You’ll collaborate with your peers in interactive class sessions and in small discussion groups. The course is split into three parts that guide you to create a roadmap for your next chapter: Reframe Test the waters and expand the possibilities. Reach out and learn Explore Experiment Revitalize Re-imagine and re-energize your current work and life. Get clear on what matters Clear the underbrush of the less meaningful/energizing endeavors Focus on what’s most important Renegotiate current roles and commitments Build new habits and mindsets Reinvent Craft your future life and work. Set your vision Draft a plan Make pivotal choices about work and life Stay the course Watch an Information Session Learn more about this Graham School offering by watching a recording of our recent info session. Watch now Structure & Schedule Crafting Your Next Chapter Course Structure and Schedule Class meets virtually, every other Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time. Each participant also has two individual coaching sessions with an instructor. Near the beginning of the course, you’ll discuss how you gain the most from the program for your unique goals. At the end, you’ll meet to think through how you can continue to make progress on your individualized plan for your next chapter. All sessions will be hosted via Zoom. See 2025 schedule Crafting Your Next Chapter Instructors This course is offered in partnership with Rising Path Partners and is taught by executive coaches who have made their own transitions out of remarkable primary careers. In addition to leading class discussions, they provide individual coaching sessions to help you determine the next steps that best fit your background and goals. Russ Eisenstat Executive Coach and Co-founder of Rising Path Partners Stephanie Eisenstat Executive Coach, Physician Educator, and Co-founder of Rising Path Partners Continuing the Conversation The connections formed in Crafting Your Next Chapter extend well beyond the initial cohort experience. Participants remain connected through ongoing opportunities to engage with peers and continue the work begun in the program. Program alumni are invited to return for periodic reunion gatherings, offering space to reconnect, reflect, and share how their thinking and goals have evolved over time. Crafting Your Next Chapter Frequently Asked Questions How do I start the application process? The priority application for the 2026 cohort is now open. Please submit an application to be considered for the next cohort. How do you select candidates? We primarily focus on welcoming students who will be able to meaningfully apply this course to their next chapter and who will contribute value to their peers in the cohort. Our selection committee will closely examine the essay response in your application to understand how this program will help you in this stage of your life and how your unique perspective will add value to the course for the other members of this cohort. We do not consider GPAs when reviewing applications. Is financial support available? We are committed to reducing financial barriers for students to take part in this course. Please indicate in your application if you would like to be considered for scholarship support. Are these sessions live or recorded? Class sessions are held in a live, virtual environment so students can actively engage with peers, faculty, and staff. How long are the classes? Each class meets virtually for two hours every other week. Typically, students complete 1-1.5 hours of work to prepare for each session. Are the instructors available outside of class for questions? During non-course weeks, instructors often host optional office hours, virtual social gatherings, or guest speakers to continue the conversations started in class sessions. Are there opportunities for continued support after I complete the program? Crafting Your Next Chapter students have the opportunity to become active members of a vibrant alumni community with the graduates from previous Crafting Your Next Chapter Programs. The program dates are as follows ( all times Tuesday 3:00-5:00pm (Central) Session 1: 9/16/2025 Session 2: 9/30/2025 Session 3: 10/14/2025 Session 4: 10/28/2025 Session 5: 11/11/2025 Session 6: 11/18/2025 OFF Thanksgiving Week Session 7: 12/2/2025 Session 8: 12/9/2025 Crafting Your Next Chapter Stories Jun 27, 2025 Articles Graham School Dean Recognized as a 2025 Longevity Innovator This honor underscores the Graham School’s growing leadership in purposeful learning for life’s second half. Read Now Jan 31, 2025 Articles Building Community, Designing Futures Recently, the first two Crafting Your Next Chapter cohorts reunited, strengthening bonds and fostering a lasting community. Read Now Apr 30, 2024 Event Recap What Young Leaders Want from Older Allies America today is one of the most age-diverse societies in history. Sadly, it is also one of the most age segregated, with older and younger people’s paths rarely crossing outside of families. But what would happen if older and younger people were more actively working together to solve the biggest problems of our day? Watch…… Read Now Questions about Crafting Your Next Chapter? Get In Touch This is the search overlay. Use the Escape key to close it. Your Shopping Cart Enroll Now