Aging population is an irreversible phenomenon; therefore, it is essential that it is addressed actively, ensuring the possibility of continued education for the elderly.

To assess and compare the non-formal content learning of participants from the University of the Third Age (U3A) before and after they participated in various theoretical and practical modules of the extension program offered by different health courses.

This is longitudinal research of analytical and descriptive approaches. The sample consisted of 23 elderly individuals of both sexes from a University of the Third Age, using convenience sampling. Two tests, comprising 24 questions divided into 7 domains, were used to assess participants' learning before and after the extension project, and a telephone interview was conducted to outline the sociodemographic and educational profile. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 20.0 software.

The sample consisted of 23 participants, with 20 females (87%), and an average age of 70.22 ± 7.42 years. Regarding education, 10 (43.5%) had completed elementary school, and 15 (65.2%) earned up to one minimum wage. Performance comparisons between the first and second tests showed an increase in the number of correct answers and a decrease in the number of errors; however, these results did not reach statistical significance. There was a statistically significant reduction in unanswered questions. The question about "aid devices" had the highest rate of blank responses. In the philosophical domain, only the item "social life" showed a statistically significant difference. In both evaluations, the questions with the highest accuracy rates were about "aging and tasks" and "medical specialty." The highest error rate was for "types of dementia" and "medicinal plants." In test 2, the topics "first aid" and "physical activity" were the most mentioned in the discussion question.

The aspect of "social life" was the only one that showed a statistically significant difference, demonstrating that the main role of U3A in socialization was fulfilled and overshadowed non-formal learning.

The results highlight the significant contribution of the University of the Third Age in promoting socialization and the need for more opportunities to be made available for this target group in our country.