Fewer than half of all Americans will be financially ready to retire at age 65, according to a recent Boston College study. Two coinciding needs, purpose and a paycheck, are driving a huge surge of interest in meaningful "encore careers"--paid second acts in areas such as education, human services, the environment, and fighting poverty. As of 2011, an estimated nine million Americans had embarked on "encore careers," and another 31 million said they would take the leap if they knew how. In the absence of pathways tailored to this distinct life stage, some would-be encore careerists are turning to programs designed for young adults. Marc Freedman writes in this article that there is much to be said for programs specifically designed for those preparing to embark on a second act. He visualizes a need for "rites of passage", to mark the movement into a new phase of life and work, and "routes of passage", to retool for new roles. Freedman concludes the article on a hopeful note by saying that slowly but surely, we as a society are waking up to this reality. While such vehicles are still few and far between, there are a number of promising signs as higher education, in particular, begins to figure out what role it can--and should--play.