Courses

Alexandria and the Quartet

Alexandria, Egypt's history dates back twenty-five hundred years ago to Alexander the Great's founding. It experienced diverse cultural and religious epochs to the present day, as reflected in the four novels of Lawrence Durrell, known as the Alexandria Quartet

September 14, 2021 to November 2, 2021, Zoom

American Democracy at Work - Hopefully

Here in May, we're as close to the first fall class as to the beginning of the Biden administration. While the pandemic hopefully is under control, we are living in a tumultuous time when it still is not clear whether the serious issues we face will be addressed or even if American democracy can survive.

September 13, 2021 to November 8, 2021, Zoom

Antisemitism, White Supremacy and the Rise of Hatred in the United States

What is antisemitism? What are its roots? What is white supremacy? Who are its leaders; what do they declare in their manifestos? Are they a threat to democracy?

September 15, 2021 to November 3, 2021, Zoom

Art of Living Well: A Peace Education Program

Have you ever wondered how to live at peace with the uncertainties and pressures of an ever-changing world? "Like water, peace is fundamental to human beings" (Prem Rawat).

September 16, 2021 to November 11, 2021, Zoom

Astronomy/Cosmology for Beginners

Curious about the Big Bang, black holes, stars, galaxies, and such? In this repeat course, we'll study the solar system and Earth's formation. The Earth's rotation is slowing!

September 14, 2021 to November 2, 2021, Zoom

Astronomy: Exploring the Celestial Wonders of the Sky

We will explore the constellations of the spring and summer skies and some of the deep-sky objects they contain. Learn the causes and appearance of events viewed with the unaided eye, including auroras, sun dogs and halos, comets, meteor showers, and the lunar cycle of phases that causes lunar and solar eclipses.


Saturday, October 2, 2021, Zoom

Big Picture Africa

Africa is gaining importance from a geopolitical perspective, as a growing international market, because of population growth and the impact of climate change. But what do you know about the continent?

September 16, 2021 to November 4, 2021, Zoom

Brief Peeks Beyond

This course is an exploration of the book Brief Peeks Beyond. In the words of its promotional material: "In this pioneering, original and brilliantly written book Bernardo Kastrup is very critical of the still widely accepted materialist approach to science while making use of many convincing rebuttals of materialist counterarguments."

September 17, 2021 to November 5, 2021, Zoom

Celebrating the Pop Music of the 1970s

To understand this course think "boogie shoes," "Disco," and the songs made popular by Barbra Streisand, Barry Manilow, The BeeGees, and The Eagles, etc.

September 16, 2021 to November 4, 2021, Zoom

Cliffhangers: Part 8 - The Serial Heroines

In this eighth edition of ten workshops, we will watch the "to be continued" chapters of those great Saturday Matinee film serials we so enjoyed in our youth.

Saturday, October 2, 2021, Zoom

Conservatives and Liberals; Not Conservatives vs. Liberals

Our country is divided. There are two camps, each with its own valid framework for viewing what is best for the country. Our purpose is to understand others better, not to persuade them.

September 17, 2021 to November 5, 2021, Zoom

Creating a Retirement Income Plan

This workshop will cover key considerations for generating a sustainable income in retirement.

Saturday, September 25, 2021, Zoom

Drawing with Pencils: Portraits, Still Life, and Landscape

This drawing class will use a variety of pencils, black and white, and colors to study landscape and still life, indoors and out.

September 14, 2021 to November 2, 2021, Zoom/In Person

Endless Forms Most Beautiful

The development of the fertilized egg into an individual animal is one of the great wonders. Evolutionary processes provide & deliver the genetic instructions for form and function. Developmental processes implement those instructions and are responsible for an individual's traits and talents. In this class, you will learn about the processes that direct the development of perfect individual animals and the evolutionary processes that tinker with those processes to bring about diversity. Facilitated discussions and interactions will help you understand how a toolkit of master genes directs the development of the beauty and diversity you see in the natural world.

September 16, 2021 to November 4, 2021, Zoom

Enjoying Short Stories

This repeat course allows participants to read and discuss selected short stories. While the structure will be similar to previous courses, the content will differ as we explore a variety of stories and writers in an anthology edited by Heidi PItler and Anthony Doerr.

September 13, 2021 to November 8, 2021, Zoom

Explore Portland's Historic Neighborhoods - On Foot

Enjoy six narrated walks through Portland's historic neighborhoods exploring the city's history, architecture, and people since Europeans arrived. Discuss historic structures, immigrant populations, and locally and regionally famous architects and view their works.

September 8, 2021 to October 13, 2021, Portland

Favorite Contemporary Classic Films

Films bring us joy in life, excitement, mystery, humor, and insight into the human condition. We will explore those conditions in the art of the following films and how they relate to today's society.

September 15, 2021 to November 3, 2021, Zoom

Five Essential Freedoms: The First Amendment and Your Life

The First Amendment is a giant in American political culture. But how many people actually know the history, details, complexities, and nuances behind the First Amendment?

September 16, 2021 to November 4, 2021, Zoom

Forest Therapy: The Rebuilding of our Senses and Overall Well Being

Forest Therapy, AKA "Shinrin-Yoku" or Forest Bathing in Japan was developed in Japan during the 1980's and has become a cornerstone of personal preventive health care and healing in Japanese medicine.

September 18, 2021 to October 9, 2021, Portland
September 25, 2021 to October 9, 2021, Portland

Forgiveness: From Theory to Practice

One of the most difficult behaviors humans encounter is forgiveness, the forgiveness of others, and forgiveness of ourselves. This class will explore the concepts of forgiveness through philosophical, religious, historical, and practical lenses and use personal experiences to identify the challenges forgiveness imposes.

September 17, 2021 to November 5, 2021, Zoom

Four 21st Century Novels: One Day at a Time

Following the tradition of the late Betsy Wiley, we will read four 21st-Century novels that take place in one 24 hour period.

September 13, 2021 to November 8, 2021, Zoom

Game Night on Zoom - Trivia

Use those fun facts that you have been storing in your gray matter.

Monday, September 27, 2021, Zoom

Great Decisions 2021

The World Affairs Council of Maine is pleased to offer Great Decisions in 2021.

September 17, 2021 to November 5, 2021, Zoom

Great Political/Government Movies

A great movie about gov't or politics should reveal a fault in the system. Ideally, a great administration should not.

September 23, 2021 to November 11, 2021, Zoom

Guns or Butter: The Never Told Story of Women's Resistance to Hitler

The Nazis' first act on attaining power was to make Germany great again by banishing women from the public sphere where WW1 and the Weimar Republic allowed them.

September 13, 2021 to November 1, 2021, Zoom
September 23, 2021 to October 28, 2021, Zoom

Hardcore Zen: An Exploration

What can a punk rocker from Akron, who was also a worker in the Japanese rubber-suit monster movie industry, teach us about Zen Buddhism? Plenty, it turns out. Brad Warner, who also became an ordained Zen monk, introduces us to Soto Zen Buddhism in his first book, Hardcore Zen.

September 15, 2021 to November 3, 2021, Zoom

Homer's The Odyssey

In a lifetime of reading and teaching, for me The Odyssey is the most important story. I read it over again every time I use it in a course, maybe fifty times? I came to literature by way of science-fiction and detective adventure stories. This is one of the best of those! I am a Shakespeare scholar dedicated to show how Shakespeare brings wisdom, excitement, and beauty to old tales. He's doing what Homer did 2300 years earlier. Come read Homer with us. This repeat course includes lots of discussion and much tough thinking about hard events and adventure.

September 15, 2021 to November 3, 2021, Zoom

Improving Beginner Bridge Skills

If you already know the basics of the game of bridge but have yet to learn basic conventions or strategies, this course will help you get to the next level of bidding and play of the hand.

September 13, 2021 to November 8, 2021, Zoom

Intentional Intuition for the Elder Wise Woman

The practice of intentional intuition allows us into a world of ever-expanding wisdom as we age. Instead of simply acknowledging our intuitive voices, we can activate intuitive power to address the issues of elder womanhood and balance reason with inner knowing.

September 17, 2021 to October 15, 2021, Zoom

International Crime Writers -- First Novels

Join us to read and discuss crime novels from Paris, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Rural France, India, Canada, and Nigeria.

September 14, 2021 to November 2, 2021, Zoom

Intro to Astrology I: Your Rising, Sun, and Moon Signs from a Jungian Perspective

Your birth chart (zodiac) is a 360-degree "map" of the sky at the time you were born. Each celestial body represents a part of your psyche and tells its own story. This workshop introduces astrology as a framework for understanding core parts of your personality by coming to understand your Sun, Moon, and Rising signs, which tell the story of you in the day-to-day, how you process emotion, and your external persona.

Saturday, September 25, 2021, Zoom

Intro to Ukulele - Level 1

If you have ever wanted to learn how to play an instrument, then this light-hearted course is for you.

Saturday, September 25, 2021, Zoom

James Joyce's "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man"

In close reading, we will track the development of Stephen Dedalus in pre-adolescence, puberty, and into young manhood.

September 17, 2021 to November 5, 2021, Zoom

Listening to Enhance Relationships

Listening is a deeply interactive process. Listening well is at the core of all our relationships. In this course, we will explore multiple ways of listening and discover what works best for each of us.

September 16, 2021 to November 4, 2021, Zoom

Living on Earth as if We Want to Stay

With human activity pressing against planetary limits, perpetual growth is no longer an appropriate goal. This changing relationship with the Earth requires a different approach to mutual provision (the economy).

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

Making of the Atomic Bomb

Richard Rhodes' Making of the Atomic Bomb is a 788-page tour de force. In a 1987 review, The New York Times' William Broad said Rhodes, "...offers not only the best overview of the century's pivotal event but a probing analysis of what it means for the future." Copy and paste this link for a brief word from your instructors: https://youtu.be/v77gw6Ki4Rk

September 16, 2021 to November 4, 2021, Zoom

Man Who Loved Only Numbers (and What He Loved)

Paul Erdös was an itinerant mathematician, traveling the world to do math with top mathematicians and publishing more than 1500 scholarly papers with more than 500 collaborators.

September 15, 2021 to November 3, 2021, Zoom

Managing Taxes in Retirement

This workshop will cover key considerations for managing taxes in retirement. We will cover topics such as how various types of income are taxed in retirement, how to avoid Social Security and Medicare tax traps, how to take distributions from retirement accounts in a tax-efficient manner, and charitable giving in retirement.

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

Murder at the Country House

Early 20th-century classic British murder mysteries set in country houses reveal a great deal about social history, attitudes, and assumptions.

September 15, 2021 to November 3, 2021, Zoom

OLLI Membership 2021-2022

You must be a current member in order to participate in OLLI Programs.

June 21, 2021 to June 19, 2022

OLLI Teaching Forum

Teaching OLLI students is rewarding, but can be challenging. To address the challenges and support our teachers, we are offering this course to those currently teaching and those considering teaching an OLLI course.

September 14, 2021 to November 2, 2021, Zoom

Origin of the Middle East Conflict

We will explore the Middle East's state and trace its history from the end of World War I to the present.

September 14, 2021 to November 2, 2021, Zoom

Peoples of America (1): Colonial Times thru 1865

Have the cobwebs gathered on that long-ago high school or college history course? Feel the need to refresh your understanding of America's past?

September 16, 2021 to November 4, 2021, Zoom

Perception and Creativity through the Lens of Sensory Neuroscience

Great artists have discovered the neurological antecedents of our perception, each in a manner unique to their method. J.S. Sargent's work seems to have great sensuality. Ellsworth Kelly's work is simple and intellectual.


September 15, 2021 to November 3, 2021, Zoom

Perchance to Dream

Do dreams have a deeper meaning or are they just random neurons firing during a resting state? These are some of the questions we will be addressing in this lively and introspective course.

September 18, 2021 to October 2, 2021, Zoom

Planning for a Sustainable Retirement

This course will examine how individuals and couples can plan for a sustainable retirement. We will examine both prudent retirement planning practices as well as methods for investing in a socially and environmentally conscious manner.

September 16, 2021 to November 4, 2021, Zoom

SAGE - Fascinating Way We Manage Our Trash in Maine

Trash: What do we do with it, and where does it go?

Tuesday, October 5, 2021, Zoom

SAGE - GO Lab: Wood fiber insulation made in America

GO Lab, Inc. will be the first domestic manufacturer of wood fiber insulation that is affordable, resilient, environmentally sustainable, and carbon-negative.

Tuesday, October 19, 2021, Zoom

SAGE - Home Fire and Life Safety for Those Aging in Place

How can we address fire and safety challenges facing older folks?

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

SAGE - Lifetime Writing for Children

Crossing boundaries of geography and age with books that connect us despite our differences.

Tuesday, October 12, 2021, Zoom

SAGE - Rise and Fall of Maine's Mighty Paper Industry: Michael Hillard's Shredding Paper

Michael will discuss the amazing story of how Maine became the Detroit of paper over a century ago, how changes in American capitalism eventually brought it down despite protests and strikes by Maine loggers.

Tuesday, November 2, 2021, Zoom

SAGE - The Complete Series

Each fall and spring, SAGE presents a series of Tuesday morning lectures that cover a wide array of topics of current interest.

September 14, 2021 to November 2, 2021, Zoom

SAGE - Wabanaki Tools of Diplomacy: Storying Protocols as Political Will

Nolan will discuss how Wabanaki needs and voices inform current educational policy in Maine.

Tuesday, October 26, 2021, Zoom

SAGE - What's It Worth To You?

A reflection on money, its value and use, and how it has changed our history.

Tuesday, September 28, 2021, Zoom

SAGE - Why Everyone is Playing Board Games You've Never Heard Of

Matt will discuss the rich history of board games and how designers create new games that have led to the field's astonishing renaissance.

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

Savvy Social Security Planning

This workshop will cover key considerations for how to get the most from your Social Security benefit.

This course contains no sessions
Click here to be notified about the next scheduled program.

Savvy Social Security Planning

This workshop will cover key considerations for how to get the most from your Social Security benefit.

Saturday, October 2, 2021, Zoom

Sea-Change: Shakespeare, Capt. John Smith, & the New World Republic

Shakespeare's late "tragicomedies" counterpose Europe's dehumanizing aristocratic values to conceptions of humanity that seek the common good and dignify productive labor.

September 14, 2021 to November 2, 2021, Zoom

Sixties Through the Great Speeches of the Sixties

Mention the 1960s and various images come up: a youthful president being sworn in and later assassinated, the Vietnam War, courageous young people protesting segregation or marching against that war, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the landing on the moon, the start of the woman's movement, the exuberance of Woodstock, the burning of the cities. Copy and paste this link for a brief word from your instructors - https://youtu.be/tlUGols_v5w

September 13, 2021 to November 1, 2021, Zoom

Tibetan Book of Living and Dying

Sogyal Rinpoche's acclaimed spiritual classic is widely regarded as one of the most complete and definitive presentations of the Tibetan Buddhist teachings ever written. In this course, we will explore the main themes of the book, focusing on meditation, compassion, devotion, and the nature of mind, along with the practices associated with each topic.

September 15, 2021 to November 3, 2021, Zoom

What Happened To You?

This course will explore and discuss the questions: are we good enough, and are we lovable? Many of us may have had these questions most of our life and wonder where they began. We will explore how you move beyond these negative beliefs to keep them from hindering our self-esteem and life choices. Copy and paste this link for a brief word from your instructor - https://youtu.be/WW-17p9DSE0

September 15, 2021 to November 3, 2021, Zoom

What is Primitive in the Early European Classical Renaissance?: A Post-Modern View into The Nature of Classical Art

This course will review the character and role of Renaissance Classical Primitives seen from a Baroque 21st-century view. What do these Classical Primitives share that is characteristic of other pre-classical cultures, and how does this align with today's worldview?

September 15, 2021 to November 3, 2021, Zoom

What's Your Story?

There is a thread running through your life. If you look, you will see this thread through all the choices and decisions of your lifetime. Unlock the inner journey that you are living each and every day. Writing your story creates the space to both reflect and to look ahead.

September 18, 2021 to October 2, 2021, Zoom

Why Do Most Russians Support Putin?

American politicians and media are appallingly ignorant of a country they nevertheless feel justified in criticizing. This repeat course will explore historical and cultural reasons that Russians look at the world differently than Americans. It is neither a defense of Vladimir Putin nor a contribution to the vilification to which he is subjected in the US; it is a search for a better understanding of these great people, who have achieved and also suffered so much. Classes will require reading and encourage lively discussion.

September 13, 2021 to November 8, 2021, Zoom

Writers' Workshop: Fiction

This ongoing workshop is a supportive peer group of 10 writers looking to improve their writing skills. Each month, members send their work to one another in advance. During the group session, authors read excerpts of their work, and each member is expected to give constructive feedback

September 15, 2021 to April 20, 2022, Zoom

Writers' Workshop: Memoir

This writing course focuses on the genre of memoir. Participants will present a brief writing and receive feedback from class members. Some class discussion is reserved for exploring common barriers to writing.

October 13, 2021 to June 8, 2022, Zoom

Writers' Workshop: The Shiny Day Poets

This ongoing poetry-writing workshop is limited to 12 members. Participants may volunteer to prepare a short poetic presentation and design a related prompt for the next session. One week before each workshop, members will email a copy of their poem to all other members, who will print the poems and write comments on hard copies for discussion on workshop days.

October 6, 2021 to May 4, 2022, Zoom