Courses

IN-PERSON - 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, 2023 to May 17, 2024, Wishcamper Center, Room 105

OLLI Donation

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This course contains no sessions
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OLLI Membership 2023-2024

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

June 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024, Wishcamper Center

REMOTE - Antisemitism, White Supremacy and the Clear and Present Danger to American Democracy

We will examine Anti-Judaism from the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Hellenism, and Rome; the impact of Christianity and Church fathers expulsions ( England and Spain ), blood libels, the iconograhpy of stereotypes, myths from the Brothers Grimm to Mother Goose; literature including Ivanhoe, the Merchant of Venice ( film ) , Oliver Twist, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Beginner Bridge Session II

Now that you have the basics regarding hand evaluation, standard bidding practices and declarer strategy, let's learn some essential bidding conventions, defense basics, handling of certain card combinations...and play lots of hands!

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Black History of Maine

Despite the belief that Maine is one of the whitest states in the nation, the area has had a Black presence since before the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock, and that presence continues.


This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Chemistry by Candlelight

By closely studying a simple candle flame, how much can we learn about basic chemistry and science? At Christmas-time in 1848, the great scientist Michael Faraday gave five lectures entitled "The Chemical History of a Candle." It was aimed at young people, and replete with memorable demonstrations. We will use video reenactments of these lectures to reveal hidden aspects of the natural world, and to provide deeper insights into chemistry, as well as science: how it is practiced, and how society can nurture it. Scientific background not required. New remote course. Format includes discussion and film.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Contemporary Economic Policy Issues

Economics plays a central role in the functioning of every aspect of society. This course will address a set of prominent policy issues with economics at their core. We will explore their origins as policy matters, the underlying data and evidence, and what policy levers are available to deal with them.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Cultivating a Growth Mindset

How can we change for the better as we age? Looking for ways to boost academic achievement, Carol Dweck and her Stanford colleagues tested a growth mindset intervention by teaching students about neuroplasticity-the ability of the brain to develop and enhance neural pathways-and found that a growth mindset encourages practice and persistence.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Decoding Jung's Metaphysics - Part 2

Why is Jung so despised in contemporary psychology? As noted in the promotional material of Kastrup's Decoding Jung's Metaphysics, "Jung was the twentieth century's greatest articulator of the primacy of mind in nature, a view whose origins vanish behind the mists of time." New remote workshop.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Explore Life Stories Through Writing

Some believe stories create who we are. We've heard stories about ourselves, family, and life. Writing them is an exercise in exploring their meaning and influencing who we become.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Exploring Short Stories

Short Stories can be read in one sitting-supposedly! In this course, we read and discuss short stories, this term from the best of the O. Henry Prize Winners.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Fifties: A Surprisingly Dynamic Decade

This course will dive beneath the placid surface to give the decade the attention it deserves.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Film Music of Ennio Morricone

We will watch and enjoy the fabulous movie music of Ennio Morricone. We will watch a film clip from one of the movies he composed for and then follow that up with Ennio conducting the same music with a symphonic orchestra.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Golden Age of Broadway: Tony Award Winners of the '50s (Musicals)

It was the best of times, it was the best of times. Today, time is the prism that refracts the historic content and context of these classic Broadway shows, providing a spectrum of stories and music that dazzle the memory.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Great Faces Great Places. How the Rest of the World Lives

Explore some fascinating places and people around the world, and how they live, work, move, play, govern, and interact with their environment.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Guided Autobiography

Guided Autobiography (GAB) is fun, fascinating, and surprising. In this workshop, three life themes are introduced; priming questions are asked. Memories of events emerge, and we write in response. You'll get some writing tips, but it's not a creative writing class-it's about revisiting and responding to episodes in your life. Repeat remote workshop. Format includes discussion

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - History of Hawaii and its Traditional Music

This repeat course will explore the formation of the Hawaiian Islands and their history.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - History of Western Movies - Part 2 (the 50s)

We will continue watching and discussing clips of western movies made during the 1950s, such as Shane, High Noon, The Gunfight at the OK Corral, The Searchers, A Big Country, and many other great westerns.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - India as Portrayed by Indian Women's Fiction Writing

Indian women novelists have proliferated in the past thirty or forty years and offer the reader a rich perspective of the variety of cultures and regional histories, the struggles of women against patriarchy, their search for identity, and their successful rebellion against oppressive tradition.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Introduction to Buddhism

This repeat workshop will be an introduction to the family of religions we call Buddhism. We will begin by discussing the development of Buddhism in India, focusing on the life and teachings of its founder, and will then briefly follow its spread across time and space through Asia and the West.


This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Is Consciousness a Quantum Effect?

Most definitely not! Quantum mechanics is a straightforward algorithm for investigating the smallest of observable physical events and estimating the degree to which we can believe what we see.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Journey from Climate Doom to Active Hope

When you think about climate change and environmental degradation, do you experience feelings of sadness, helplessness, or anger? Do you want to leave these negative thoughts and feelings behind and take a thought-provoking journey to "active hope?"

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Perfection: The Best of Fred & Ginger

We will enjoy clips of the ten movies that starred Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, arguably the greatest dance team in the history of Hollywood.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Practice of Swedish Death Cleaning

Responsible Swedes commence death cleaning around the age of 65 by examining their lifetime accumulation of belongings and weighing the burden of sorting and disposing that their families must deal with after they are gone.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Science for Non-Majors

Was your last science class a long, long time ago in a school far, far away? Do you feel as if a little modern science knowledge could help you understand things better? This is the class for you.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Seeing for Life-Clear Vision to Age 88 & Beyond

If you are one of the 77,702,865 million aging baby boomers born between the years of 1946 and 1964, you are about to find out that taking your sight for granted can leave you permanently in the dark.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Sherlock Holmes: "A Study in Scarlet"

It is with great pleasure that I am returning to one of my favorite subjects: Sherlock Holmes. We will begin with Arthur Conan Doyle's very first Holmes novel, "A Study in Scarlet."

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Sufis

It is said that Sufism is the mystical branch of Islam--the world of Rumi and of Whirling Dervishes. This is true, but only half the story. In this course we'll look at Sufi history and Sufism's adaptation to the West.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Supreme Court Effect on American society

The history and evolution of the Supreme Court are examined through explanation of landmark cases emphasizing on recent developments and understanding the current term.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - TV Crime/Mysteries European Style

It's perhaps surprising that one of the most revealing and entertaining ways to sample French or Italian culture is through their TV crime shows.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Viva Verdi!

Anticipating Opera Maine's summer '24 production of "Aida", this workshop will survey the life, times and works of Giuseppe Verdi, with an emphasis on his development as a composer.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Voice Of The Heart

How do you communicate with your essence, your spirit? How do you guide yourself in making choices? This class will explore some of the ways to hear the voice of your heart, such as meditation, inner conversation, automatic writing, and channeling.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Voice-Overs: Now Is Your Time!

In what could be the most enlightening webinar you've ever taken, our instructor and professional voice coach will show you how you can begin using your speaking voice for commercials, films, videos, and more.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Well Being: What Is It?

The Buddha taught that everyone is born, ages, sickens, and dies. No exceptions. Does wellbeing have a place among these inevitabilities?

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - What Happened to You?

In this course, discussions will be based on book written by O. Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry MD, Ph.D. Those authors have worked together at Oprah's Girls School in Africa for 20 plus years.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - What Is Energy, and How Do We Use It?

As the public discourse grows on whether to apply the name Anthropocene to our current geologic time, the role of energy should be highlighted. Because of the clever ways that humans have found to make energy more usable and then more abundant, we are impacting the Earth in very serious ways.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Writing a 'Legacy Letter'

A legacy letter (also called an "ethical will") is a written document that allows you to share your life lessons, express your values and transmit your blessings to future generations.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Yoga for Healthy Bones

Most women over 50 have some degree of Osteopenia (no matter their diet and physical practice). With Osteoporosis (which is advanced Osteopenia), certain movements are contraindicated.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE- 1972-1984: The Dozen Years That Radically Changed Maine

To understand today's news, let's look back at those years that reshaped our state and how it all went down. This course will include lecture and discussion.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE- Mythology in the Mansion: Classical Mythology and Victorian Culture

The interior design of Victoria Mansion (built 1858-60) includes several depictions of figures from ancient Greek and Roman mythology. What was the 19th-century fascination with Greek and Roman myths?

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE- Understanding Child Abuse and the Societal Response

This course will explore various topics in child abuse identification, treatment, and prevention. Lectures and discussions will include the history of child abuse, definitions, descriptions of different categories of abuse, the effects of abuse, and our response.

This course contains no sessions
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