The Washington College Academy of Lifelong Learning (WC-ALL) will open its Fall class registration on Monday, July 25. There are two 6-week sessions available – Session 1 runs from August 28 to October 7 and Session 2 from October 16 to December 2. While most classes are held in-person using campus facilities, there a number of classes offered via Zoom.

Classes offered in the fall include The Supreme Court: Top Hits of the Term, The Lost Cause Myth and Robert E. Lee, Aging and the Law, How to Develop a Business Plan, Art from 1980 to 2022 and Sunday at the Movies, among others. A full course listing is available here. Registration is available at www.washcoll.edu/wc-all.

WC-ALL is also hosting a free Showcase on Thursday, July 28 from 4-5 p.m. in Litrenta Lecture Hall, in the Toll Science Center on the Washington College campus. This event provides the opportunity for anyone interested in signing up for the fall classes to hear directly from the instructors about the course materials and what will be covered.

“We are incredibly excited about the exciting and diverse line-up of courses being offered this fall and invite anyone interested in broadening their horizons to register and join us,” said Sandy Brown, WC-ALL Administrator. “Our programming is open to anyone of any age or background who is interested in learning, and provides a fantastic opportunity for intellectual stimulation and enrichment without having to take a for-credit course.”

All classes are free to members and memberships are available on a semester or annual basis, for individuals or couples. In addition to offering four sessions a year, WC-ALL also hosts a Learn-at-Lunch series, hosting various guest speakers throughout the year. Many of the in-person classes are held on the Washington College campus, in classrooms in Daly Hall, Goldstein Hall and William Smith Hall. Most are scheduled in the afternoons.

“Having classes of this caliber so readily accessible to the community is wonderful all on its own,” said Brown. “But for the Academy to be a part of Washington College, well that’s a real bonus!”

This year marks the 30^th anniversary of the Washington College Academy of Lifelong Learning, which currently has about 300 members.  All courses are planned, run and led by WC-ALL volunteers, who offer a wide range of expertise and professional experience. Membership in WC-ALL is open to people of all ages and backgrounds.

About the Washington College Academy of Lifelong Learning (WC-ALL)

Founded in 1992, the Washington College Academy of Lifelong Learning was created by a small group of Kent County residents who worked for more than a year studying other similar college-affiliated institutions.  WC-ALL was patterned after the Institute for Learning in Retirement (ILR) as established by Elderhostel (now known as Road Scholar) and is governed by its members, taught by its peers, and operates within the academic institutional guidelines provided by its sponsor, Washington College. Lifelong learning is a critical component of a liberal arts education and the college is proud to support this department’s programming and focus on community engagement.

Get ready for Fall and the Joy of Learning by attending the WC-All SHOWCASE on Thursday, July 28, 4-5pm in Litrenta Lecture Hall, John S. Toll Science Center. The Showcase will provide the opportunity to hear directly from the instructors about what to expect from their courses. As always, the courses will cover a broad range of topics that appeal to a diverse audience. The always popular Top Hits of the Supreme Court Term will be offered, as well as Sunday at the Movies. Other course offerings range from American Indian Pottery to Classical Music of the Caribbean to Botanical Drawing to Gun Control and the Second Amendment, as well as other classes on art, music, politics, business, and philosophy.  Session 1 will take place August 28-October 7. Session 2 will take place October 16-December 2.

In addition, learn about upcoming special events including excursions and plans for the Learn at Lunch series. Enjoy mingling with old friends and new over light refreshments, as well as the opportunity to chat with the instructors. Then register for courses that interest you.

For registration and more information contact Sandy Brown at wc_all@washcoll.edu.

If you have expertise and are passionate about a topic that you would like to share with others, WC-ALL would love to hear from you. Course proposals are now being accepted for the fall 2022 semester. Monday, May 16, is the deadline for submissions.

Two sessions are offered. Session 1 runs from August 28-October 7. Session 2 runs from October 16-December 2. Courses typically take place over a 6-week period. However, options are available for four and five-week courses.

The Course Proposal Form is available online at www.washcoll.edu/people_departments/offices/wc-all/propose-a-course.php. It can also be downloaded and emailed to wc_all@washcoll.edu or printed out and mailed to WC-ALL, 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD. Upon receipt of the proposal, a form, Planning a WC-All Class, will be sent. It provides information on the types of support that is offered to instructors.

For more information contact Jeff Coomer, WC-ALL Curriculum Chair at jeffcoomer@gmail.com. You may also contact Sandy Brown, Program Administrator, at wc_all@washcoll.edu or call 410-778-7221.

WC-ALL is all about the joy of learning. Indeed, it is also about the joy of teaching too.

As Earth Day approaches let us consider what ecological issues we are facing. What better way is there to do this than to learn about and listen to ecopoetry. The theme for the April 20^th Learn-At-Lunch is “Six Poems That Can Save the World” presented by award winning, and ever popular local favorite Meredith Hadaway. She will demonstrate how powerful messages of connection, hope and resilience can fuel our hearts, change our minds, and maybe even save our planet!

Along with students in her Ecopoetry Workshop, Hadaway is exploring ways in which the arts, especially poetry, can facilitate attention, awareness and healing in an era of planetary peril. Through close readings of poems by Wendell Berry, Mary Oliver, and others Hadaway will demonstrate how powerful messages of connection, hope and resilience can fuel our hearts, change our minds, and maybe even save our planet.

An award-winning poet, Hadaway has performed her own poetry in literary venues across the U.S. and in Ireland, where she combined poetry with Celtic harp. Her three published collections include At the Narrows, winner of the 2015 Delmarva Book Award for Creative Writing, The River is a Reason, and Fishing Secrets of the Dead. Hadaway has received a Maryland Individ[1]ual Artist Award, fellowships from the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, multiple Pushcart Nominations, and the “Green Mantle” from the Rachel Carson Landmark Alliance. She holds an MFA in Poetry from Vermont College of Fine Arts and an MA in Psychology from Washington College. Hadaway is a certified therapeutic musician as well as a lecturer and teacher. She is currently the Sophie Kerr Writer-in-Residence at Washington College, where she formerly served as VP for College Relations and Marketing.

A buffet lunch will be served at noon followed by the presentation at Washington College’s Hodson Hall. The fee for members is $25 and for non- members $30. The deadline for reservations is Thursday, April 14.

To make a reservation contact the WC-ALL office at 410-778-7221 and then send a check made out to WC-ALL and mail it to 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620.

For those who have become ever more concerned about America’s growing income inequality, WC-ALL’s March 24^th Learn-at-Lunch will give insight into this crisis. Hear from James B. Steele, co-author of “Discussing America: What Went Wrong? The Crisis Deepens.”

In 1992 James Steele and Donald Barlett, both Philadelphia Inquirer reporters, wrote a series of articles that documented how actions taken by Washington and Wall Street were systematically dismantling America’s middle class. This series was expanded into a book which explained why most Americans were losing ground financially. The original book has been updated, now titled “America: What Went Wrong? The Crisis Deepens.” It shows how the destructive trends previously identified have reached crisis proportions and lays out what must be done to restore the American Dream.

James B. Steele is one of America’s most acclaimed journalists, winning virtually every major national reporting award including two Pulitzer Prizes and two National Magazine Awards for work at The Philadelphia Inquirer, TIME, and Vanity Fair. He and Donald Barlett have co-authored nine books, two of which were New York Times bestsellers. He has taught and lectured at major universities and has appeared on many national news programs to discuss his work.

The Learn-at-Lunch features a buffet lunch served at noon, followed by the presentation by James Steele at Washington College’s Hodson Hall. The fee for members is $25 and for non-members $30. The deadline for reservations is Thursday, March 17.

To make a reservation send a check made out to WC-ALL to 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620.  Contact the WC-ALL office at 410-778-7221 with any questions.

Whether it be Washington College’s storied history, the wonderful liberal arts education it is known for, or all the programs and events it offers to the community, it is regarded amongst Kent County’s residents as something that sets us apart. It is why so many of us enjoy living here, why others are moving here, and why so many young people are proud to have gotten their education here.

The college is now under the leadership of Dr. Mike Sosulski who took over in September 2021. At WC-ALL’s March 3 “Learn-at-Lunch” you will have the opportunity to meet him and get his take on what he has learned about the Washington College community so far. Dr. Sosulski will also share the good news from the past few months and his enthusiasm regarding key plans moving forward.

Mike Sosulski is currently serving as the 31^st President of Washington College. He taught and served as Associate Provost of Kalamazoo College  in Southeast Michigan and then became Provost and Professor of German at

Wofford College in Spartansburg, S.C. before coming here.

A buffet lunch will be served at noon followed by the presentation at Washington College’s Hodson Hall. The fee for members is $25 and for non- members $30. The deadline for reservations is Thursday, February 24.

To make a reservation send a check made out to WC-ALL to 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620.  Contact the WC-ALL office at 410-778-7221 with any questions.

Another year, another variant… WC-ALL is back in action and starting off the New Year by moving our Spring Showcase event online for the health and well-being of our members and instructors. Registrations are rolling in; next week please tune in from the comfort of your own home and hear what the instructors for the spring 2022 semester have in store – as well as updates from the Council Chair, Special Events, and a few words from Washington College President Mike Sosulski. Join us Tuesday, January 11 at 4:00 PM! No RSVP required – the Zoom link will be sent to members on Monday and will also be available on our website.

No changes have been made to the in-person courses for the spring semester – they will go forward as planned at this time. However, please note the cancellation of “Exploring Symmetry” due to a conflict on the instructor’s calendar. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Plan to get comfortable, enjoy a snack and beverage of your choice, and welcome Spring 2022 virtually with WC-ALL! Hope to see you next week, and thanks for your support!

Get ready for Spring and the Joy of Learning by attending the WC-All SHOWCASE on Tuesday, January 11, at 4pm in the Gibson Center for the Arts at Washington College. Spring 2022 Session 1 will take place January 30-March 11.  Session 2 will take place March 20-April 29. As always, the courses will cover a broad range of topics that appeal to a diverse audience. The always popular “Sunday at the Movies” will continue. Other areas of interest include history, science, ecology, art, music, politics, philosophy, genealogy, and health.

The Showcase will provide the opportunity to hear directly from the instructors about what to expect from their courses. Learn about upcoming special events, including excursions and plans for the Learn at Lunch series.

Enjoy mingling with old friends and new over light refreshments as well as the opportunity to chat with the instructors. You may then register for courses that interest you in person or register online at https://www.washcoll.edu/people_departments/offices/wc-all/index.php.

No registration for the Showcase is necessary. If you have questions call the WC-ALL office at 410-778-7221.  And please remember to wear your masks.

WC-ALL is pleased to welcome Dr. RAYMOND VERGNE to the Council.  Born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Raymond currently resides in Easton.  A retired cardiologist, Raymond has taught a number of classes at WC-ALL on a variety of topics, reflecting his interests in music, literature, and history.  This term he is teaching History of the Papacy.  Look for his course in the Spring term entitled Music for the Living and the Dead.  His previous contributions to WC-ALL have included courses on Don Quijote de la Mancha and the Many Faces of Fascism.  Raymond will complete the term of long-time Council member Ed Minch, who passed away in July.