Ever Growing - Never Old

Lifelong Learning

2023 Spring Lifelong Learning Registration Kickoff will be Tuesday, April 18 from 9:30-11:00 am at the Senior Center. 

Local Field Trips in May and June

Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House in Concord
On Thursday, May 11 from 8:30 am – 3:00 pm  
Enjoy a visit and tour of Orchard House, the Alcott home in Concord with lunch at the Colonial Inn. If time and weather permit, we will also visit Sleepy Hollow cemetery. Limit 13. Cost $40 (Cost of lunch not included)   

Hull Lifesaving Museum in Hull
On Thursday, June 1 from 10:30 am- 3:30 pm  
Visit the Point Allerton U.S. Lifesaving Station and The Breeches Buoy, then lunch at Jake’s Seafood Restaurant. Point Allerton was home to Captain Joshua James and his crew, America’s greatest lifesavers, renowned for saving hundreds of shipwrecked mariners from peril in Boston Harbor. Using the Breeches Buoy system, lifesaving crews were able to carry shipwreck survivors safely to shore. The tour is about an hour and there will be a Q & A period after the tour. Limit 13.  Cost $30 (Cost of lunch not included) 

Ceramic Bell Sculpting (Creating Art with Clay) with Paula Borg
On Fridays, June 2 & June 9 from 1:00 - 2:00 pm (2 sessions)
Ready to get your hands a little dirty? Come and create a one of a kind ceramic bell that can be hung outside or inside.  In addition to designing and texturizing the clay sheets, there will be different decorative pieces to add including driftwood, shells, and stones from our local seashore communities. Paula Borg is a local artist and has been teaching Clay and Pottery classes for the last five years in Duxbury. The first session will be to design and construct the bell, and the second session will be to glaze it. The instructor will take the pieces once completed to be fired and will return back to the COA for you to pick up.  Limit 10. Cost is $50 which includes all the materials

Back to Basics with Kristen Noonan
On Tuesdays, April 25, May 2, 9, 16, (no class May 23), 30 & June 6 from 10:15 - 10:45 am (6 Sessions)
In this 30-minute Back to Basics class you will build strength, stability, and endurance in the muscles that support your core, improve balance, assist injury prevention, and become better at everything you do. This progressive class will have options, so it’s challenging but achievable whatever your level of fitness.  Class limit 15. Cost $20

Instructional Chair Yoga with Barbara Leary
On Thursdays, May, 4, 11, 18, 25, June 1 & 8 at 10:00 am (6 Sessions)
Interested or curious about yoga but not interested in being on the floor? Chair-based yoga is appropriate for all levels from experienced yogis to newcomers and for those desiring the aid of a chair for stability.  Our yoga practice will conclude with seated meditation and optional Reiki which is the balancing of your energy centers or chakras to achieve total relaxation and natural healing to restore physical and emotional well-being.  Movement modifications will be provided. Wear loose, comfortable clothes, no equipment is needed. Cost $30

Robert Benchley: The Humorist's Humorist with Beth Cameron- Kilbridge
On Tuesdays, May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 & June 6 from 1:00 -2:30 pm (6 Sessions)
Take a deep dive into the fascinating life of Robert Benchley. Both E.B. White and James Thurber viewed him as the best humorist in their field. All three wrote for The New Yorker, but Benchley went on to fame in Hollywood as a writer and an actor. Of all the party-goers who lunched at The Algonquin in the 1920s, Robert Benchley was the gentleman, ladies' man, and all-round fun-loving fellow who died young, leaving them all laughing.  He was born in Massachusetts and grandfather of ”Jaws" author, Peter Benchley. Cost $30

The New Yorker Conversations with Michael Bradley
On Mondays, May 1, 8, 15, 22, (No class May 29), June 5 & 12 from 1:00-2:30 pm (6 sessions)
Explore issues in today’s world using articles from The New Yorker magazine. Three articles chosen by the facilitator will be discussed in each class. Participants will have one week to read the articles.  Access to The New Yorker is the only prerequisite – you can get it online or contact your local library. Bring your opinions and an open mind. Limit 15. Cost $30

iPhone Basics and Beyond with Robin Billing
On Wednesdays, June 7, 14, 21 & 28 from 10:30-11:30 am (4 sessions)
Are you brand new to the iPhone or do you want to learn how to do even more with your iPhone?  Then, this is the class for you! This hands-on class will focus on iPhone Basics, iPhone Communication, iPhone and Special Features. Get the most out of your iPhone. Limit 20. Cost $25

Coastal Gems of the South Shore with Mass Audubon 
On Wednesdays, April 26, May 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31 from 8:30 - 10:00 am (6 Sessions)
With more than 1,500 miles of coastline, Massachusetts harbors a complex stew of productive, thriving and connected intertidal life. The unique adaptive qualities of the coast's residents are spectacular. Uncover these local coastal gems, including; American Oysters, Moon Snails, Horseshoe Crabs, Piping plovers, and others. Learn about how species are specially adapted to life in the tides, what to look for when walking the beach, salt marshes and estuaries and celebrate the aesthetic beauty of our coastal community. We will keep it interactive as we use dipnets, microscopes, field guides, etc. as we visit a number of local sites. Classes in various locations outside of the Senior Center and in inclement weather will meet at the North River Audubon. Limit 24. Cost $35

Albums, 8-Tracks or Cassettes; Rock and Pop Music from the 60s, 70s and 80s with Larry King
On Thursdays, May 4, 11, (no class May 18), 25, June 1, 8 & 15 from 10:00-11:30 am (6 sessions) 
During the 1960s, pop and rock music continued to diversify and takeover the popular music scene.  In the 1970s, an expanding market allowed for a wider variety of new rock and pop styles to emerge, in the 1980s, the prevalence of music videos brought numerous new artists and styles into the mainstream, and in the 1990s, rock and pop music began going their separate ways. This course seeks to follow these trends and bring to life the personalities that changed our culture. Larry King will bring his knowledge of music to the topic, he is currently the evening announcer/host on the World Classical Network, heard locally and online at Cape Classical 107.5.  Cost $30

The Poetry of Emily Dickenson with Stephen Collins
On Tuesdays, May 2, 9, 16, (no class May 23), 30, June 6 & 13 from 10:30- 11:45 am (6 sessions)
Emily Dickinson along with Whitman and Frost; is considered by scholars to be one of the giants of American Poetry. Long before the word feminist was widely used she was acutely aware of the limitations imposed on women by society in the 19th Century. Some of the themes explored will be Life, Nature, Love, Time and Eternity. Cost $30

Memory Fitness with Mary Whidden
On Thursdays, May 4, 11, 18, 25, June 1 & 8 from 1:00 – 2:00 pm (6 sessions)
Have you ever walked into a room and forgotten why? Gone to meet a friend and can’t remember their name? These are common “Memory Slips” and there is a lot we can do to strengthen our memory and lessen these occurrences.  The Memory Fitness course will focus on practical strategies, mental exercises, and learning new behaviors, that will help improve your memory and your overall health.  The “Big Four” components that help keep our brains young are physical fitness, a healthy brain diet, stress reduction, and brain training. Class Minimum 5/Maximum 20. Cost $45 includes the course book