Friday Courses   

This course comes within a place of mindful caregiving and culture of being present, kind, and real. Each of the four hourly sessions will be led by an expert on the different aspects of end-of-life preparation and palliative/hospice care. The course will use a lecture format with ample time for discussion and questions. Topics will include: 1) stages of dying and the process individuals and families go through; 2) use of facility care and tour of Celia’s House; 3) the role of spiritual care and self-care; and 4) bereavement support and the value of recognizing grief. This course is open to any student who wishes to gain an important understanding in preparing for this phase of life. This is the second of two courses on the subject of end-of-life care. One does not have to take the first course to enroll in this course.

NOTE: Students will receive resource information from the course. Students should be open to sharing their experiences, concerns, and worries about the subject.

NOTE: Two sections of this course are being offered at the same day/time as a hybrid: one on Zoom and one in-person. Please register for and attend either the online or in-person section.

This course comes within a place of mindful caregiving and culture of being present, kind, and real. Each of the four hourly sessions will be led by an expert on the different aspects of end-of-life preparation and palliative/hospice care. The course will use a lecture format with ample time for discussion and questions. Topics will include: 1) stages of dying and the process individuals and families go through; 2) use of facility care and tour of Celia’s House; 3) the role of spiritual care and self-care; and 4) bereavement support and the value of recognizing grief. This course is open to any student who wishes to gain an important understanding in preparing for this phase of life. This is the second of two courses on the subject of end-of-life care. One does not have to take the first course to enroll in this course.

NOTE: Students will receive resource information from the course. Students should be open to sharing their experiences, concerns, and worries about the subject.

NOTE: Two sections of this course are being offered at the same day/time as a hybrid: one on Zoom and one in-person. Please register for and attend either the online or in-person section.

Learn how to bring nature indoors through the wonder of mixed-media creation and spark a lifelong new hobby! If you are already proficient in acrylic, watercolor, and colored pencil techniques, this course will increase your nature-focused creativity in compositions of two or more techniques, including techniques unique to mixed media. Nature explorations will include mountains, water, forests, birds and other animals, as well as flowers, the night sky, our imaginations, and more. Learning occurs through watch-on-your-own-schedule online videos and text, with questions and discussion via email and optional Zooms. The content of the course is entirely online. Materials are inexpensive, and you can always just listen and learn without practicing. Work will not be critiqued or shared. This is not a skills-building art class, but instead is focused on building nature immersion and interaction through play and creativity. Mixed media takes the nature-enjoyment journey to an entirely new level! NOTE: The companion-class, Exploring Nature with Paint and Colored Pencils, provides instruction in the three media that are prerequisites to completing the projects in this class. Two optional Zooms allow discussion and socializing in a safe, no-recording environment. Zoomers must maintain live video throughout.

This course comes within a place of mindful caregiving and culture of being present, kind, and real. Each of the four hourly sessions will be led by an expert on the different aspects of end-of-life preparation and palliative/hospice care. This course will use a lecture format with ample time for discussion and questions. Topics will include: 1) the importance of planning for end-of-life and communicating with people important in your life; 2) differences between hospice and palliative care; 3) importance of caregiver health, support, and use of resources during this difficult time; and 4) the definition of hospice care and what is provided by a hospice agency. This course is open to any student who wishes to gain an important understanding in preparing for this phase of life. This is the first of two courses on the subject of end-of-life care.

NOTE: Students will receive resource information from the course. Students should be open to sharing their experiences, concerns, and worries about the subject.

 

NOTE: Two sections of this course are being offered at the same day/time as a hybrid: one on Zoom and one in-person. Please register for and attend either the online or in-person section.

This course comes within a place of mindful caregiving and culture of being present, kind, and real. Each of the four hourly sessions will be led by an expert on the different aspects of end-of-life preparation and palliative/hospice care. This course will use a lecture format with ample time for discussion and questions. Topics will include: 1) the importance of planning for end-of-life and communicating with people important in your life; 2) differences between hospice and palliative care; 3) importance of caregiver health, support, and use of resources during this difficult time; and 4) the definition of hospice care and what is provided by a hospice agency. This course is open to any student who wishes to gain an important understanding in preparing for this phase of life. This is the first of two courses on the subject of end-of-life care.

NOTE: Students will receive resource information from the course. Students should be open to sharing their experiences, concerns, and worries about the subject.

 

NOTE: Two sections of this course are being offered at the same day/time as a hybrid: one on Zoom and one in-person. Please register for and attend either the online or in-person section.

This course will investigate the practice of “religion” without the concept of “God.” That is, it will consider religions that are absent of faith in the existence of supernatural deities. The course will consider ancient and modern approaches, some traditional, some metaphorical, some tongue-in-cheek. These include Naturalism, the Way of the Tao, Buddhism, the cult of Dionysus, Syntheism, Secular Humanism, The Satanic Temple, Pastafarianism [sic], and Unorthodox Methodless Mysticism (UMM). Classes will include presentations by the instructor and short videos followed by small-group and large-group discussions. Short readings will be suggested for each class, mostly using internet-based resources. The sequence of classes will be: 1) Naturalism, 2) The Way of the Tao and Buddhism, 3) Paganism and the Cult of Dionysus, 4) Syntheism and Secular Humanism, 5) The Satanic Temple and Pastafarianism, 6) UMM: Unorthodox Methodless Mysticism.

The eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD was a disaster for the region, burying towns including Pompeii and Herculaneum. It was also a gift for those who came later and sought to understand how Roman cities functioned. This course differs from the one taught in 2020 in format and focus, as well as in presenting more recent archaeology and scholarship. In the lectures and discussions, we will explore materials recovered from areas covered by Vesuvius’ lava and ash. Our goal will be to understand how architectural remains, ranging from temples to brothels, lavishly frescoed walls to graffiti, can inform our understanding of how people from all social classes lived in the early Roman empire. No previous knowledge of Roman culture is required. The contributions of all students are valued, including those who took this course in 2020.

This course will teach beginning gardeners and those new to the Rogue Valley how to grow vegetables year ‘round from seed selection to harvesting. The instructor’s emphasis is on science-based information and “how to” techniques to enable students to achieve a successful garden the first year. More experienced gardeners may learn new techniques to improve their vegetable gardening skills. Students will be asked to read assigned pages in the text, “Garden Guide to the Rogue Valley: Vegetables, Berries and Melons” by Jackson County Master Gardener Association (OSU Extension), 2017. Topics will include soil, seeds, growing cool and warm weather crops, controlling pests and diseases, fertilizing, irrigation, compost, and harvesting and storing your produce, plus much more. Teaching methods will include PowerPoint lectures, live demonstrations, and class discussion/group exercises, plus plenty of time for Q and A.

NOTE: The required text is available at local retailers for about $20. Students will be given a list of retailers prior to the first class.