ALL contact information

The ALL office at Cape Cod Community College is open from

9 a.m.–3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Feel free to contact us:

Email: lifelonglearning@capecod.edu

Telephone: 774-330-4400 (please leave a message)

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It’s 2026.

I have trouble accepting that 2026 is actually a year in the present and not some date in the distant future. We just finished the first quarter of the 21st century!

So many changes. 

For most of us, the last decade or so has involved big transitions: the end of careers and the end of physically challenging hobbies; changes due to our “honored elders” status at the top of the family tree; and spending more time on body maintenance than we ever thought would be necessary.

And friends. I like the saying that “there are old friends and new friends, but no ‘new old’ friends.” On the one hand, our “old friends” group keeps getting smaller, and we are learning to live with loss. On the other hand, I recently got this upbeat message from a high school friend: “Having been a one-man stimulus package for the medical community, I have cut off new practitioners.” That’s the spirit.

After my second retirement, at age 75, my life began a new chapter at ALL. Like during the college years, peers have become paramount. A new pool for new friends and colleagues. A community in which to learn and share ideas and skills. An entire institution dedicated to forging new and continuing connections and interactions. An educational enterprise designed for us, by us.

I have learned as much from my classmates as from my instructors. I am constantly impressed, not only by my classmates, but also by volunteer colleagues: coordinators, administrators and committee members. I have enjoyed several lunches arranged to chat with various other members, just for the fun of it. I recommend this. Meet at a restaurant or just go to the cafeteria downstairs. The food is good and affordable in the “Caf” at CCCC.

Whether you are taking one class or five, on Zoom or in person, take part in a special or social event, decide to volunteer for a committee, or lunch with a new friend, take full advantage of what the Academy for Lifelong Learning of Cape Cod has to offer.

If nothing else, it will help all of us get through the 2026 Cape Cod winter.

Roger Shoemaker

ALL President

DON'T DELAY!

NOW IS THE TIME TO CHOOSE COURSES ...

SEND IN YOUR REGISTRATION FORMS NOW!

Registration for spring classes begins on January 12, 2026. 

In order to be included in the first batch of processing, your completed registration form and payment must arrive at our office by January 9, 2026. 

Later arrivals will be processed after the first group is completed. 

There are now two ways to register. You can:

Pay by Credit Card and Email Your Registration Form

or

Mail Your Printed Registration Form and Check

Click on the link below to access the Spring 2026 Registration Form and Payment Information.

Jean DeVincentis

Chair, Registration

The ALL Spring 2026 Catalog contains a listing of the courses being offered. It also contains detailed information on how to register.

Please read the registration procedures in the catalog carefully. The Course Schedule grid displays course information in a helpful table format.

Click on the link below to access the ALL Spring 2026 Course Catalog

Click on the following link for a list of locations where the Spring 2026 printed catalogs have been delivered.

Additional Courses

The following courses were submitted after our catalog went to the printer. They are not included in the catalog, but are listed on our web pages by category and by day and time. Click on each title for more information:

ALL1444-Z  Music and Religion  

ALL433-C The Doc Is IN   

ALL1491-C  Ethics: What It Is and Why We Need It 

ALL1296-Z  Mindfulness: Cultivating Lasting Happiness and Self-Compassion 



We are excited to announce a new convenience for you!

We have set up a dedicated resource desk in our suite equipped with a computer for member use.

This workstation allows you to:

• Register for classes at your convenience

• Browse course descriptions

• Read coordinator biographies

• Plan your full, satisfying class schedule online

• Check our open class list as the semester progresses

• View upcoming events



Whether you prefer to navigate the website independently or would like assistance, our office staff is here to help.

Stop by our suite at the Cape Cod Community College anytime Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. to explore all that Academy for Lifelong Learning has to offer.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

On Friday, December 12th at 3:00 in the Atrium, Robert Blancato gave a talk to ALL members on the recent changes to Social Security. 

He noted that a major concern is the expiration of the ACA (otherwise known as Obamacare) for 22+ million people.

He debunked a lot of the DOGE exaggerations and delineated the impact of the government cutbacks. (One of which is that no one answers the phone when you call the Social Security office!)

For Social Security to survive requires more revenue (taxes), or cuts to benefits, including raising the age—or both. ACA is at the heart of the government shutdown.

Many programs benefiting the elderly are set to expire at the end of the year. His conclusion was that we, as a nation, need a cohesive plan for aging. 

Denise Benjamin

Special Events 

This fall, ALL presented “Designing and Painting Floor Mats.”

In this course members learned how to measure, sew, design, paint and finish floor mats. The same techniques can be used for place mats, table runners, wall hangings, dog and cat mats!

Members also learned simple techniques to paint and decorate their mats. Many creative things were made that can be used for years to come and lots of fun was had!

Joan Freedman

Course Coordinator

Please click the image at right to view a short video about this delightful class on ALL's YouTube channel.

On Saturday, December 6th, 16 ALL members and guests enjoyed the Cape Symphony's "Holiday on the Cape" performance. 

This Cape Symphony concert included a fabulous soprano soloist, the Cape Symphony Youth Orchestra, Chatham Chorale and delightful ballerinas.

There were carols, holiday classics, a Nutcracker waltz and even a sing-along. This concert was a wonderful way to get into the spirit of the season!

This was the first time ALL had reserved a block of tickets to a Cape Symphony event and we hope to do it more often in the future!

Jean DeVincentis

Now that the holidays are over, and we can slow down, it's time to curl up with a good book.

Here are a few suggestions from the best of 2025.

January Reading List

Queen Esther – John Irving. Irving returns to the world of Cider House Rules, revisiting the orphanage in St. Cloud’s, Maine with a coming-of-age story starring Dr. Wilbur Larch.

The American Revolution – Geoffrey C. Ward & Ken Burns. Historians Ward & Burns take us deeper into the American Revolution than ever before, spotlighting the struggle for independence and how it’s still rippling across the nation today.

Dolly Parton, Star of the Show: My life on Stage. Part 3 of her photographic memoir.

When the Fireflies Dance – Aisha Hassan. A Story of love, brotherhood, resilience, and redemption set in Pakistan.

The Correspondent – Virginia Evans. A transformative, intimate novel about the power of the written word and the beauty of slowing down to reconnect with people we love.

I, Medusa – Ayana Gray. A story that reimagines the Greek myth of Medusa as a young heroine, exploring themes of identity, and power.

Canticle – Janet Rich Edwards – Excellent debut historical fiction following a spirited young woman’s exploration of faith, agency and love in 13th century Bruges.

A Guardian and a Thief – Megha Majumdar. Set in a near-future, climate-ravaged Kolkata where two families’ lives collide over a week.

Paper Girl – Beth Macy. A memoir of home and family in fractured America.

The Impossible Fortune: A Thursday Murder Club Mystery – Richard Osman. The fifth book of the cozy mystery series. Who’s got time to think about murder when there’s a wedding to plan?

The Things We Never Say – Elizabeth Strout. This novel tells the story of a chance incident that sparks a powerful realization about loneliness, friendship, parenthood and truth in a beloved teacher’s life.

The Cloudbuster Nine: The Untold Story of Ted Williams and the Baseball Team That Helped Win World War II – Anne R. Keene. Features Ted Williams and other future American heroes who trained as fight pilots.

Washington: a Life – Ron Chernow. A comprehensive biography revealing George Washington as a passionate, complex leader who masterfully shaped America’s founding while managing Mount Vernon and navigating personal relationships.

Dianne Tattersall

Is there a friend who would like to know more about ALL?

We now have a 2-minute video that provides an overview of who we are and what we offer. A link to that video follows. It is also on our website. Feel free to share this newsletter and tell your friends to take a look.

A link to the video is at the end of this article.

The ALL Art Gallery exhibits the works of artists' connection to the Cape Cod Academy for Lifelong Learning. The works of Cynthia Jayne and Helen Duggan Aucoin are currently on display.

The ALL Art Gallery walls are outside classrooms 106 and 115 and change regularly.



Please contact the ALL office if you are interested in exhibiting your art.