The Inside Scoop - For Members Only
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Dear Encore Learning Member,
Welcome to The Inside Scoop, our electronic newsletter for members only. Please enjoy this issue, and share your feedback by email. We always look forward to hearing from you. We have had a busy February, so grab a cup of coffee and read on.
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In the Beginning...
I am relatively new to Encore Learning, having joined six years ago. I am in my third year serving on the Board. When I first started making presentations about the organization, I was asked how Encore Learning got started, and I really didn’t know, except that it was started in 2002. Fortunately, I was able to consult with one of our founders, our remarkable first President and longest-serving Board member, Ambassador John Sprott, who had a distinguished career in the Foreign Service, which included serving as Deputy Director of the Foreign Service Institute. I am extremely grateful to him for detailing our history to me both orally as well as unearthing documents from our early years. I thought our members might find a short summary interesting and know that a more detailed history will be shared as part of our 20th anniversary.
Encore Learning began in 2002 as Arlington Learning in Retirement Institute (ALRI) which was part of a wave of more than 5,000 continuing education organizations created across the U.S. to satisfy the desire of the great wave of retiring baby boomers looking for lifelong learning and social opportunities at a reasonable cost. There had been a prior effort a few years before in Arlington that had failed, but the effort in 2002 had strong support from the then Superintendent of Arlington Public Schools (APS), Robert G. Smith. Smith had Mike Morton, Director of Career, Technical and Adult Education (CTAE) and his Deputy, Janice Gentry, spearhead this effort. They wanted to broaden Arlington’s adult education offerings outside of language and computer instruction. Other support came from Fairfax County’s already established continuing education organization, Fairfax Learning in Retirement, George Mason University (GMU) and Marymount University. There was consideration for merging Arlington Learning in Retirement with its Fairfax counterpart but both Fairfax and Arlington Boards decided not to merge. The Fairfax organization eventually became part of the Osher Lifetime Learning Institute and operates successfully today at the GMU main campus.
A meeting of interested Arlingtonians was held in March of 2002 and about 40 people attended with a dozen of them agreeing to take on various tasks. This meeting was initiated by John McCracken, a retired senior U. S. Government official who served in the U.S. Department of Labor. He took charge of organizing a group of about forty people from a variety of organizations who were interested in creating a Life Long Learning program in Arlington. They represented Arlington County, APS, GMU, and Fairfax Learning in Retirement. A smaller group volunteered to work out how an Arlington Learning in Retirement would work in relation with the various interested parties.
In September, Arlington Learning in Retirement Institute was formally created and five individuals from the working committee were named to the board by John McCracken (pending eventual election). By December the board membership had grown to ten members and many volunteers to develop courses, publications, administration, organization, volunteers. Arlington Public Schools served as a back office to the fledgling organization and was, for a time, keeping membership lists, course registrations, and handling banking and finances. APS, GMU and Arlington’s Parks and Recreation provided some office space and classrooms. GMU and Marymount helped recruit volunteer instructors who would agree to provide courses at no cost. We are lucky to live in a community with lots of well-educated people who volunteered to teach. Early instructors and their courses included Dr. Tom Connally’s Health and Wellness classes, Bob Stone’s Civil War courses, and Tom Wukitsch’s Ancient Roman Histories. In addition to the founding board of: Matt Adams, Richard Barton, Doug First, Gerald Greenwald, Joan Reed, and John Sprott, some of the early volunteers included: Sharon Bisdee, Andrea Vejtko, Lynda Adamson, Judy Andrews, Ann Holmes, Jeannie Sprott, and Carolyn Gosling.
The initial funding model was to charge $20 to every household which sought membership for unlimited courses. Nineteen courses were offered in February and March of 2003. It was advertised in the school system and in the local newspaper of the time, the Arlington Sun Times. Over 100 students enrolled and classes were held in the old Sears Building which had been taken over by the County. That fall over 250 people enrolled and the fee structure was changed to charge a fee for individual membership and another one for each course taken. They needed 250 students to break even, so Arlington Learning and Retirement Institute was effectively launched. Its name was changed in 2012 to Encore Learning.
Unfortunately, two of the key individuals who helped start the organization passed away within a year of our founding. Janice Gentry died in January of 2003 and John T. McCracken died in October of that year. Our first two scholarships are named after these two who contributed so much to starting what has become Encore Learning. The Janice Gentry Scholarship Fund was established in June of 2003 to benefit low-income Arlington County adults by assisting them with Grants to gain employment skills or academic credentials. The John T. McCracken Memorial Scholarship Endowment was begun in August of 2007 and provides student scholarships at GMU. We continue to provide annual grants to these funds.
Plans for commemorating our 20th anniversary will commence soon. Contact me if you wish to be involved, send a message to the office and they will forward it to me.
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And finally, please volunteer if you can. We are still looking for a few Virtual Class Aides for the spring semester. We also need volunteers to serve on committees. Please also consider a donation to our scholarship fund or our general fund to support our excellent programs.
Be careful and stay safe!
Best,
Tom Adams, President
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Have You Registered Yet? Spring Semester Begins March 1st!
Our Spring 2021 semester begins March 1! As of today, seats are still available in 28 courses.
We have expanded all of the courses that we could expand. If you are on a waitlist and have not heard from us yet, that means someone else will have to drop the class before we can offer you a seat. If there is another course you've been thinking about instead, now would be the time to go online and register. When you view the courses available the listing indicates if you can register or if there is a waitlist. If you are on the waitlist, you will know what position you have.
Check out this very helpful registration “how to” video from our resident tech expert, Marty Suydam!
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Spring Preview Recap!
On January 28th, almost 300 people joined Encore Learning live on Zoom to watch 85 minutes of instructor presentation for our biannual Course Preview. Missed the preview? You can catch up on all the 30 instructor previews, as well as a welcome from President Tom Adams on our YouTube playlist.
Thanks to all the instructors who presented and all the members who attended. It was a great turnout!
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Robert Nieweg speaking about his course, 3030-Historic Places: A Changing Preservation Movement.
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Overwhelmed with choice? Check out these featured courses!
Not sure what to sign up for? Here’s a quick breakdown of some great offerings!
Looking for fabulous content in a Webinar Format?
Check Out Global Hot Spots!
You can watch Academic Programs Committee Co-chair Barbara Spangler’s preview here. Register here!
or
Check Out Joy and Beauty of Mathematics: No Kidding!
You can watch instructor Dan Sherman’s preview here. Register here!
Looking for a smaller discussion based class with more engagement?
Check out Written in Arlington
You can watch instructor Katherine Young’s preview here. Register here!
Looking for an interactive class that’s...
globally relevant?
Check out Technology Safety for the Self and Society
You can watch instructor David Bain’s preview here. Register here!
or locally relevant?
Check out Non-Profit Sector and Community Needs
This class starts March 2nd, so register now! Check out Community Advisory Council Chair Christine Milliken’s preview here. Register here!
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What ELSE? Encore Learning Special Events
With our virtual Encore Learning Presents, we can record the presentations and may share them on our YouTube channel.
We continue to offer virtual tours, check out the Special Events page for updates. If a tour fills up, please be sure to join the waitlist if you don't get a spot. That will enable the Special Events Committee to gauge demand and possibly offer the event again in the future.
Check out our recent Special Events below.
Members Only Tours:
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Technology has allowed our members the ability to “travel" outside the DMV to discover and enjoy some of America’s finest museums. In early February, our members took a virtual tour of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas for another look at their fabulous collection of American Art. Later that month, Encore Learning members “ventured” up to Baltimore to participate in an introductory tour: The Treasures of the Walters Art Museum. Closer to home, Encore Learning members learned the story of the creation of the ever popular Space Window (with Moon Rock) at Washington’s National Cathedral. Our thanks to the generous docent staff at these venues for sharing their wonderful collections with us.
On January 29th, more than eighty Encore Learning members joined the George Mason Observatory staff for the first evening special event sponsored by Encore Learning. Despite the weather conditions, the attendees were treated to a presentation by Michael Summers, Ph.D., a professor of planetary science at GMU, who specializes in the study of planetary atmospheres. In addition, the group was able to have a virtual look at the sky as it appeared that night.
The Observatory staff has offered this website for additional information.
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Encore Learning Presents:
We continue to offer well attended Encore Learning Presents events on a wide variety of subjects with our cosponsor Arlington Public Library. Highlights include:
On February 8th, prominent public interest lawyer Professor Steve Hanlon gave us an an insider's view of how and where the fight for "justice for all" is being waged today.
On February 22nd, Retired Coast Guard Captain Jim Donahue shared a special presentation of the history and missions of the Coast Guard. To learn more, here's a short video about the Coast Guard evacuation on 9-11.
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Club Update
Many of our clubs are meeting virtually at this time. These include: Breakfast, Cinema, Current Issues Discussion Group, Mindfulness, Nonfiction Book, Tech Hobbyist and Travel.
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Cinema Club meeting. Photo courtesy Lee Cooper
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Cinema Club Update: The Cinema Club continues to meet via Zoom monthly. They choose two movies available online which members can choose from and discuss. Most recently they have watched offerings from Sundance Film Festival: “Misha and the Wolves" and “Life in a Day 2020.”
The Current Issues Discussion Group Update: The Current Events Club meets once or twice a month (Second and Fourth Wednesday) to discuss via Zoom recent events in the news. Topics run from highly intellectual to the everyday sharing of opinions. Sometimes they cover what has already occurred and often attempt to predict the future. Discussions are always polite and diplomatic. Join and participate in the discussion or just listen and enjoy!
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Breakfast Club meeting. Photo courtesy Lee Cooper
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Breakfast Club Update: Breakfast Club meets at 8:00 AM on Wednesday mornings, and begins with open discussion. Then, they have official check in and people talk about whatever topics that interest them. A big topic of conversation has been the Covid-19 vaccine and also mask wearing. People talk about books they've read, movies they've seen, TV shows they would recommend. Personal interests are also shared, such as gardening and opera. It's a very good opportunity to exchange information and to get advice!
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Join us on Friday for Spring Semester Launch
Join us for our Spring Semester Launch event on Friday, February 26 at 10:00 AM. We'll update members on the semester and share information about how to access your Zoom class information and participate in Zoom. Come by to ask your questions and meet with your Encore Learning friends.
Zoom Meeting ID: 890 4242 4440
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In February we said goodbye to Sarah Hainesworth as she chose to commence full-time work again. We are working to hire a new Communications Specialist. I am so grateful that Donna, Francesca and Patty have taken on many additional tasks as we get ready for the semester. We all have been part of trainings and rehearsals for the upcoming classes and it has been a delight to be with our instructors and volunteers.
Over the past two months we have migrated our member account manager. The transition had hiccups for some users, we still managed to have 600 members register within the first two hours of registration. Special events that require registration now have a simplified process with the waitlist option being available at the time the event is announced, if applicable. Thank you for your patience with us and support for us as we continue to operate virtually.
If you have a friend who is not yet a member of Encore Learning, now is the time to join and sign-up for the Spring Semester.
~ Lora
Lora Pollari-Welbes, Executive Director
Save the Dates:
- Member Annual Meeting, Thursday, May 20 at 10:00 AM (watch for your electronic ballot on April 20)
- Fall Course Preview, Thursday, August 26
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Welcome New Members
In January 2021, the following new members joined Encore Learning. Please be sure to give these folks a warm welcome.
Janet Donahue
Nina Goodman
Judy Greenblum
Alana Landey
Jonathan Lyons
Dina Miani Lauman
Jane Mitchell
Richard Rubin
Sheri Stroud
Judith Yolles
Andrew Zbikowski
THANK YOU to Diane Rivinus, Dan Goodman, George Hobart, Linda Shapiro, Ellen Marcus, Steve Shapiro and all of you who kindly refer friends.
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We hope you enjoyed this edition of The Inside Scoop. If you would like to submit an article or share some photos of members participating in Encore Learning activities, please email us at info@encorelearning.net.
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Teach, Learn, Share, Grow, Explore with Others 50+
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