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| Jim Barr, coordinator of Education Partnerships at Gulf Coast State College, poses with Barbara and Stan Guterman, who donated $1,000 to the Education Encore Scholarship Fund. |
- EDUCATION ENCORE
- When: In-person registration is 8 a.m. Jan. 16; classes are six consecutive Fridays, Jan. 23 through Feb. 27
- Where: Gulf Coast State College, 5230 U.S. 98, Panama City
- What: Non-credit enrichment classes for adults
- Cost: $88
- Details: Online at GulfCoast.edu/EducationEncore; call 872-3823; or email Jim Barr at jbarr@gulfcoast.edu
PANAMA CITY — With Spring Break on the horizon, it’s
time for the winter to start winding down — but that just means Education
Encore is about to heat up. The winter session of Gulf Coast State College’s
adult education program begins Jan. 23, with in-person registration taking
place Friday, Jan. 16.
As I’ve noted in the past, I have had the pleasure —
and the challenge — of teaching a writing course for the program, helping
students ranging in age from 30 to 80 and ranging in experience from beginner
to retired journalist. I have never yet met someone who is as bad a writer as
they think they are, but I have met a few who were much better than they ever
suspected.
The program, which meets on six consecutive Fridays,
offers more than 80 non-credit classes, which are filled on a first-come,
first-served basis. Doors will open at 7 a.m., and the fee for Panama City
participants is $88, which includes four classes on each of the six Fridays.
(Classes offered at the GCSC Port St. Joe campus, at a fee of $66, meet each
Wednesday for six weeks.)
For details on the program and to see a list of
classes, visit GulfCoast.edu/EducationEncore, call 872-3823 or e-mail Jim Barr, coordinator of
Education Partnerships, at jbarr@gulfcoast.edu
“The goal of Education Encore is to provide a
learning environment that is fun, lively and offers diversity, insight and wisdom
— in which adults explore new ideas,” Jim said in an email to participants. “If
you have been to college, this is an opportunity to re-live the college
experience. If you have not attended college, this is an opportunity to live
the college experience. Just as exercising the body keeps one physically fit,
exercising the mind keeps one mentally fit.”
The program’s motto is “No Stress, No Tests, No
Grades, Just Fun,” though some classes (like mine) encourage participants to
work on projects throughout the week. (All good writing is re-writing, you
know.)
Established in 1991, originally designed for retired
senior adults, the program and the courses offered have evolved over the years.
All ages of adults are welcome, and many of the courses are the result of
requests and suggestions from students.
Some of the winter courses offered include bridge,
quilting, Digital Image Editing, drawing, Heritage Skills for Modern Times,
jewelry, Spanish conversation, Birding for Beginners, civil law, Firearms
Safety, History and Training of Navy
Seals, line dancing, storytelling,
Fishing Florida Waters, History of Seminole Tribes, financial planning,
Understanding Islam, Zumba, acrylic painting, photography, sign language,
gardening, musical theatre history, sea life, interior decorating, journaling,
Tai Chi, aquatic exercise, car maintenance, astronomy, fitness, physics, a
capella harmony, gourmet cooking, yoga and many more.
In fact, writing has been such a popular subject,
this year the program will offer four different classes for students to
explore. Sherry Anderson will teach Writing Memoirs and Creative Non-fiction;
Pat Sabiston has Journaling: A Powerful Tool to Write a Life Story; Michael
Brim offers Fear and Fun of Writing Fiction; and I will be discussing the intersection
of Writing and Life.
Maybe I’ll see you there?
Peace.
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