Current programs & Courses

LEARNING IN RETIREMENT Programs & Courses

Registration for Winter-Spring 2023 courses is now ongoing via Selkirk College,

see instructions on the Membership page.

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LIR MULTI-SESSION/SEMINAR COURSES

WINTER/SPRING TERM January – June 2023

 

MEET & GREET

Friday, January 13, 10:00 – 12:00 – SKC

Come and enjoy the fellowship of LiR – meet the instructors of this term’s programming, learn a little more about the courses being offered, enjoy a coffee, and welcome in the New Year and the new LiR term.

 

BRAIN GAMES ADVANCED 3

Instructor:  Susan Milner

Wednesdays – January 25 – February 15 – 10:00 – 11:30

$12 + tax – 4 sessions

Room: SKC 112/113                           Max: 18

 

This course is meant for people who have participated in at least one Brain Games course and are crying out for the next challenge.  We will play with puzzles heretofore unseen in our LIR courses, some on-line and some using pencil and paper.

Susan taught post-secondary mathematics in BC for 29 years.  She volunteers for Science World, taking math and logic games into K-12 classrooms all over BC.  She thoroughly enjoys playing with LiR members who laugh more than any other group.

 

IONA’S WORLD – MORE THAN A BOOK CLUB!

Facilitator:  Jean Carne

Wednesdays – January 25, February 22, March 22, April 26 – 1:00 – 4:00

$12 + tax – 4 sessions

Room: SKC 110                      Max:  12

 

It is a Book Club….a Canadian history seminar….a field trip as we explore the world of the Iona Wishaw book series.  In discussion of the books, we will briefly explore the historical events that are woven into the story and, where possible, travel to the settings.  This is a multi-term course – we expect to continue in the Fall Term – we will explore 2 books/term – so far there are 9 books in the series!

Jean is a life-long enthusiastic reader and loves that Iona Wishaw weaves local and Canadian history into her stories and then sets them in our own Valley!  Jean grew up on the North Shore, left Nelson for 40 years, and has retired to the family property to explore a healthy retirement.

 

CIRCLE DANCE

Instructor:  Rose Stapenhurst

Wednesdays –  Feb. 15 – Mar. 8      1:30 – 3:00

$12 + tax – 4 sessions

Room:  P 106 at the Tenth Street Campus

 

Learn traditional circle dances from different cultures and traditions from eastern and central Europe (Greek, Macedonian, Romanian, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Israeli) as well as newer choreographed dances.  Dances are straightforward and are taught and practised.

Rose has facilitated many Circle Dance events from single classes, days and weekends, to full weeklong retreats in the USA, UK, and Canada.  She is passionate about this form of dance to help create a more peaceful and gentle world.  She was trained at the Findhorn Foundation in northern Scotland.

 

LIFE AND TIME MANAGEMENT

Instructor:  Mike Stolte

Thursday – January 26  – 2:00 – 4:00

$3 + tax – 1 session

Room: SKC 110                      Max:  24

 

Are you paying attention to what drains and energizes you?  Do you have a regular check-in to see where you may be out of balance?  Are you actively pursuing the moments of JAM (Joy, Awe and Magic) in your life to balance out negative news cycles?  Are you making effective use of your time?  This interactive workshop will introduce you to leading tools, exercises and practices that will help shift you from treading water to swimming towards that oasis.

Mike is a local writer, educator and creator.  He has written as the Happy Economist and is the creator of many tools including the Business Vitality Initiative, the Community Vitality Initiative, the Communities Matrix, the Conversation Continuum, the Personal Vitality Check-up, and the Relationship Vitality Index.

 

LINE DANCING

Instructor:  Sue Williams

Fridays – January 27 – March 3 – 1:30 – 3:00

$18 + tax – 6 sessions

Room: Tenth Street Gym        Max:  25

 

Learning several line dances to all genres of music.  Basic beginner level.

Sue has been instructing line dancing for the past 4 years.  Sue says, “It’s a great way to get moving and enjoy music and dance.”

 

CHAIR YOGA FOR BRAIN HEALTH

ZOOM DELIVERY

Instructor:  Deb Wandler

Mondays – January 30 – March 13 – 10:00 – 11:00 (No class February 20)

$18 + tax – 6 sessions

ZOOM DELIVERY ONLY – Details will be provided to those who have registered prior to first class.

 

This offering of chair yoga is based on the teachings of Kristine Webber from Subtle Yoga.  It involves slow mindful movement, structural breathing, interoceptive awareness and cross crawl patterns to improve brain function and nervous system awareness with a combination of seated and standing postures/movement.  Deb also includes Qi Gong, poetry and humour in her classes with plenty of time for relaxation at the end of the class.

Deb has been teaching yoga in one form or another for twenty years.  Retired since 2017, Deb spends a great deal of time writing, leading and participating in online writing circles, leading chair yoga and writing circles with seniors and volunteering with the IRIS program in Castlegar.  She loves spending time with her grandchildren, video chatting with family and friends and travelling with her husband.

 

HEADLINES AND HISTORY II

Instructor:  Charles Jeanes

Tuesdays – January 31 – March 7 – 1:00 – 2:30

$18 + tax – 6 sessions

Room:  SKC 110

 

The historical roots underneath the surface of today’s news headlines.

Charles asks you to hear this from him:  “I want so much more than to convey information about historical times.  I want to speak to my peers, to Elders who are trying to age gracefully and with purpose.”  To this end, the course will push students to open up about themselves as engaged citizens, as individual characters, as thinkers.  History will be presented in tasty bites but the bites are not the main course – the main course is discourse, conversation, and good company.

Charles has been passionate about history from an early age.  He has presented The History Hour on Kootenay Community Radio since 1996 and has facilitated an LiR History course fourteen times previously.

 

HERBAL MEDICINE FOR PAIN

Instructor:  Travis Cartwright

Thursdays – February 16 – 23 – 1:00 – 3:00

$6 + tax – 2 sessions

Room: SKC 110                      Max:  25

 

In this class we will discuss a variety of herbal medicines and strategies to support those experiencing pain whether it’s a chronic condition or an acute injury.  We will focus on herbs that grow wild in the Kootenays as well as plants that can be easily grown in your garden.  Throughout we will try a number of the herbs discussed.  By the end of the course you will know a number of ways to use herbal medicine to safely and effectively address pain.

Travis is a clinical herbalist, herbal medicine maker, educator and co-founder of Althaea Herbals.  He maintains a professional membership as a Registered Herbal Therapist (RHT) with the British Columbia Herbalists Association (BCHA).  He received his formal education from Pacific Rim College and has furthered his study with The School of Evoluntionary Herbalism.

Guided by nature, his practice integrates the holistic energetic system of Traditional Western Herbalism with modern scientific knowledge.  Travis is honored to support individuals in their personal growth and healing with the use of herbal medicine.  Travis lives in Nelson where he forages and prepares various herbal medicines, teaches, and runs a clinical herbal practice.

 

INTERNET SAFETY FOR SENIORS

Instructors:  Catherine Brochhagen & Lyndsay Forsythe

Wednesday – March 1 – 1:00 – 3:00

$3 + tax – 1 session

Room:  SKC 110            Max:  25

 

This is an interactive and informative two-hour workshop engaging seniors in a discussion to help them develop skills in using their personal digital devices safely.  Topics covered:  internet safety, social networking, video chat (Skype, Zoom, Facetime, etc.), how to identify theft, scams, two-factor authentication, passwords and more.  This workshop is for those who are already using digital devices at a basic level.

Catherine is a Program Facilitator with Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy in Nelson.  She works with adults, primarily seniors, on basic digital skills through the TechTime series of programs, workshops and one-to-one tutoring.

Lyndsay is the Public and Reference Services Coordinator for the Nelson Public Library.  She works with the community to get them the books they want to read, runs programs for seniors and adults that teach basic library and tech skills and collaborates with community organizations in and around Nelson.

 

INTRODUCTION TO GEOCACHING

Instructor:  June Spearman

Thursdays – March 16 – April 6 – 1:00 – 3:00

4 sessions                    Max: 6

**The first session will start in a classroom at Selkirk College – details to be provided at a later date.

Registration will be through our Interest Group e-mail – lir22social@gmail.com.

Registration will begin at 12:30 on January 13 on a first-come/first-served basis.  You will be notified if you have been one of the first 6 to register OR if you have been placed on a wait list.  NO registrations will be accepted  BEFORE 12:30 on Jan. 13.

Students require a good understanding of smart phones and/or computers.

Students will be required to join Geocaching.com and make a free account to participate.  We will review what geocaching is, how the game is played, and go out to find geocaches in the local Nelson area.  We will also learn about hiding a geocache and submitting it for publication.  Students need to be able to walk on uneven terrain for at least 1 km.

**If needed, there will be a small fee for the rental of Geocaching Instruments.  This will be collected at the first session.  Participants will be notified about this fee prior to the first session.

June is a retired ultrasound technologist who loves the outdoors.  She has been geocaching since 2009 and has found nearly 5,000 geocaches in 48 countries.  She is the treasurer for the BC Geocaching Society and is an active volunteer in Nelson.

 

 

EXPLORERS – FAMOUS AND LESS WELL KNOWN

Instructor:  Brian Holmes

Tuesdays – March 21 – April 18 – 2:00 – 3:00

$15 + tax – 5 sessions

Room: SKC 110                     Max:  9

 

This course will provide an historical background to human migration and world’s exploration, including biographies of selected explorers, their lives, travels, and contributions to history and science.  The content of the course will include four women and four men.  Class format is instructor introduction followed by class member round table discussion with suggested outline.  Format suggestions are welcome.

Brian is educated in the U.S.A.and Canada and holds a BA and MA in anthropology with an emphasis on indigenous people of N.W. North America and PHD.in archaeology with field work in Quebec, N.W.T.,  Egypt, and Tenerife.  He was employed by Indian Affairs in Ottawa and in the B.C. Central Coast.  He taught at  the college and university level for thirty years.

 

NAVIGATING GRIEF

Instructor:  Mike Stolte

Wednesday – March 22 – 2:00 – 4:00

$3 + tax – 1 session

Room: SKC 112/113               Max:  24

 

“What isn’t expressed is depressed.” – Mark Nepo, Author

We all lose people we love, friendships, dreams…even our cherished pets.  Grief can make one feel crazy.  One moment, extreme sadness.  The next, anger.  Then love, accompanied by manic laughter.  This workshop will explore grief experiences and successful coping strategies.  Mike – who lost his partner 6 years ago – served as the Director of Dialogue and Education at the Kalein Centre, a hospice in Nelson.

Mike is a local writer, educator and creator.  He has written as the Happy Economist and is the creator of many tools including the Business Vitality Initiative, the Community Vitality Initiative, the Communities Matrix, the Conversation Continuum, the Personal Vitality Check-up, and the Relationship Vitality Index.

 

HAPPINESS IN RELATIONSHPS

Instructor:  Mike Stolte

Thursday – April 6 – 2:00 – 4:00

$3 + tax – 1 session

Room: SKC 110                      Max:  24

 

Relationships can make us happy.  They can also drive us crazy.  What makes us happy in romantic, family and friend-based relationships?  How do we get more positive experiences out of them?  How do we make our time with friends, family, and partners richer and fuller for everyone?  This workshop will explore the connection between happiness and relationships and offer participants practical tips and tools for improving them.

Mike is a local writer, educator and creator.  He has written as the Happy Economist and is the creator of many tools including the Business Vitality Initiative, the Community Vitality Initiative, the Communities Matrix, the Conversation Continuum, the Personal Vitality Check-up, and the Relationship Vitality Index.

 

PINE NEEDLE BASKETRY

Instructors:  Debbie Gerrits & Maureen Gallinger

Thursday – April 20 – 1:00 – 4:30

$3 + tax – 1 session

Room: SKC 110                      Max:  10

 

This is a beginner course in pine needle basket weaving.  Everyone will go home with one small delightful basket made with pine needles and sinew.  There will be an additional fee of $6 per person for supplies.  This will be collected at the class.

Both Debbie and Maureen took an afternoon basket weaving course in the fall of 2019.  Since then they’ve both spent many hours weaving various sizes, styles and colours of baskets.  Debbie is retired and enjoys harvesting pine needles on her hikes throughout the Kootenays..  Maureen is a health care worker and a master crafter of many things. 

 

BARBEQUE YOUR OWN LUNCH

Instructor:  Al Pollard

Tuesdays – May 16 – June 20 – 10:00 – 2:00

6 sessions                                Max:  10

Registration will be done through LiR’s Social e-mail – lir22social@gmail.com

Registration will begin at 12:30 on Friday, January 13.   NO registrations will be accepted prior to 12:30.  You will be notified if you are among the 10 participants OR if you are placed on a waiting list.  Please provide your telephone number and address when you register so that car pooling can be arranged.  This information will be shared with Al and with other members of the class.  If you are among the 10 who register and then cannot attend the classes, PLEASE notify Susan through the lir social e-mail so that someone on the wait list can take your spot. 

 

**Food costs will be $8 per session = $48 total – This will be collected at the first class.  The class will be held at Al’s home in Proctor.  Details to be provided to those registered prior to the first session.

 

Introduction to Barbeque – make your own lunch will include the following themes:   Burger of the Month – Slow and Low – Love of Smoke – Fish on Cedar – Rustic Mediterranean – Tex Mex

After many years cooking outdoors, Al went to Culinary School at Selkirk College and since then he continues to explore good food.

 

 

 

 

 

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