See below for information about courses, clubs and upcoming Special Events. We are very excited to have our first in-person Special Event at the library since March of 2020.

Spring Semester Starts

Next Week!

We are so excited to start our 45th semester of Encore Learning classes! Registration is ongoing with classes running through mid May. Check out our Courses page for the calendar view, grid view, a PDF and more.

Reminders For Spring Courses

We’re looking forward to seeing you in class, either in-person or virtually, soon! You will receive a reminder email with more information two business days before your class begins, but in the meantime, here are a few tips and reminders to help you prepare:

In-Person Course Locations: All class locations, including room numbers, can be found in the course description. All courses at GMU will be held in Van Metre Hall at the Mason Square Campus in Arlington. Paid parking is available in an attached garage accessed off of N. Kirkwood Road. Parking for two hours is $9.00. There are nearby parking meters as well.

Zoom Login Information for Virtual Courses: All Zoom login information is on the course webpage, that login information will be sent to you with the class reminder. You will use the same login information for all class sessions, so we recommend saving the login information to your desktop. For tips on using Zoom, see these resources.

Class Media: All course materials provided by instructors will be uploaded to a password-protected webpage on our website. The course webpage link and password will be shared in the course reminder email sent 2-3 days before the first class session. You will also receive notifications with the link and password anytime new materials are added. Links to all course pages are available through “access class media” in the Courses menu on the main Encore Learning website. However, you will need the password provided in your course reminder email to access them.

Some Virtual Classes to be Streamed at GMU Mason Square:

We realize there are students registered for courses that may be consecutive, i.e. one is virtual and the other being in-person. Encore Learning plans to have a classroom available to view some virtual classes. The instructor and other students will all be on Zoom. The location of the virtual class viewing will be shared with students who are registered for the virtual class. If you would like to request a virtual viewing room at Mason, please email info@encorelearning.net.

We are also recording some select courses. Encore Learning will record a select number of courses during the spring term. Links to recorded course sessions will be available to registered participants within two business days after each class session to view on their own time, until July 31, 2025. Click here for a list of recorded classes.

Please note that the recordings are provided for convenience and to accommodate any scheduling conflicts. They are not intended to replace the benefits of attending in real time, where you can ask questions and participate in discussions. You must be registered for the course to have access to the recording.

Inclement Weather and Other Policies: Please see this link for more information.

With both in-person and virtual courses being offered, we encourage you to select which format you feel is most comfortable and beneficial for you.

Spring is in the air, and so is the excitement of learning! Encore Learning’s spring term is packed with engaging courses, and now is the time to secure your spot.

Many of our courses are filling up quickly, but there are still open slots in select classes starting in March. Don’t wait—register today and make this spring a season of growth and discovery!

Monday Classes

3084: Renaissance in Rome

Virtual starting March 3 at 12:00 PM

3080: Arlington County and Metro-Urban Development, 1975-2025

In-person at GMU starting March 17 at 12:00 PM

3083: Populism and Authoritarianism in Latin America: the Recent History of an Explosive Relationship

Hybrid at GMU/Zoom starting March 3 at 2:00 PM

1053: Meeting the Bible Musically: Broadway Shows, Folk Songs, Operas, Oratorios, Symphonies and More

Virtual starting March 17 2:00 PM

Tuesday Classes

4058: Germany: Crucible of Europe’s future?

Virtual starting March 4 at 10:00 AM

6038: Understanding Climate Change and Solutions

Virtual starting March 4 at 12:00 PM

4047: Africa’s Role in the 21st Century

In-person at GMU starting March 4 at 2:00 PM

3077: World War I: Its Impact on Western Culture and the Western Worldview

In-person at GMU starting March 4 at 2:00 PM

Wednesday Classes

3082: Civil War in Washington and Beyond

Hybrid at GMU/Zoom starting March 5 at 10:00 AM

5064: Reading James’ “The Portrait of a Lady”

Hybrid at GMU/Zoom starting March 5 at 12:00 PM

7013: The Mind-Body Problem and Contemporary Panpsychism

In-person at GMU starting March 12 at 12:00 PM

Thursday Classes

7037: Wisdom of Important Texts from Five Traditions

In-person at GMU starting March 13 at 10:00 AM

3078: Civil War and Reconstruction

In-person at GMU starting March 6 at 12:00 PM

4004: Global Hot Spots

Virtual starting March 6 at 2:00 PM

Friday Classes

5066: King Lear

Virtual starting March 7 at 12:00 PM

5065: Plagues and Pandemics in Three Modern Novels

In-person at GMU starting March 14 at 2:00 PM

2025: Understanding Happiness in Our Encore Years

Hybrid at GMU/Zoom starting March 14 at 2:00 PM

Don’t miss your chance to explore, learn and connect, and grow with Encore Learning this spring. View the full line-up of inspiring courses in our online catalog, and get ready to make Spring 2025 a season of discovery!

Our wonderful class aides have been busily preparing for the Spring Semester. On Monday 2/24 volunteers gathered at GMU to put together informational folders for our class aides. On Tuesday 2/25, and Wednesday 2/26, trainings were held for both in-person and virtual class aides. Thank you to all our class aide volunteers and committee co-chairs Carol Fuller and John Metzler.

Join us for special events – Zoom presentations and in-person tours – to learn something new and make the most of your membership. Most virtual presentations are recorded and available on Encore Learning’s YouTube channel. –Louise Kenny, Acting Special Events Committee Chair

Want to explore the idea of joining the committee? We’d love to talk to you. Contact Louise Kenny at LKenny1208@gmail.com.

Encore Learning Presents

Did you know…that Rep. Don Beyer is pursuing his Masters in AI so he understands the potential opportunities and pitfalls of this new technology that is poised to change our lives in ways we can’t even imagine? Congressman Beyer’s January 13th Q and A session enabled him to discuss current issues facing Congress and the country. You can view the event recording here.

Did you know…that only wood from oak trees on the Mount Vernon estate are being used to replace some of the oak flooring in the mansion as part of the $40 million 2-year restoration currently in progress? Mount Vernon’s Director of Preservation Tom Reinhart’s presentation on February 10 showed the scope and depth of the restoration. Click here for the event recording.

Back to the Library for a book talk!

Do you know…that Frances Perkins, long time Secretary of Labor under President Franklin Roosevelt, actively helped refugees flee from Nazi Germany?

Join us as Rebecca Graham relates this and much more in her book Dear Miss Perkins: A Story of Frances Perkins’s Efforts to Aid Refugees from Nazi Germany on Monday, March 3 at 3:00 PM. This is a hybrid event, in person at the Arlington Central Library and virtual via Zoom.

Did you know…about the world class back up musicians that helped make the iconic songs from the 1970s hits with long lasting impact? Join us on Monday, April 7 at 3:00 PM at George Mason’s Van Metre Hall theater to watch the film Immediate Family. This documentary film allows us to get to know these talented musicians and see interviews with the superstars they performed with. The film is 1 hour and 40 minutes. The film presentation will be followed by a wine and cheese reception and Q and A with the film’s director Denny Tedesco. The reception (hosted by GMU), will be held next door in the new FUSE building lobby. This will be our first event in this new space. Admission is free and there is an optional donation at the door. Please register so we know how many to expect.

As part of its community engagement, the Arlington Philharmonic partnered with Encore Learning to host a free, in-person concert on Sunday, February 23, at Washington-Liberty High School.

On February 20th over 40 music lovers virtually attended Maestro Scott Wood’s preview of the Arlington Philharmonic concert. He highlighted the music to be performed and gave participants some cues of things to listen for at the concert.

Encore Learning held a pre-concert reception where many members and other music appreciators could socialize prior to the concert.

Thank you to our volunteers: Jane Nagy, Marilyn Marton, Dick Juhnke, David Briggs, Sharon Bisdee and Nancy Limprecht who setup, greeted and cleaned up so we could host this lovely event.

Photos courtesy of Dick Juhnke

We are currently seeking volunteers for a variety of roles:

• Developing strategies to diversify our membership and ensure we are inclusive
• Planning academic courses or Special Events
• Joining a newly forming Public Relations/Marketing committee
• Be a photographer for your class or event

If any of these opportunities are of interest to you, please visit our Volunteer page or send an email to info@encorelearning.net.

Please email the Encore Learning office if you are interested in joining any of our clubs or would like more information. You can also visit our Clubs page on our website for details about our clubs.

Bridge Club

The Encore Learning Bridge Club met in January for our Happy New Year celebration. Twenty people attended our lunch and Bridge game, giving us five tables for Bridge. We were able to use the Top of the West Room at Goodwin House, Bailey’s Crossroads, again this year as it’s really a perfect venue for a celebration.

Sharon Bisdee and Joan Carter, Bridge Club coordinators, were hosts for the event, serving a hot lunch complete with Prosecco, and a sheet cake from COSTCO for dessert. Janice Jensen, who lives at Goodwin House, was instrumental in arranging use of the room, and Barbara Sakamoto, another resident, helped with several details, like letting us use her oven to keep our entrees warm until ready to serve. The Bridge Club plays monthly, either at a member’s home or at one of the Arlington County Community Centers. Anyone reading this who plays Bridge and is interested in joining our group, please contact the Encore Learning Office, and staff will put you in touch with one of us. – Joan Carter, Sharon Bisdee, Club Coordinators

Chamber Music Club

Social on March 14

The Encore Learning Chamber Music club continues to enjoy free, Friday Morning Music Club chamber concerts the first and second Friday of the month, through May.

The musicians are top quality and the repertoire varied. What’s more, the musicians introduce each piece, a welcome addition to the listening experience.

Thinking of becoming a member of the club? Want to try it out? Contact the office.

Meet your fellow music lovers on Friday, March 14 at a social in the parish hall following the concert. Nothing fancy. Just cookies, soft drinks and conversation.

All performances start at noon. Location: St. George’s Episcopal Church, 915 N. Oakland St, adjacent to the Virginia Square Metro.

Can’t wait to hear FREE chamber music? Come to the March 7 concert. Same location and details as above. – Rhoda Ritzenberg, Coordinator

Cinema Club

The Encore Learning Cinema Club has been active. During the past few months, we’ve gathered to see Tokyo Cowboy, The Outrun, Small Things Like These, and The Room Next Door. We’ve had some very interesting discussions at our usual lunch spot, Mamma Lucia, and Chinese food at nearby Chef Yan. Our next movie date is March 19. -Caroline Wooden and Dru Dowdy

Current Issues Discussion Group

The Current Issues Discussion Group meets twice a month (1st and 3rd Wednesdays from 3:20 to 5:00 PM) to discuss recent events in the news. Each session deals with a topic that has been chosen by club members. Discussions are always polite and everyone’s participation is encouraged. The group welcomes new members and all points of view.

Club Coordinator Richard Lawrence requests that you email him at rlawren@hotmail.com if you wish to continue receiving Current Issues Group emails. The email list is quite large and includes a number of members who do not participate. Thank you for your cooperation.

Electric Vehicle Club

The EV Club will meet on Wednesday, March 5 at 4:00 PM on Zoom. The topic will be “Route Planning: How to get There.”

Club Coordinator Barry Ginsberg will be in touch with future meeting dates.

To join the club contact Barry Ginsberg at btg100@gmail.com.

Global Lunch Club

The Global Lunch club had lunch on February 12th at Sushi Rock in Arlington. 18 of us gathered for sushi, beef teriyaki, ramen, and conversation. No pictures, unfortunately. The club membership has reached 50 people! We try to keep lunches to 18 – 20 people to make conversation easier and so as not to overwhelm restaurants. We plan to continue to meet on the 2nd Thursday of the month as we move into Spring. Restaurant suggestions welcomed! -Jan Rothstein, Coordinator

Mindfulness Club

The Mindfulness Club meets every Wednesday at Noon by Zoom. Our meetings always include a guided meditation period of 20 minutes and some discussion of the whys and wherefores of mindfulness practice. We welcome to Club meetings anyone who is interested in beginning, continuing or developing a mindfulness practice, or developing an understanding of the practice. Our meditations attempt to bring participants into the simple present, relax, and carefully observe their bodies, their surroundings, and their thoughts.

The Club sends an email most weeks with information about joining the weekly Wednesday meting, and with something about mindfulness practice. If you wish to receive Club emails contact the Encore Learning office, and they will forward your request to the Club Coordinator. -Dwight Rodgers, Coordinator

Nonfiction Book Club

The Encore Learning Nonfiction Book Club will meet next on March 10, to discuss The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder. A brief description from Amazon – #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the author of Killers of the Flower Moon, a page-turning story of shipwreck, survival, and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth. The powerful narrative reveals the deeper meaning of the events on The Wager, showing that it was not only the captain and crew who ended up on trial, but the very idea of empire.

Please note this meeting will be held at the Lubber Run Community Center, Senior Room – 115. The address is 300 N Park Dr, Arlington, VA 22203.  The meeting will begin at 1:30 PM and end not later than 3:00 PM. There is free parking in the adjacent garage for up to 4 hours. New members are welcome and encouraged to attend. If interested, notify the office, and we’ll add your name to the mailing list.  – Ed Rader, Co-coordinator

Tech Hobbyist Club

The Tech Hobbyist Club will host a Special Lecture on March 10 at 10:00 AM. The topic will be “Radar, Vision, X-rays: an Overview of the Radiofrequency Spectrum” By Augie Arnstein. All are welcome.

Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87045265665?pwd=RDVCcjJMeFNYb1V2bkRrMVVKZHdaZz09.

In February, Iolaire McFadden gave a fabulous lecture on hosting your own website.

The Encore Learning Tech Hobbyist Club is beginning to work with some GMU faculty members to support their research efforts. For example, some of the club members have volunteered to be test subjects in a new vision-based AI project as further described below. The opportunity is open to all Encore Learning members. They can either contact the club coordinator (Steve Shapiro, steve.shapiro31@gmail.com) or the GMU professor (Jinwei Ye – see below) to arrange to visit the test facility at the new GMU building on the Arlington campus.

The Imaging & Vision (IV) lab at GMU (https://ivlab.cs.gmu.edu) is developing an AI-driven software for editing the lighting effect of photos/videos. To train the AI model, a set of portrait videos needs to be collected using IV lab’s innovative imaging facility, the LED cube. The LED cube is equipped with high-resolution LED panels in its interior for emulating various real-world natural or man-made environment (such as mountain, beach, living room etc.). To participate in this project, the participant needs to sit inside of the LED cube. A three-minute video will be recorded while the participant is making various facial expressions. Before the imaging session, we will explain the process and have the participant sign a photo/video release form. For appreciation, we will provide a $25 Amazon gift card and show the participant an immersive surrounding 3D video using the LED cube. The study will be performed at Van Metre Hall 303B at GMU Arlington Campus. If you are interested, please email the PI: Prof. Jinwei Ye (jinweiye@gmu.edu) to coordinate the time of participation. – Steve Shapiro, Club Coordinator

Travel Club

On February 21st, Judy Ballard presented her inspiring and exciting 2024 trip to Iceland. Judy

traveled with Odysseys Unlimited Small Group Travel around the island-country by land. The

tour was well-paced, expertly guided, with stays of two, three, and sometimes even four nights in one place. Iceland is a scenic wonder.

On March 21st, Marty Suydam will lead the discussion on Making Sense of Travel for Seniors: Traveling Solo. The group discussion will focus on needs of senior travelers, provide essential information about solo travel, solo travel mistakes and facilitate relevant subject discussion drawing on experience of club members who have traveled as singles.

The Encore Learning Travel Club meets once a month, usually on the 3rd Friday of the month at 3:30 PM on Zoom. To become a member of the club and receive the club announcements, send an email to info@encorelearning.net. We hope to see you virtually on Zoom!

-Charlie Hallahan, co-Coordinator. Photo courtesy of Judy Ballard

Join the fun at GMU’s Mason Square Plaza

Spring 2025 Season March 17 – May 16

We are absolutely thrilled to kick off the Spring Semester and welcome our members back to both the classroom and online learning! While we have over 1,000 enrollments already, there are still plenty of seats available in many of our classes, so be sure to check your calendars and secure your spot soon!

This week, we are busy training our Class Aides, and it’s truly delightful to connect with both our longtime and new volunteers. Their involvement has been incredible, from distributing catalogs to hosting the Arlington Philharmonic concert reception. Your generous donation of time and effort is what makes our community thrive!

In these challenging times, we hope that Encore Learning serves as a comforting haven for you to explore, learn, and connect new ideas. If you know someone navigating a transition in their career, remember that you can be a wonderful resource for them by sharing your own experiences, especially regarding retirement. And don’t forget, giving a gift membership is an easy way to spread the joy of lifelong learning!

Let’s embark on lifelong learning this semester with enthusiasm and positivity as we continue to foster an engaging and supportive environment for all. Thank you for your ongoing support and service to bring Encore Learning to this vibrant place in our community.

~ Lora 

Lora Pollari-Welbes

Executive Director

Important Date Reminders

• Course registration is open and ongoing.
• Please note that your Encore Learning membership must be current through the last class session to enroll.
• Spring courses start March 3.
• Annual Meeting is Thursday, May 15 at 10:00 AM on Zoom.

Please note that our regular office hours are 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. If you reach us after 2:00 PM, you may not receive a response until the next business day.

During January 2025, we welcomed the following new members and look forward to having them become active participants in Encore Learning. Please introduce yourself to them if you meet them in a class, club or event.

Thank you to Sandra Borden, Susan Bornstein, Patti Higginbotham, Carol Krainski, Caroline Mayer, Catherine McCormick, Rhoda Ritzenberg, Kitty Russell, Caryn Wagner, Wayne Wittig, Janice Wood and Goodwin Living for referring friends who became members of Encore Learning! Spread the word and please refer friends and family to Encore Learning. If you’d like to bring Encore Learning into your community (residential building or neighborhood) to share information about membership, let us know.

Encore Learning is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Any donation is a charitable contribution deductible from income tax to the full extent permitted by law. Members, friends and organizations wishing to support Encore Learning may direct contributions to our General Fund to support our sustainability or to the Arthur W. Gosling Youth Scholarship Fund. If you wish to designate a charitable gift in someone’s honor or memory, please email us indicating how the gift should be recognized. If you would like to discuss tax benefits of charitable giving and charitable remainder trusts, please view our Donate page or contact the office.

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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