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Welcome to The Inside Scoop, our electronic newsletter. Please enjoy this issue and share your feedback by email. We always look forward to hearing from you. This is the June 2026 edition of The Inside Scoop. See below for information about courses, clubs and special events.
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Last Chance for Summer Learning
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Looking Forward to Fall Semester
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Want a sneak peak at what the Fall Semester courses have to offer? Mark your calendars for the Fall 2026 Course Preview on Thursday, September 3 at 9:30 AM. Watch your emails for details and check our website and Facebook page frequently for updates. The online catalog will be available in early August. We have 42 courses lined up with a wonderful mix of in-person, hybrid and virtual classes on Zoom.
Registration for the Fall 2026 semester begins on Tuesday, September 8 at 10:00 AM. Classes will start on Monday, September 28.
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Member Registration System
Improvements Coming Soon!
Stay tuned for information about changes to your course and event registration experience. Thank you!
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Share Your Passion and
Expertise with our Members
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New Board Member Profile
Barbara Fillip
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Barbara Fillip recently joined the Encore Learning Board of Directors and serves as Co-Chair of the Information Technology Committee.
Barbara is an educator, writer, and consultant with a background in knowledge management, organizational learning, and information technology. Over the course of her career, she has helped organizations improve how they create, organize, share, and use knowledge. She also served for seven years as an adjunct professor at George Mason University, teaching a graduate course in knowledge management.
Since transitioning from full-time employment, Barbara has focused her work on aging, technology, digital literacy, and lifelong learning. Through her consulting practice, she develops and delivers educational programs that help older adults build confidence and capability in a rapidly changing technological environment. Her current interests include artificial intelligence, AgeTech, personal knowledge management, and lifelong learning.
Barbara became an Encore Learning member in April 2025 and has taught two courses (so far) for Encore Learning, one on Personal Knowledge Management and one on Generative Artificial Intelligence. She values the organization’s commitment to intellectual curiosity, community engagement, and learning throughout life. As Co-Chair of the Information Technology Committee, she looks forward to helping Encore Learning strengthen the technology systems and digital services that support members, instructors, volunteers, and staff.
In addition to her work with Encore Learning, Barbara is active in several community organizations and volunteer initiatives in Arlington. She enjoys writing, teaching, gardening, and exploring the intersection of technology, learning, and healthy aging.
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Barbara joined new IT Committee Co-Chair Iolaire McFadden for a new board member orientation on June 3. They are pictured with Board President Marilyn Marton. Thank you to all our volunteer Board members!
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Spring 2026 Class Aides met for coffee and discussion at Lubber Run Community Center on June 2.
If you want to find out more about being a class aide – please attend our learning session on August 11. See below for details.
Thank you to all our volunteer Class Aides for making our spring semester a success!
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Never been a class aide? Want to find out more and discover it’s not scary?
Join us for a Learning Session on
Tuesday, August 11 at 10:30 AM
GMU Van Metre Hall Room 113
No Obligation to Volunteer!
Class aides are an integral part of Encore Learning and we are always looking for volunteers. There are wonderful benefits to being a class aide including:
- Early enrollment in the class you are assisting
- Free parking or free future class for in-person aides at GMU
- Free future class for virtual or off-site class aides
Meet new people and have the satisfaction of contributing to a great non-profit serving our life-long learning community!
We hope to see you there! Please email with questions or to let us know you are coming: courses@encorelearning.net
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Special Events
What’s Coming up Over the Summer
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July 9 – Tour of the Nick Cave exhibit at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (wait list).
July 20 – Encore Learning Presents virtual and in-person presentation: The Militarization of Law Enforcement. Please register if you wish to attend in person at GMU.
July 28 – Tour of Area 2 Farms – Repeat tour based on member interest in this vertical farm based in Shirlington (wait list).
August 5 – Repeat tour of the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) Museum, highlighting the impact and tragedy of the drug epidemic (wait list).
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August 20 – Tour of Lincoln’s Cottage, President Lincoln’s summer home (registration will open on June 25).
August 31 – Encore Learning Presents a virtual presentation about Misinformation – What It Is, How and Why It Is Created and How to Recognize It.
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We need your help. Many of our tours have limited capacity so please do not sign up if it is unlikely that you will be able to attend. Please cancel as soon as you know you cannot attend. Members on the wait list are more likely to be able to attend if they know early that a spot has opened up. However, if, at the last minute, you cannot make it, please do let the Encore Learning office know. If a tour fills up, we will look into having an additional tour.
Thanks for all your support in attending our in-person tours and our Monday Zoom and in-person presentations that we present in partnership with the Arlington Central Library. Our committee enjoys uncovering interesting topics and “hidden gems” in our area and discovering limited-time exhibits.
One more reminder. Please do consider joining us for lunch after some of our tours. It is a great way to relax, enjoy each other’s company and have a meal after an enriching tour.
-The Special Events Team: Jan Burchard, Janet Gilleland, Louise Kenny, Tom Kilfoyle, Mary Pope and Tom Underwood
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Encore Learning in the Community
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Member volunteers represented Encore Learning at the Halls Hill/ High View Park Neighborhood Day on May 30th. This event is a celebration of 160 years of the historic High View Park community, one of Arlington County’s original Black neighborhoods founded in 1866. This was Encore Learning’s first time attending this event. We met many people in the community who hadn’t heard of us. Thank you to Susan Bornstein, Keith Klein, Louise Kenny and Alan Luba for volunteering and spreading the word about Encore Learning. Photo courtesy Susan Bornstein.
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Please email the Encore Learning office if you are interested in joining any of our clubs or would like more information. You may also visit our Clubs page on our website for details and a full list of our clubs.
Please note: Clubs are maintained by Encore Learning as a benefit to our members. If you’re not a member or have let your membership lapse, please go to our membership page for how to join or renew. Thank you!
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Breakfast Club
The Breakfast Club meets Wednesday mornings at 8:00 AM for breakfast and conversation at La Madeleine in Bailey’s Crossroads. What a great way to start your day! – Photos courtesy of Lee Cooper.
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Cinema Club
The Encore Learning Cinema Club meets monthly to see a current film, usually at Cinema Arts Theater in Fairfax. Recent movies have included Pressure, Horseshoe, The Christophers, Calle Malaga, Oscar Nominated Live Shorts, and Blue Moon. We talk about the movie over lunch at a nearby restaurant, and the discussions are usually interesting and animated. The number of attendees range from 8 to about 15. Join us for a movie and a discussion over lunch nearby. Our next meeting dates are July 16 and August 19.
–Caroline Wooden and Dru Dowdy.
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Global Lunch Club
The Global Lunch Club met recently at Panjshir restaurant in Falls Church for delicious authentic Afghan cuisine and conversation. The club usually meets monthly to enjoy the area’s great international cuisine. However, due to summer travel, the club will likely not meet again until August. Suggestions welcome for future meetings. – Photo courtesy of Carolyn Francis
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Improv Club
Encore Learning Improv Club made its debut performance at Upside in Rosslyn this month!
June 5, 2026 marked the “worldwide” debut of ‘The Encore Learning Experience’ Improv group at Upside on Moore, a food hall, bar and performance center in Rosslyn. Seven members of the group – all graduates of Steve Pilloff’s Encore Learning Improv classes and members of the Encore Learning Improv Club – opened a night of improv for three other groups, including Steve’s ‘Human Magnet’ group. Despite some understandable nervousness for their first performance outside the confines of Encore Learning, their act generated lots of laughs and great encouragement from a very supportive audience. It was truly a memorable and wonderful evening – thank you Steve! – Wally Christensen, Club Coordinator
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Nonfiction Book Club
The Encore Learning Nonfiction Book Club will meet next on July 13 in the Arlington Central Library (Bluemont Room). The meeting will start at 1:30 and last about an hour. We’ll be discussing The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA by Liza Mundy. “Every page is electric with revelations as Mundy vividly and perceptively portrays the remarkable women who covertly elevated this complicated, controversial, yet essential government agency.”—Booklist. Please come join us in what promises to be an interesting discussion about this “staggeringly well-researched” (NY Times) book about the women at the CIA who fought to become operatives, transformed spycraft, and tracked down Osama bin Laden. If interested in joining the book club, let the office know and we’ll add you to the mailing list. –Ed Rader and Pat Chatten, co-coordinators.
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Travel Club
The Travel Club met on June 19 where Charlie Hallahan spoke about his pre-covid trip to Albania with his wife Claire.
July’s theme is a bit different. Members will have the chance to give a short presentation of what they consider to have been their best trip(s). Club co-coordinator Marty Suydam is organizing this meeting. As Marty puts it, “members will have a chance to sell their best trip.” If you are interested in submitting a Best Trip presentation for the July meeting, please contact Marty directly at mjsuydam@verizon.net.
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 the office. We hope to see you virtually on Zoom! -Charlie Hallahan, co-coordinator.
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Arlington Transportation Resources
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What’s Happening at Mason Square
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Join the fun at GMU’s Mason Square Plaza
Summer 2026 Season
To get updates on what is happening at the Mason Square Plaza, like free music and yoga, sign-up for the mailing list here. Or visit the Mason Square website. Maybe join up with some other Encore Learning members for some fun on the square!
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We hope you are enjoying the summer and finding fun ways to experience this wonderful time of year. If you are looking for things to do – consider signing up for one of our spring recorded classes or a special event. Or visit our YouTube channel to view an Encore Learning Presents event you had to miss. Our clubs continue to meet and are a great way to stay engaged and meet other members.
While staff has reduced summer hours – we are still here for you! We continue to be busy supporting our special events and clubs, and preparing for another exciting Fall semester.
We are also busy exploring improvements to our registration and database systems. Look for more details in upcoming communications.
We will be distributing our Fall course catalogs in early August. We have deliveries planned to local libraries, community centers and some residential buildings. If you have a place you would like to bring catalogs, like a medical office, gym, yoga studio or Pilates club, let us know and we will help you make that happen.
Thank you for your support and have a wonderful 4th of July holiday!
~ Patty
Patty Rowland
Administrator
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Save these Dates!
- Next eNews is a combined July/August issue that will be emailed in early August.
- Fall Semester catalog will be mailed and online in early August.
- Fall Course Preview – virtual on Thursday, September 3.
- Fall Course Registration opens Tuesday, September 8.
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During May 2026, we welcomed the following new members: Claire Emory,
Lisa Layden, Roger Overton, Lisa Ramirez-Branum, Wendy Shapiro, Susan Socha, Janet Stout and Susan Walsh. We 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.
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Thank you to Linda Holz for referring friends who became members of Encore Learning!
If you’d like to bring Encore Learning to your community (residential building or neighborhood) to share information about membership, please let us know.
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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.
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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.
Share on social media. When you simply like our Facebook page or share our Facebook posts and events to your social network, it’s a huge help. Forward our emails to a friend — use the link at the bottom of the email.
And please subscribe to our YouTube channel.
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Lifelong Learning For Those Over 50
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