Thanks to all our members, instructors, volunteers and board members for contributing to an exciting and successful Spring 2025 semester! With your expertise and assistance, we were able to offer some hybrid classes, record some classes (now available for asynchronous viewing), offer virtual class viewing in-person at GMU, meet at off-site locations, and more. We have received much positive feedback this semester, and always welcome your comments and ideas.

Don’t forget that eight courses were recorded this term and are available for registered participants to view online until July 31. Check out the list of recorded courses here.

Encore Learning members learned about our local raptors — owls, hawks, eagles, falcons and kites — and how to spot them in the wild in Introduction to Spring Birding. This popular class includes both classroom and outdoor sessions. Despite some issues with rainy weather, members observed an impressive list of birds in our area. During a class on May 22 the group identified 25 bird species. Thank you to member Wendy Swanson for serving as Coordinator for this class. Pictured is Gabby Hrycyshyn, a naturalist at Gulf Branch Nature Center. -Photos courtesy of Beth Hickey

Professor Janice McLean, PhD and retired Clinical Psychologist, dove into the scholarly question: “What the heck is psychology and why should I care?” in Psychology’s Presence in Your Life and Today’s World.

“Janice McLean loves what she does and that is contagious. She is bright, funny and richly experienced in her field.”

Long-time Encore Learning instructor, Professor Iska Alter, taught a new course, Plagues and Pandemics in Three Modern Novels to an engaged class of Encore Learning members.

“I love Iska’s courses because they are a workout for my brain. Her questions often take me in directions I hadn’t considered.”

A group of fortunate members were able to learn about our local past in our popular Arlington History course. Led by Karl VanNewkirk, retired director of the Arlington Historical Society, members visited spots of historical interest in Arlington.

Photo courtesy of Dick Juhnke. The class visited the site of one of the stones (this one being in South Arlington) that marked the boundary between the District of Columbia and Virginia.

Encore Learning provides a wonderful opportunity to engage, learn and connect with other life long learners. Thank you to all our members!

Seeking ways to stay mentally engaged this summer? We invite you to explore our selection of pre-recorded asynchronous courses.

This past semester we recorded eight of our courses and are offering Encore Learning members the opportunity to view these recordings over the summer. The course content was pre-recorded at class sessions held in March to May 2025 and there will be no live interaction.

Register for your spot in the asynchronous version of the course by June 30, using the links below, and you will have access to the full course recordings and class materials until July 31, 2025. What a perfect activity for those sweltering summer days!



The eight courses offered asynchronously are:

• 3079: History of Journalism in the United States
• 3082: Civil War in Washington and Beyond
• 3083: Populism and Authoritarianism in Latin America: the Recent History of an Explosive Relationship
• 3084: Renaissance in Rome
• 4057: Democracy in America Now
• 5064: Reading James’s The Portrait of a Lady
• 5066: King Lear
• 6038: Understanding Climate Change and Solutions

Our sincere thanks goes out to everyone who voted in our recent election and attended the Encore Learning Annual Meeting on May 15. We announced our Officers and Board Members, had an organizational update, heard from several Committee Chairs, received a report from our Treasurer and shared highlights from the past year.

We also enjoyed an optional enrichment exercise: Laughter Yoga with Patricia Linderman, Wellness Coach.

Congratulations to our 2025-2026 Board:

• Marilyn Marton – President (term ending June 2026)
• Mildred Patterson – Vice President (term ending June 2026)
• Barry Ginsberg – Vice President (term ending June 2027)
• Steve Shapiro – Treasurer (term ending June 2027)
• Joan Carter – Secretary (term ending June 2027)
• Susan Bornstein – Academic Programs Co-Chair
• Deborah Spero – Academic Programs Co-Chair
• Michael Stutts – Class Aides Co-Chair
• John Metzler – Class Aides Co-Chair
• David Briggs – Community Advisory Council Chair
• Richard Rubin – Information Technology Chair
• Lynn Ray – Membership Chair
• Ann Kaupp – Publications Co-Chair
• Bill Reilly – Publications Co-Chair
• Louise Kenny – Special Events Chair
• Jane Nagy – Volunteer Chair

Note: Committee Chairs serve one year terms.

We wish to express our appreciation and bid farewell to the following outgoing Board members: Academic Programs Committee co-Chair Jeanne LaBella, Class Aides co-Chair Carol Fuller, Membership Committee Chair Jean Falvey, and IT Committee co-Chair Marty Suydam. Late last year we also said goodbye to Special Events Chair Kris McLaughlin. Thank you to all these members for their service on our Board!

If you missed the Annual Meeting, you can view a recording on our 

YouTube channel.

To view the brief Year in Review slideshow, visit: https://youtu.be/mmU7cUIbKYc

Encore Learning is fortunate to have such a wealth of knowledgeable, engaging and all around wonderful volunteer instructors. We hope to feature one or two instructors each newsletter to share a bit about them. We welcome additional writers and submissions. Thank you!

D. Ohlandt

By Jane Nagy

Have you seen theatrical events that you’ve loved? Or hated? Have you walked out of a theatre wanting to discuss it, but can’t get much beyond the basics of ‘great’, ‘awful’, ‘made me feel happy/sad/angry/irritated/ bored’?

D. Ohlandt goes far beyond the basics, giving the vocabulary, the history, the ‘things to look for’, and even better, she does it in a setting that encourages discussion and makes learning absolutely fascinating. With a doctorate in theatre history, D. explains the various types of theatres, why they exist, how they exist, and how performances are chosen by the various theatres for their divergent audiences. She also has had years of experience not only working at and for Arena Stage in various capacities, but also as a director herself.

Assigning three performances each semester, she conducts an in-depth preview of what to look for when you view the performance on your own. And then follows it with a post-performance discussion of what we saw, heard, and experienced. It was amazing to hear what others had to say, and how much depth the discussion gave to my understanding of what I had seen!

D. has taught many classes for Encore Learning, and she has a very loyal following who pepper her with questions that she never fails to answer, even as she challenges class members to express their own opinions, while maintaining respect for the thoughts of others. I’ve learned so much and can’t wait to see what she chooses for next semester – I’ve become a new, loyal fan – of D., and this wonderful class.

Professor D. Ohlandt and guest Professor Casey Kaleba demonstrate fight/sword play at a Theater Appreciation course in 2020.

-Photo courtesy Ed Rader

The Special Events Committee – Jan Burchard, Louise Kenny, Tom Kilfoyle, Nancy Kilpatrick, and Tom Underwood – is on a roll.

On May 14, a group of members visited the historic Washington Naval Yard. Then on May 19, we had two successful but very different events. Tom Kilfoyle organized a very fun tour of Nat’s Stadium. Then, in the afternoon, Darcy Gruttadaro, Chief Innovation Officer at the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), provided advice and resources if you or someone you know is exhibiting symptoms of mental illness.

Note that this presentation, and many of our Encore Learning Presents presentations, are recorded and available on our You Tube channel.

What’s up for June? More interesting events and presentations!

• Monday June 9 – Ann Friedman, Founder and President of Planet Word museum in Washington, will tell us why and how she founded Planet Word, an interactive museum dedicated to language, and events and innovative exhibitions that have been added as the museum has evolved.
• Wednesday June 18 – virtual tour of Baltimore’s Visionary Art Museum, a very unique museum that, according to its website, “specializes in original thematic exhibitions that seamlessly combine art, science, philosophy, humor and especially social justice and betterment.”
• Monday June 23 – in-person tour of Alexandria’s Torpedo Factory which, according to its website is “home to the nation’s largest collection of working artists open studios under one roof.”

Many more fun and interesting events are being organized. All upcoming event details can be found on our website, as well as in our special events emails sent out biweekly.

Save-the Date: Nationals-Mets game, Thursday, August 21, 4:05 P.M.

Encore Learning will be securing tickets to attend the Nationals-Mets game. Watch for our Special Events emails for info on when the tickets are available for purchase. But we wanted you to know early about this fun event coming up. –Louise Kenny, Committee Chair

Tour of the Historic Washington Navy Yard

Members were able to explore the U.S. Navy’s oldest active on-shore facility, established in 1799, and the Navy Museum, built in 1899 as a factory making naval guns.

–Photo courtesy Tom Underwood

Guided Tour of Nationals Park

A lucky group of members enjoyed a behind the scenes look at Nationals Park. A stadium tour guide familiar with the history of the team and the ballpark guided the group around the facility for a behind the scenes look.

— Photos courtesy Tom Kilfoyle

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!

Cinema Club

The Cinema Club meets monthly, on a weekday morning (the day of the week varies) for a movie, lunch and discussion. We’ve had some very interesting discussions at our usual lunch spot, Mamma Lucia, and Chinese food at nearby Chef Yan. The next movie dates are Tuesday, June 10 and Wednesday, July 16. –Caroline Wooden and Dru Dowdy, co-coordinators

Current Issues Discussion Group

The June meetings of the group are scheduled for Wednesday, June 4 and Wednesday, June 18 at 3:30 PM.

Steve Shapiro is filling in as Club Coordinator. Club members are invited to raise any current issue that they feel warrants discussion. -Steve Shapiro

Electric Vehicle Club

The next meeting of the EV club will be on June 4 at 4:00 PM. The club will discuss a detailed look at EV charging.

A link will be sent to club members before the meeting. To join the club contact Barry Ginsberg at btg100@gmail.com.

Global Lunch Club

The Global Lunch Club met in May at Padek Restaurant in Falls Church for food from Thailand and Laos. The food was great and the conversation lively. We will not meet in June because of travel, but expect to start up again in July. Please forward your name to the office if interested in joining us. Restaurant recommendations are always welcome.– Jan Rothstein

Kayak Club

Unfortunately, the rainy weather prevented the Kayak Club from meeting in May. Hopefully the club will get back on the water in June. The club meets at Fletcher’s Boathouse off Canal Road in DC. Fletcher’s provides all the necessary equipment and attendants to help you in and out of the kayak for a reasonable hourly cost. We meet at 11:00 AM on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month from May through October, weather permitting. – Janice Yeadon, co-Coordinator

Mindfulness Club

The Mindfulness Club meets most Wednesdays between Noon and 1:00 PM for discussion, socialization and a 20 minute meditation period. We welcome anyone who would like a low-pressure break from their routine. Our meditation periods are not exotic, typically a bit of body scan and practice bringing the self into this moment to the degree possible. If you haven’t practiced mindfulness before, this would be a good opportunity for you. To receive information on joining the weekly Zoom sessions, contact the Encore Learning office. – Dwight Rodgers, Coordinator

Nonfiction Book Club

The Encore Learning Nonfiction Book Club has chosen Burn Book by Kara Swisher as the next book to read. We’ll meet in the Arlington Central library on July 14 at 1:30 PM to discuss it. An instant New York Times bestseller, Burn Book is a “highly readable…bawdy, brash, and compulsively thought-provoking” (Booklist, starred review) account of the tech industry and its founders who wanted to change the world but broke it instead (adapted from Amazon). New members are welcome. Come join us. Contact the office if you want to be included on our mailing list. – Ed Rader, Co-coordinator

Tech Hobbyist Club

Steve Shapiro (Club Coordinator and Board Treasurer), recently gave a presentation on Artificial Intelligence (AI), to a group of about 100 people at Goodwin Living, Bailey’s Crossroads. Encore Learning and Goodwin Living are partner organizations.

-Photo courtesy Steve Shapiro

Travel Club

The Travel Club met on May 16 with a presentation by Charlie Hallahan of his 2019 trip with his wife Claire to Northern Greece, part of a longer trip that included Albania and North Macedonia.

The next meeting is on Friday, June 20th at 3:30 PM. Bill Mugg will be presenting on his trip to England with his wife Ellen, that I’m sure will include some hiking and good food. Bill is an avid photographer and will include many scenes such as this picture of the English countryside.

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.

The new FUSE building is now open. Encore Learning will host tours of the building later in the summer.

To get updates on what is happening mostly outside on the Mason Square Plaza, like free music and yoga, sign-up for the mailing list here. Or visit the Mason Square website.

The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA),has announced the first comprehensive redesign of the Metrobus system in 50 years, and every bus route will be changing effective June 29. According to WMATA, this new bus network will better serve customers across the region with faster, more frequent, and more reliable bus service that is also easier to use. To explore your new trip, visit wmata.com/BetterBus and use the Find Your New Route tool and the updated Trip Planner – just make sure you enter a date from June 29 and after.

May is a time of celebration and appreciation for a wonderful year of Encore Learning. Our members elected four new board members who will bring fresh energy, ideas and connections. The outgoing board deserves recognition for a thoughtful year and many accomplishments, including the positive financial health of the organization and approval of a budget for next year.

The Annual Meeting on May 15 brought us together online to remember our accomplishments. President Marilyn Marton summarized highlights and staff shared a colorful, wide reaching slideshow recalling the year. If you missed the meeting, you can view the video on our YouTube channel, and the last few minutes include a fantastic slide show.

This month, we also observed Mental Health Awareness Month, highlighting how essential social connection is to our well-being. Guest speaker Darcy Gruttadaro reminded us how meaningful relationships and shared experiences—like those we find at Encore Learning—help support positive mental health.

Reflecting on the past year, we’re filled with gratitude. The classes, events, clubs, and connections that brought joy and learning to so many were only possible because of the dedication of over 150 volunteers. Your time, energy, and passion made a lasting difference.

The impact of Encore Learning is best captured in the words of our members:

“Encore Learning instills a sense of competency in that I can continue to learn, to listen to others, to feel alerted to exploring lifelong interests.”

“With limited mobility, I find the Zoom option a valued opening to the larger world.”

“I find this approach to learning very stimulating with absolutely no pressure. I am so impressed with the caliber of my fellow students as well as the knowledge and energy of the volunteer faculty I have encountered.”

“Retirement has the potential to threaten our sense of self… Encore Learning provides an exciting and easy answer to that concern… All of this is accomplished in a community of like-minded people whose friendships enrich our lives.”



These voices are a reminder of why we do what we do—and why Encore Learning continues to grow as a vibrant, supportive community of curious, engaged learners.

Thank you for being a part of it. Stay connected with us this summer through our events and clubs. We look forward to continuing to Explore, Learn and Connect.

~ Lora 

Lora Pollari-Welbes

Executive Director

Save these dates!

• Fall Semester catalog will be mailed and online in early August.
• Fall Course Preview – virtual on Thursday, September 4.
• Fall Course Registration – Monday, September 8.
• Classes begin – September 29.

During April 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. Fred Blumenthal, Kevin Chisholm, Charles Fulton, Anne Heanue, David Low, Rhonda Ritzel, Carol Russell and James Young.

Thank you to Teresa Kloster, Barbara Lass, Tom Underwood and Tom Wukitsch 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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