An organization based at Western Kentucky University is preparing to offer dozens of new courses for adults interested in the concept of continuing education.
The Society for Lifelong Learning at WKU provides classes for members ages 50 and older who want to challenge themselves and meet new people.
Classes being offered this fall cover a wide-range of subjects and interests, including Mark Twain’s short stories; artificial intelligence; the history of the D-Day invasion; opera appreciation; and how to preserve family treasures.
Jane Barthelme, chair of the group’s advisory board, said she’s experienced the benefits of the classes firsthand.
“One of my favorite courses, which is offered in the spring, is ‘Shakespeare Behind Bars’, where the class studies a play and we go up to the LaGrange men’s penitentiary and see it performed. And let me tell you, once you’ve done that, you do it every chance you can.”
The Society for Lifelong Learning offers classes during two eight-week semesters in the spring and fall.
The classes aren’t for credit and don’t lead to a degree—they’re just for fun and designed to teach students new skills.
Participants can sign up for a full semester’s worth of classes, or just take one or two. “This is a self-improvement curriculum and people sign up for things because they know nothing about it. Maybe they’ve always enjoyed some of the poetry they’ve been accustomed to, but now we can get a little deeper,” Barthelme said.
All classes are held at the WKU Knicely Conference Center.
A course catalog for the fall semester and information about class schedules, fees, and other issues related to the Society for Lifelong Learning can be found here.
The new semester runs from September 15—November 7.
