OLLI Courses
Fall, 2006

Morning Classes 9:30-11:30 a.m.

The Broadway Musical from Show Boat to Spamalot
Instructor: Brian P. Allen
Course Number: P0300
A survey of the American musical beginning with early shows like Show Boat, continuing through Broadway's Golden Age (1940's & 1950's), touching on the concept musicals of the 1970's and concluding with current hits like Spamalot.

Brian Allen is the Artistic Director and co-founder of Good Theater in Portland. He has directed numerous musical productions over the years and has had the honor to work with a number of Broadway stars creating concerts and shows for them. Brian spent eight summers with Maine State Music Theatre. He has created many pops concerts for symphony orchestras using the music of Broadway. He holds a B.A. from Nasson College with a major in theater.

Emerson and Thoreau: Transcendentalists
Instructor: John E. Anagnostis
Course Number: P0301
Emerson & Thoreau were two men of the 19th Century who lived their lives by the basic principals of "self reliance." We'll discuss their literature and how they lived by their philosophy of life.

John Anagnostis has been teaching all his life. His teaching experience has included 33 years of high school English as well as Adult Ed and Summer School courses.

Taiji and Eastern Philosophy
Instructor: Fred Brancato
Course Number: P0302
This course involves learning the basic movements of Chen style Tai Chi in conjunction with an exploration of the common spiritual themes pervading Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and the Sufi branch of Islam. Classes will involve a blend of Tai Chi movement, mini lectures, review of selected readings, and group dialogue. This course will continue the practice and dialogue begun in previous courses. It is especially designed to accommodate both new and continuing students.

Fred Brancato has degrees in philosophy and religious education and a Ph.D. in world religions from New York University. His study of diverse religious traditions has been ongoing for 40 years and he has integrated Eastern and Western philosophies into the movements of Tai Chi. He is an experienced and skilled teacher and facilitator.

Bridge - The Basics
Instructor: Richard Budd
Course Number: P0303
Bridge is the most fascinating of games with a mathematical content. We will cover a basic introduction to the game, and will play instructional hands. No prior knowledge required, but experienced players will profit. We will pace content to meet needs of the students.

Richard Budd is a retired physicist from New York, via Massachusetts, who moved to Maine with his wife Pat after vacationing here for many years. Dick studied physics at NYU, and Harvard, leading to a doctorate. He spent most of his career designing automation systems in fields as diverse as electronics production, chemical analysis laboratories, pharmaceutical manufacturing, communications satellites, and oceanography. He enjoys hiking, bird watching and, of course, playing bridge. He previously taught classes in Science Fiction, Astronomy and Great Ideas in Science at OLLI. He is the leading bridge player in Maine.

Antiques - A Fuller Understanding
Instructor: Bruce A. Buxton
Course Number: P0304
This course will offer an overview of antiques from recognized experts in furniture, silver, painting, jewelry, porcelain, glass, etc. Guest speakers will share their expertise.

Bruce Buxton has 40 years of appraising for Insurance estates, museums, and private collections. He is an independent appraiser, not an antique dealer, and appraises over $350,000,000 of items a year.

Elementary Drawing
Instructor: Jack Campbell
Course Number: P0305
Explore basic drawing, rough perspective, imaginative drawing and drawing shortcuts. Learn how to draw and to render drawing to appear three dimensional. Drawings will be in black and white and colored pencil.

Jack Campbell was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. After graduating from the Art Center School, Jack worked for a number of design consulting offices in New York and became art director of an in-house advertising agency of the international division of a large pharmaceutical firm.

A Survey of Modern Biology for Non-Scientists
Instructor: Ronald J. Carroll
Course Number: P0306
The course explores modern biology, from important biologic molecules and processes, to the physical basis in the brain for thinking. Topics surveyed include the structure and function of DNA and RNA, reproductive biology, genetic engineering, stem cell biology, and the biology of the brain including the physical basis for thinking. Some background in science is helpful but not necessary.

Ronald J. Carroll, M.D., is a retired physician (medical oncologist) who has continued an interest in applied modern biology which his professional life required. He graduated from the University of Buffalo medical school in 1963, trained in cancer medicine, and practiced medical oncology in the Portland community from 1967 - 2001.

Dante in Hell
Instructor: Bob Cash
Course Number: P0307
"Dante and Shakespeare divide the Western World between them; there is no third" (T.S. Eliot). "The Inferno" (Hell) is the first part of his masterpiece "The Divine Comedy". As he travels through Hell, guided by the great Latin Poet Virgil, Dante encounters many fascinating characters who try to rationalize their existence.but one asks, "Why are they there?"

Bob Cash received his B.A. from Bates College. He was employed 36 years by what is now UnumProvident, retiring in 1995. Bob has been a "lifelong" lover of poetry and a student of Dante for many years. He has taught the entire Divine Comedy at OLLI, beginning with the "Inferno" during the spring of 2004.

Soul Circling: Finding our Spiritual Meaning
Instructor: Ken Hamilton, M.D.
Course Number: P0308
This course will explore the questions of who we are, why we are here, and what we are to become from Jericho to the Winter Solstice, 2012.

Ken Hamilton is a physician/surgeon of 45 years experience with helping people find meaning, value, and purpose in life. He founded H.O.P.E. in 1987 and Soul Circling in 1996.

Play Analysis
Instructor: Mel Howards
Course Number: P0309
We shall read and discuss a variety of important plays in order to fully appreciate and understand them and their time. Among the plays we shall read are: Long Day's Journey Into Night by Eugene O'Neill, Miss Julie by August Strindberg, Antigone by Sophocles, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams, Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, 5 Comic Plays by Chekhov. We will also include some original plays and as time permits, we will invite some local playwrights to come in and discuss their work with us. If we can, we shall attend at least one play and write a review of it.

Mel Howards is a retired professor of education from Northeastern University. He did his undergraduate work at Drake University, his master's at Columbia University and his doctorate at NYU. Mel has taught several OLLI classes including: Belief; Intro to Theatre; Illusion, Reality, Truth and Other Ambiguities; Reading Plays; and Controversy. He has directed several plays locally, including Arthur Miller's The Price.

George Washington: First in War, First in Peace
Instructor: Draper Hunt
Course Number: P0310
A recreation of the life and times of America's greatest historical figure, leader of the revolution and the man most responsible for the successful launching of the new American Republic. Washington's personal life will be given special attention to reveal the flesh-and-blood man as opposed to the monument he has become over time.

Draper Hunt holds a B.A. from Harvard College, M.A. and Ph.D. from Columbia University. Draper is a USM professor emeritus, having taught history at the University for 32 years (1965-97). Previously, he taught at Hunter College in the Bronx.

Astrophysics and Cosmology
Instructor: James F. Janak
Course Number: P0311
This course will offer an introduction to the modern picture of the solar system, galaxy, and the universe using as little mathematics as possible.

James Janak has a B.S., M.S. and ScD in Electrical Engineering from MIT. He was a staff member at IBM Research, and an adjunct professor of physics at Pace University.

The Constant Traveler: Greece
Instructors: Denney Morton & David Morton
Course Number: P0312
The course will be an introduction to the art, architecture, history, philosophy, politics and mythology of Greece, with special attention to the places the OLLI tour will visit in November.

Denney Morton's interests tend toward sculpture and the arts. She taught English and Humanities at the Waynflete School in Portland for 20 years. She now is a docent at the Portland Art Museum, a happy grandmother, and writes poetry and short fiction. David, a retired minister with a long interest in the interface between science and religion, will focus on contemporary culture and political life.

Journalism as Reflected in Films
Instructor: Pat Reef
Course Number: P0313
We are bombarded with media reports today. Fox News and CNN make news junkies of us all. Newsweek, Time, U.S. News and World Report, and the New York Times, are now read by everyone, not just the egg heads!!! What is the responsibility of a news reporter? Can a news reporter have a biased opinion? Must a news broadcaster be objective? Is the news slanted at times? Can a woman as anchor, like Katie Couric, succeed? Should a news broadcaster stand alone like Edward R. Murrow? What is the responsibility of a reporter's protecting sources of information? All these topics will be explored in the films: Good Night Good Luck, Absence of Malice, Broadcast News, The Presidents Men and Citizen Kane.

Pat Reef has an M.A. in Education and taught Art History and Humanities for 9 years at Catherine McAuley High School. Presently she teaches part-time for the American Institute for Creative Education for teacher certification, in the field of Children's Literature. She did her undergraduate work at Emerson College, where she became interested in theater and films. She writes on the arts part-time for the Lewiston Sun Journal and is an avid film goer. She has two daughters, 6 grandchildren, and a cat, Buttercup.

Great Books: Reading and Discussion Group-A Shared Inquiry 
Instructor: Ted Rice
Course Number: P0314
Great Books is a lively and learned exegesis of the great literary heritage of western civilization. Selected readings from Schopenhaur, Euripides, Weber, Moriere, Gibbons, The Bible, Mills and Shaw.

Ted Rice is a retired social worker and licensed clinical counselor. He specialized in employee assistance programs to corporate clients. He also provided training, consultation and clinical services to the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Justice Department, state and municipal criminal justice systems. He holds a B.A. from Colby and 2 graduate degrees in counseling from UNH. This is Ted's 7th year as a great books participant.

Muslim-Christian Encounters: From the 7th to the 21st Centuries
Instructor: James Roberts
Course Number: P0315
We will cover the initial Arab-Islamic expansion into Christian lands; The Crusades; contacts in Andalus (Spain); the Ottoman thrust into Europe and the Western-Arabic interactions from the 19th Century to the present.

James Roberts has a Ph.D. in political science at Univ. of North Carolina and was an Assoc Prof at USM, before retiring. He was a specialist in the Soviet Union and Arab- Islamic intellectual history. He has visited Russia, Egypt, Syria, Bahrain and Kuwait in the 1990's.

10 Years Later
Instructor: Harry Sky
Course Number: P0316
Next year we are celebrating the 10th Anniversary of OLLI (Senior College). The OLLI movement has proven to be a new light on the American mature horizon. During the 8 weeks of this course, we will try to review the many areas that are undergoing a change in attitude including medicine for older people, our political interests, our deep historical sense and our exploration of the spiritual horizon. And perhaps, we might plant a few seeds for the future.

Rabbi Harry Sky is Senior Scholar of Spirituality for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Harry was the driving force behind Senior College formation 10 years ago.

Ethics in the Professions
Coordinator: Kurt Strauss
Course Number: P0317
Eight experts will each present several ethical problems in his/her field and will then lead a class discussion on possible courses of action.

Kurt Strauss is acting as course coordinator and will select the speakers and will outline course procedures to them.

The Yacoubian Building: An Upstairs-Downstairs Perspective on Cairo and Egypt
Instructor: Kathleen Howard Sutherland
Course Number: P0318
This course will offer a unique perspective on society and politics in contemporary Egypt through Egyptian novelist Ala Al Aswani's novel, The Yacoubian Building. Through this book's characters in an "upstairs-downstairs" setting, we will examine social, political, and religious issues in contemporary Egypt. Through lectures and films, you'll gain insights and background on the history, social structure, and gender, political and religious issues of Cairo and Egypt.

Kathleen Sutherland was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, and has spent the better part of her 65 plus years there teaching, researching and just enjoying life. She is Associate Professor Emeritus from Bowling Green State University, where she taught Political Science and Women's Studies. Much of her research has been on women's status in the Middle East.

Great Decisions 2006
Instructor: Michael Wygant
Course Number: P0319
Great Decisions is America's longest-standing global affairs education program.Great Decisions is America's longest-standing global affairs education program.ÿ This course will cover eight weekly discussions of important global issues of our times:ÿ The United Nations-Post-summit Outlook; Dealing with Iran; The Energy Policy Conundrum; Brazil-invented pasts and hoped-for futures; Human rights in the age of terrorism; India and China-competition and cooperation; Turkey-on Europe's verge?; and Pandemics and National Security. A guidebook will be available to enhance weekly discussions.

Michael Wygant enjoyed a 31-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service before moving to Maine in 1990.ÿ While in the Service, he served in Zimbabwe, Togo, South Vietnam, and Canberra.ÿ President Reagan appointed Michael to be the first U.S. Chief of Mission to the newly independent Federated States of Micronesia in the Pacific.ÿ Since his retirement, he has worked extensively with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, headquartered in Vienna.ÿ In the early 1990s, he helped open U.S. embassies in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.ÿ Michael is currently chair of the World Affairs Council of Maine Program Committee.


Afternoon Classes 12:45-2:45 p.m.

Basic Camera Hits the Road 
Instructor: Tim Byrne
Course Number: P0320 
You will learn how to understand your camera, and ways to make better photographs, through a combination of class discussion, photographing of a variety of subjects as a group during class time and critique of our work. Come to class with your camera and a roll of film or your digital camera. Students will be photographing a variety of subjects weekly. Much of this will be outdoors on campus. There will be an expectation to bring your new work to class weekly. 

Tim Byrne is a working commercial photographer based in Scarborough. He exhibits his work frequently and has been published in numerous books and periodicals. Tim is a regular faculty member at OLLI.

The 1950s: Dawn of the 21st Century 
Instructor: Sherrie Chapman
Course Number: P0321 
Before Howard Stern, there was Lenny Bruce. Before Eminem, there was Elvis. Before the Patriot Act, there was the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Although all too often regarded as a tranquil and uneventful decade, the 1950s were really years of enormous change that created issues we are still debating in the early years of the 21st century. This class will look below the placid surface of the 1950s to examine the political unrest, emerging technologies, and cultural revolutions that shaped the following 50 (or more) years of American history.

Sherrie Chapman has a master's degree in American history from the University of New Hampshire and, as a Hagley Fellow, completed three years of post-graduate studies in 20th century American social and technological history at the University of Delaware. 

Singing: A Performance Class 
Instructor: Terry Foster, Marian Rich, class accompanist
Course Number: P0322 
Because of popular demand, we're AGAIN offering a class in group singing. The emphasis will be on rehearsing four-part songs from a varied repertoire of classical, folk, popular and religious music. Singers will be required to be able to "carry a tune," have at least an elementary knowledge of music, make a commitment to regular attendance, and be willing to perform at the end of the OLLI spring term. Music will be provided.

Terry Foster has been involved with music since he was five years old. He has played in bands, taught piano, directed choirs and community choruses, taught music classes for OLLI, and served numerous churches over the years as a musician. He is a USM administrator and one of the founders of Senior College, OLLI's predecessor. 

Curses of New England 
Instructor: Mike Grogan
Course Number: P0323 
In this course we will explore some of the curses that have been used and believed. Several have played parts of our New England heritage.

Mike Grogan has 40 years of teaching experience, with 30 years at Portsmouth Senior High School. 

American Writers' Friendships- A Shared Inquiry 
Instructor: Claire E. Knox
Course Number: P0339
Each class will have one of the participants lead a discussion on two American writers such as Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville; Henry James and Edith Wharton; and F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway

Claire Knox taught English literature at Northeastern University in Boston for many years. She moved to Maine in 1991 and taught at various schools before joining Senior College as an instructor and student. She received her AB from Boston University and her MLS from Northeastern. Claire loves organizing shared inquiry classes.

Three for the Price of One 
Instructor: Philip Koch
Course Number: P0324 
Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880) completed and published Trois Contes (Three Tales) in 1877. ÿAlthough the novelist certainly had no reason to believe his life was nearing its end, he seemed nevertheless driven somehow to create in this little gem a breathtaking testament to the three artistic sources of inspiration underlying all he ever wrote. ÿDiscovering the nature and embodiments of these sources will constitute a major objective of our OLLI course in which readings continue to be in French with discussions in English.

Professor Emeritus of French and Italian, University of Pittsburgh, Philip Koch prepared at Harvard (A.B., A.M., Ph.D.) and devoted his 40-year academic career to 17th and 18th-century literatures, with special emphasis on the theater. He also taught at Northwestern University and Bryn Mawr College. 

Symphony of Aging 
Instructor: Jean Labelle
Course Number: P0325 
This five-week course will focus on issues of orchestrating-i.e., managing, arranging, and bringing into harmony-one's life and the aging process.

Jean Labelle enjoys spending his retirement between Maine and Florida. After many successful years of private medical practice, Jean now donates his expertise to Third World countries. In his spare time he enjoys woodworking. 

In Search of Sophia: Finding the Goddess in Older Women 
Instructor: Martha Manning 
Course Number: P0326 
As women gain in years and wisdom, they find new ways to gain knowledge and experience. Learning often becomes a priority. By the time one has reached that place or beyond, less time is spent on external learning. Instead, the quest turns inward. The mind opens and amazing new knowledge enters, often with life-changing results! Sophia, an ancient Goddess and current force at work among us, is now commonly referred to as the female face of God. Learn about Sophia's role in history and the present and how to access her in your life. Her compassion, warmth, and power can help you access your own similar qualities.

Martha Manning has worked most of her adult life coaching and teaching adult learners in various subjects. She has taught English to Spanish speaking adults, worked as a jail counselor with inmates, and started and has run three major consulting firms. She consults with Fortune Five Hundred companies and has conducted many types of development seminars. She has a husband, five grown daughters, and seven grandchildren. In 2005, at the age of sixty six, Martha earned her Ph.D. in Human Development at the Fielding Graduate University. Her special focus is on creativity and growth in older women. She is well-known for her enthusiastic, humorous, and thought provoking presentations.

Romance and Drama in Medieval Literature 
Instructor: Evelyn Newlyn
Course Number: P0327 
No matter how their names are spelled, Tristan and Iseult are two of the Middle Age's great lovers as they try to reconcile their grand passion for each other with the loyalty they owe King Mark, to whom Iseult is wife, and Tristan is knight. After reading their romance, we will turn to The Wakefield Mystery Plays, medieval dramas ranging from the serious to the comic, the inspiring to the bawdy, as they enact Judeo-Christian history from Creation to the Last Judgment. Reading in modern English, we'll expand our visit to the Middle Ages with medieval art and music.

Evy Newlyn is Professor Emerita of English from the State University of New York at Brockport. After earning her Ph.D. in English at Syracuse University, she taught at universities in Virginia, Maine, and New York State, retiring to Maine in 2003. Her special interests are classical literature, and (it's now safe to admit it) Calvin and Hobbes.

A Calm, Reasonable, and Positive Investigation of 
Evangelicalism 
Instructor: Richard Peterson
Course Number: P0328 
The purpose of this course is to help you to understand the significance and relevance of evangelicalism. It will also help you to avoid using the word "evangelical" in a pejorative sense, but to use it with the same respect that you would use when speaking or writing about other religions. Nothing in this course will require that you change your denominational preference; all that is required is that you approach the subject of evangelicalism with a student's open, objective, and tolerant mind. In this course you will examine the views of Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, Dwight L. Moody, Billy Graham, Robert H. Schuller, and others. 

Richard Petersen received his A.B. from Dartmouth, and his B.D. and Ph.D. (Biblical studies) from Duke. He has been a college professor and chaplain, a pastor of several churches, and executive director of the Bible Society of Maine. 

Internet for Seniors 
Instructor: Lenny Shedletsky
Course Number: P0329 
This course offers a low anxiety introduction to the basics of the Internet, e-mails and surfing the web.

Lenny Shedletsky has a Ph.D. in communications. A professor at USM, Lenny has been teaching since 1974.

Art Open Studio 
Coordinator: Dona Sherburne, 
Course Number: P0330 
For established OLLI artist members, this is an unbroken 2 hour session utilizing personal and creative media with much support from peers. This is not a "how to" class. Open yourself to new levels. 

Dona Sherburne has been working in watercolor and Chinese brush painting since 1998.ÿ Her work has appeared in Reflections and as the poster for OLLI Art '05.ÿ Dona undertakes the coordination of Art Open Studio to ensure its continuation this semester.

Three By Gilbert and Sullivan 
Instructor: Keith E. Sherburne
Course Number: P0331 
We'll take a Gilbert-and-Sullivan tour of Fairyland, London, Titipu, Venice and Barataria ("modified rapture!"). We'll see and hear (and talk about) Iolanthe, The Mikado, and The Gondoliers and finish up with a meditation on the career of that immortal pair in the film Topsy Turvy. "Here's a pretty how-de-do!"

Keith E. Sherburne has a B.A. in English from Seton Hall University, and an M.A. in English from Montclair State University. He did his post-graduate work in comparative literature, at Rutgers University, and he earned fellowships and grants in humanities to Oberlin and Bennington colleges. He also attended the New England Conservatory of Music. He was the associate editor and writer for Opera Monthly. He taught theater skills for over twenty years, during which time he directed productions of Trial by Jury, Patience, and The Pirates of Penzance.

The Life of Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke
Instructor: Rev. Donald Smith
Course Number: P0332 
We will study the life and teachings of Jesus in these Gospels and discuss how they apply to the church and the world today. We will look at the uniqueness of each writer's approach and how it might have met a particular need in the church of that day.

Rev. Donald Smith taught elementary school for 11 years and pastored a church in Buxton Center for 27 years. He has a BS and MS in Education and an MDiv in Theology and has taught at OLLI since 1999.

Introduction to the Digital Darkroom 
Instructor: Fred Spector
Course Number: P0333 
Learn how to edit, enhance and manipulate images using PhotoImpact Version 7, by Ulead. Participants will install and launch this software during each class in order to repeat the class demonstrations for themselves as a hands-on learning exercise. Some imaginative creativity is included in the course.

Frederick Spector has a B.S. in engineering and M.Ed in education, providing a hardware and software background for computer-oriented instruction. He is a retired High School teacher.

In Our Times: America Since 1945 
Instructor: John Sutherland
Course Number: P0334 
We will examine major aspects of our social, political, economic and diplomatic history during our lifetimes. Topics will include the origins and end of the Cold War, the emergence of the national security state, the rockin' n' rollin' 50s (or were they?), late 20th century feminism, the 60s, the civil rights revolution, Vietnam, the Reagan Revolution and the origins of the post-9/11 world.

John Sutherland graduated from the University of Maine and received his Ph.D. in History from Temple University. He is Professor of History Emeritus and Emeritus Director of the Institute of Local History at Manchester (CT.) Community College. He also taught at Eastern and Central Connecticut State Universities and the University of Connecticut.

The Constitution: Seeing it in the Light of 21st Century Issues 
Coordinator: Alberta Unger
Course Number: P0335 
When the founders wrote the Constitution it was, in their words, to "establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense and promote the general welfare."Using the Constitution as our text, we will explore a variety of currently hotly debated issues, such as separation of church and state, immigration, and separation of powers. Diverse viewpoints are welcome and encouraged.The course will include knowledgeable speakers in social, political, legal and religious areas, with class discussion, guided by a facilitator. In addition to the rich exchange of ideas, if one chooses, this course offers the possibility of networking with others to be more politically active in areas of their concern.

Berta Unger, a retired psychotherapist, is a charter member of OLLI at USM. She has participated in Great Books for many years, where the idea of peer learning at OLLI was developed. Berta has lived in Maine since 1993.

The Practical Wisdom of Living in the Spirit 
Instructor: H.D. Wagener
Course Number: P0336 
Basic instructions will be given in meditation, in use of the prayer of the holy name, and in using other disciplines that can be integrated into daily life, for the purpose of creating a balanced spiritual practice. Pertinent passages from the sacred and mystical literature will be discussed. The course will be drawn from hand-outs (no textbook), the facilitator's personal experience and acquired jnana (spiritual knowledge or wisdom), and contributions from students. Whether you already have a spiritual practice or not, join us! 

After a teaching and consulting career in geology/geochemistry, HD took up carpentry for eleven years. Now, when not facilitating courses at OLLI, HD engages in writing poetry on physical and spiritual reality and following the disciplines of a spiritual life. For 16 years, he has been devoted to trying to put That of the Spirit first in his life. His family time is integrated with the other.


Service Learning Classes

Portland Trails 
Service Learning 
Course Number: P0337 
The Need:Portland Trails (a non-profit land trust and trail building organization) needs help creating educational guided tours of our trails for adults and children. The self-guided walking tours produced by the class will be posted on their website, www.trails.org.

The Service Project: The class will work individually and in teams researching selected trails in the Portland Trails network. Content is dependant on the trail and may include historical points of interest, geology, natural history, flora and fauna, etc. By the end of class, students will have completed a compilation of their research and developed a written tour ready to be posted on the Portland Trails website.

The Learning: In order to begin their research, OLLI students will learn about Portland Trails as an organization and the trails in its network. Class members will then select a trail or trails that they would like to research, visit the trail to gather information, undertake research and prepare a written tour ready to be posted on the website.

Logistics: The course will meet at the Portland Trails office on Wednesdays from 9:30-11:30 am. Metered parking is available in front of the office at 305 Commercial Street (carpooling is encouraged!)

Hospice Care 
Service Learning
Course Number: P0338 
The Need: Right in your community, there are people who need your help to deal with their own life-limiting illness or that of a family member. As a hospice volunteer, you provide comfort, companionship, and a helping hand in a variety of ways. 

The Project: Come learn how hospice care is really about living life to the fullest right up to the end. In this project, you would learn about end-of-life care and what the Medicare Hospice benefit can provide for those with a life-limiting illness. You also can choose to become a vital part of the hospice team as a volunteer who helps to create an environment of hope and comfort.

The Learning: In 8 2-hour sessions, you will learn from professionals on our hospice team about: the history & philosophy of hospice; death, dying and bereavement; the medical aspects of hospice; the hospice family; effective communication; supporting the spiritual needs of the patient and family; and the rights and responsibilities of being a hospice volunteer. If you choose to receive a certificate and become a volunteer, an additional 5 hours of training will be set up at your convenience.

Logistics: This class will meet Monday afternoons from 1-3 pm at 54B Atlantic Place, So. Portland, conveniently located near the Maine Mall with plenty of free parking. 

Beacon Hospice, Inc. is a Medicare, Medicaid and CHAP certified hospice program providing superior end-of-life care to terminally ill patients and their caregivers in York, Cumberland and Androscoggin counties. Founded in 1993 to serve the needs of terminally ill patients and their caregivers, Beacon Hospice seeks to foster dignity and quality of life for each one by tending to their physical, emotional and spiritual needs.