Annual Midwinter Lecture Series 2012

Wednesdays, 1:30-2:30 pm

John & Polly Jennings Auditorium

Greencroft Goshen Community Center

1820 Greencroft Blvd., Goshen 574-537-4090

The Lifelong Learning Institute of Elkhart County invites the public to its annual Midwinter Lecture Series. The free lectures, on Wednesdays in the Jennings Auditorium at the Greencroft Goshen Community Center, begin at 1:30 pm and run for one hour, including time for questions and answers. No registration is required.

Ken Horst - Of Rockets and Hearts

January 11

In April 2011, Ken's popular rocket science projects at Goshen High School culminated in the launch of a large model rocket for NASA's "Student Launch Project" in Alabama. But he spent the next three months in the hospital, and became the subject of another type of "rocket science" when he received a new heart on July 10.

Dr. Jon Smucker - Restoring the Lost

January 18

Jon will present stories and images of the many "cast-off" items he has restored to beauty and usefulness - two classic wooden boats, an abandoned sail boat, a log cabin, cradles, chairs, lamps and tools - as part of his childhood dreams and for the enjoyment of family and friends.

Len Geiser - Family Businesses: Who Cares?

January 25

In the news are businesses and banks "too big to fail." What about businesses owned by families for generations? Why should we care about their survival? Len owned a family business for many years, has consulted with over 100 businesses in the Midwest and taught business at Goshen College.

Rachel Kreider - The First Hundred Years

February 1

Rachel will tell stories from her long, rich life, beginning with her childhood in LaGrange County, Ind., including education at Goshen College and Ohio State Univ., family life in Wadsworth, Ohio, and distinguished work in Amish genealogy. Ervin Beck will interview her.

Dr. Robert Lerch - Yellowstone Alive, from Jackson Hole

February 8

Robert's virtual "all-day" tour through 300 miles of Yellowstone National Park will feature both dramatic images and a variety of tales from his work as an official guide. Though he will feature Yellowstone, he also conducts tours through the Grand Tetons.

Julia Gautsche - Bringing to Life: Babies, Communities, Politics

February 15

Gautsche will relate ways in which her career in nursing and midwifery have prepared her for community development and political action. In November she won re-election to the Goshen City Council by a substantial margin in District 4.

February 22: Snow Date in case a lecture needs to be postponed.

The LLI spring course offerings begin in late February, Topics for the seven courses will range from storytelling to Shakespeare, world Christianity to the global economy, and spring wildflowers to African arts. Brochures will be available soon at the Greencroft Goshen Senior Center, the Goshen College Welcome Center and other locations as well as online at www.goshen.edu/lifelonglearning and www.greencroft.org/lifelonglearning. Register at the Goshen College Welcome Center, 1700 S. Main St., (574) 535-7566.

All Are Welcome

Registration for any course may be made at the Goshen College Welcome Center, 1700 S. Main St., Goshen, Indiana. Registration may also be made by phone and paid by credit card by calling 574-535-7566. Limited scholarship assistance is available for seniors on Medicaid or living in HUD housing.

"There are no tests," notes co-director Wilbur Birkey, "just the joy of learning, combined with connections to other seniors interested in stimulating thought, conversation and exploration." Everyone is welcomed and no previous college or other studies are required.

The Lifelong Learning Institue sponsors a series of two-week courses in the fall and the spring, as well as a lecture series in mid-winter. Past courses have ranged from literature and the fine arts to politics and philosophy, and from African music and international cooking to Amish life and local wildflowers.

Institutional contacts

Wilbur and Fanni Birky are co-directors of the Institute.  Wilbur is a former professor of English and International Education at Goshen College; Fanni is retired from housing and volunteer programs management at Greencroft Goshen. They may be reached at 574-533-6352 or by e-mail at lifelonglearninglive.com.

How the Institute operates

The Lifelong Learning Institute of Elkhart County is sponsored by Goshen College and Greencroft Communities.  It is part of a grassroots movement for seniors seeking stimulation, continued growth, and connections to others with similar interest.  The local institute is a member of a national network of similar programs, The Elderhostel Institute Network (EIN).