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Mt. Desert Island Adult & Community Education



Lifelong Learning

Ukulele for Beginners

$79

with Duncan Perry

Calendar Mar 4, 2025 at 6 pm, runs for 4 weeks

This is a live, online class.

Learn to play the ukulele! It has never been more popular and you don't even need to know how to read music! On the uke you can knock out folk music, rock, blues, jazz, pop, country, tunes old and new -- even classical music. Duncan Perry, who has taught more than 700 students of all ages, will introduce you to essential chords and playing skills using familiar songs. There are lots of laughs along the way and learning to play an instrument is good for your brain!

You will need a playable ukulele and an electronic tuner or a tuner app. And when folks hear you play this happy instrument, well, they just have to smile! If you don’t own a ukulele, please contact us (uketime24@gmail.com) for information. What are you waiting for? Grab a uke and get ready for a musical adventure, then spread the joy!

Biography

Duncan is an experienced multi-instrumentalist who has been performing and teaching folks how to play the ukulele for the last 14 years. Having served as a volunteer music therapist in medical and hospice settings, he quickly came to understand that music is medicine and that learning to play an instrument not only sharpens the brain but helps reduce stress. It also brings joy to those who play the uke and to their audiences. Duncan has taught in a variety of Maine communities and did not let the COVID-19 epidemic stop him. He simply moved from teaching in person to an online format and now reaches students all over Maine, New Hampshire and beyond.

Smartphone Photography

$40

with Steve McGrath

Calendar Mar 4, 2025 at 7:30 pm, runs for 3 weeks

This is a live, online class.

This class is dedicated to helping you with understanding how to use your smartphone photography, how to take and create great Images on your phone, what editing apps to use, how to share and print your images. Join Steve as we go over how to find out how to use essential controls on your phone along with the best free and low-cost tools for editing and image management.

Steve McGrath is a professional freelance Photographer and Photography Teacher who has been creating images for 30 years. Steve began his career by shooting sports photography for local high schools before adding weddings and stock agencies to his repertoire. His love of the outdoors has since led him to focus more on his true passion — nature photography. Many of his images have been published in school text books. His favorite places to shoot are Acadia National Park in Maine, the Green Mountains of Vermont, and the Cape Cod National Seashore.

Planning and Paying for College

Free

with FAME Finance Authority ME

Calendar Mar 5, 2025 at 6 pm, runs for 1 week

This is a live, online class.

Do you have children who will be looking at college in the next few years or might you be thinking of returning to school yourself? Now is a great time to start thinking about the college financial aid process and ways to boost college savings. The earlier you start, the more confident and relaxed you will feel when it is time to apply for financial aid. Join Michelle Radley, College Access Counselor with the Finance Authority of Maine for this 1-hour workshop as we talk all things paying for college. 

Microsoft Excel Intermediate

$89

with Val Landry

Calendar Mar 6, 2025 at 8:30 am, runs for 3 weeks

This is a live online class using ZOOM. 

Microsoft Excel Intermediate  During this session, you will learn how to navigate multiple worksheets, save your workbook, create formulas, use functions, change the layout of your worksheet, and how to create practical worksheets. 1040 Income Tax – Maintain tax information that is very useful when preparing your annual tax return. The design of this course includes 2-3 hours of work with the software between sessions to gain maximum benefit from the sessions.

Some examples of using Microsoft Excel as a Practical Tool:

Grocery Shopping List – Quickly create a weekly grocery shopping list. What a time saver! 

Contractor Estimate Calculator - Great tool for any contractor who has to provide estimates for customers. 

Household Budget – Create a monthly budget of your household expenditures. 

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey included in your automated receipt so the instructor can tailor the course to meet your needs. 

You will want to have Microsoft Excel on your computer for this workshop and many people find it helpful to have two monitors though it is certainly not necessary to benefit from the sessions.  There are two ways to accomplish this: 1) attach an external screen to your computer (contact our program if you need technical assistance with that); 2) use two computers (one for Excel and the other for the ZOOM meeting. 

Val is a lifelong business educator and academic advisor focused on helping enrich and enhance students' educational and life purposes. He is experienced in college management and, as an adult educator, having taught at the Mid-State College and Kennebec Valley Community College. His teaching experience covers over 45 years in the areas of computer applications, accounting, and Quickbooks training workshops.

The Writer’s AI Toolkit

$45

with Nina Barufaldi St Germain

Calendar Mar 6, 2025 at 6 pm, runs for 2 weeks

This is a live, online class.

Unlock the potential of Artificial Intelligence in your creative writing with this hands-on Adult Ed course. In two 60 minute sessions, you'll learn how to use AI as a powerful editing tool, enhancing your stories, poems, and essays. Discover techniques for refining your prose, generating new ideas, and polishing your work to a professional standard. Whether you're a seasoned writer or just starting out, this class will show you how to collaborate with AI to elevate your writing while maintaining your unique voice and your originality. Join Nina Barufaldi to explore the future of creative writing with AI as your editor.

Must have ChatGPT account

Nina Barufaldi St.Germain holds an MFA in creative writing and was longlisted for both the American Short(er) Story Award in 2020 and the 2023 First Pages Prize. She is comfortable writing in all genres and welcomes all levels of ability. She is currently working on a novel that takes place on the Pemaquid Peninsula.

Strength and Balance for Senior Fitness

$35

with Michelle Spencer

Calendar Mar 10, 2025 at 8:30 am, runs for 6 weeks

This is a live, online class via Zoom.

Reaching balanced wellness by working on strengthening and stretching the muscles, preventing falls, and improving cardiovascular and bone density health. 

NEW!  Standing and Floor Work! This dynamic, full-bodied exercise program supports muscle growth and increases stamina! Prepare to be getting on and off the floor during the mat portion.  If you have been working on your fitness and want to challenge yourself, "Senior Fitness" will guide you  safely and effectively. 

This class is progressive and increases your overall well-being throughout the 6 week session.  March 10, 17, 24, 31 and April 7, 14.

 

Gentle Fitness for Health

$35

with Michelle Spencer

Calendar Mar 10, 2025 at 10 am, runs for 6 weeks

This is a live, online class via Zoom.

This class offers seated strength and flexibility exercises to improve mobility and fall prevention. All exercises will support people with arthritis, osteoporosis, and other health concerns if they are cleared by their primary care provider.

March 10, 17, 24, 31 and April 7, 14.

 

Stop the Bleed

Free

with John Lennon

Calendar Mar 11, 2025 at 6 pm, runs for 1 week

This is an in-person, classroom-based course at Mount Desert Island High School.

In this class we will learn how to control bleeding. Participants gain the ability to recognize life-threatening bleeding and act quickly and effectively control it with three quick techniques. The number 1 cause of preventable death after injury is bleeding. Stop the Bleed classes are public presentations that empower citizens to make a difference in a life or death situation.

John Lennon has been a paramedic for 30 years. He is a certified fire instructor, and also an EMS instructor/coordinator.  He has conducted numerous public presentations and in service trainings. 





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