Learn for the love of it! Discover something new, plan your next trip, or an amazing meal. A variety of interesting classes are offered throughout the year for adults who enjoy the fun and excitement of learning new things. We offer classes in diverse areas such as history, science, nature, music, current events and places of interest in the Big Bend region.

Our affordable programs are open to anyone 18 years and older. Schedule virtual family time together with your adult children and grandchildren, even if they live out of town. With virtual classes, people can participate from any location with internet access. 

Classes are currently offered on Zoom. If you would like to learn how to use Zoom, please call 850-891-4000 and Senior Center staff will set you up with a volunteer who can help you over the phone or computer. Or click here for our Zoom guide.

For more information, email Maureen.Haberfeld@talgov.com

UPCOMING CLASSES

GREAT ARTISTS SERIES: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec… and the Birth of the Modern Print Thu., Feb. 3, 1:30 – 3:00 pm

Sometimes a new technology arrives at just the right time; for a new middle class seeking fun, for entrepreneurs hoping their theaters and clubs will thrive and for Henry Toulouse-Lautrec who sought acceptance as a handicapped person and as an artist documenting famous entertainers, addicts, and women of the night.  For the brief span of a decade, Toulouse-Lautrec’s posters were the most widely exhibited art in the world. His work graphic design has stood the test of time; his lithographs advertising Moulin Rouge define 1890s Paris in the minds of most of us.

Hybrid class at TSC and on Zoom. $5 fee. (Note: Adult subject matter.)

When Women Danced with Trees Mon. Feb. 7, 10 – 11:30 a.m. NE Branch Library

Tallahassee-based Marina Brown, author of three Gold Medal winning novels–one of them, the winner of the 2020 Book of the Year, will introduce her newest work to Lifelong Learners called When Women Danced with Trees–35 Unexpected Stories. In readings from this collection of short stories–a potpourri of funny, poignant, occasionally wrenchingly sad, and other times, “naughty with a wink” tales, Brown explores the human condition and how life can so often turn on a dime. She will discuss the process of and inspiration for her work which ranges from journalism (St. Petersburg Times and Tallahassee Democrat); poetry (Silver Medal-winning The Leaf Does Not Believe It Will Fall); and novels (Gold Medal winners, Land Without Mirrors, Lisbeth, and The Orphan of Pitigliano.) Brown will discuss writing from the points of view of the younger, middle-aged, and older writer, who hopefully, will all join her at the Library!

In person class at NE Library. $5.00 fee. Limited space available

GREAT ARTISTS SERIES: Pablo Picasso – The Great 20th Century Innovator Thu. Feb 10, 1:30 – 3:00 pm

From about 1900 until mid-century, Pablo Picasso either founded or dominated every fine art movement.  Much of the art he crafted in his Blue, Rose and War periods is utterly unique often containing troublesome statements about the world as he saw it.  His cubist and classicist works were groundbreaking, literally changing the nature of artistic creation; his surrealist works were unlike those produced by most artists in the movement and easily among the most accomplished.  Though he changed styles often, his production remained exceptional.  He was the foremost visual artist of the 20th Century; we will journey through his 96 years as we examine his oeuvre.

Hybrid class at TSC and on Zoom. $5 fee.

Wolf Creek Trout Lily Preserve Tue. Feb. 15, 10:15 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Wolf Creek Trout Lily Preserve is a 140-acre conservation area owned by Grady County, GA. The preserve was established to protect tens of millions of beautiful yellow and maroon dimpled trout lilies and thousands of maroon spotted trillium plants. This is the largest extent of these trout lilies known anywhere in the world. These beautiful plants only bloom for a few weeks a year from mid-February – early March. The preserve has no access for those with mobility impairment. You must be able to walk several hundred yards on a muddy slope. Wear boots or shoes with treads, insect repellent and sunscreen. Bring water, and a walking stick or they have some available to borrow. We will stop for lunch and restrooms at the Whigham Diner in Whigham, GA before the tour. Transportation provided from the TSC.

Limited space available. Fee $10 (does NOT include lunch.)

Wolf Creek Trout Lily Preserve Tue. Feb. 22, 10:15 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Wolf Creek Trout Lily Preserve is a 140-acre conservation area owned by Grady County, GA. The preserve was established to protect tens of millions of beautiful yellow and maroon dimpled trout lilies and thousands of maroon spotted trillium plants. This is the largest extent of these trout lilies known anywhere in the world. These beautiful plants only bloom for a few weeks a year from mid-February – early March. The preserve has no access for those with mobility impairment. You must be able to walk several hundred yards on a muddy slope. Wear boots or shoes with treads, insect repellent and sunscreen. Bring water, and a walking stick or they have some available to borrow. We will stop for lunch and restrooms at the Whigham Diner in Whigham, GA before the tour. Transportation provided from the TSC.

Limited space available. Fee $10 (does NOT include lunch.)

Queen Anne’s Revenge, Maritime Archaeology, Thurs. Feb. 17, 1:30 – 3:00 pm

Queen Anne’s Revenge – The pirate Blackbeard’s flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, located off Beaufort, North Carolina, has been the subject of a lengthy archaeological investigation. This presentation, by Franklin H. Price archaeologist with the Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research, details the history and archaeology of the site, and offers a glimpse into what has been learned so far about this historic shipwreck.

Hybrid class at TSC and on Zoom. $5.00 fee.

Rendezvous with Destiny: Florida and WWII at the Historic Capitol Museum, Thu. Feb 24, 9:45 – 11:45 am

Visit the Florida Historic Capitol Museum, in partnership with Camp Blanding Museum and The Institute on World War II and the Human Experience at Florida State University, to tour the new temporary exhibit Rendezvous with Destiny: Florida and WWII. When the United States entered World War II in 1941, Florida was a mostly rural and agricultural state, a relatively unpopulated place compared to the rest of the country. By the time the war ended, federal spending for military bases and an influx of service members had begun a transformation that continues to this day. This exhibit explores the conflict’s impact on Florida and the many ways in which the state contributed to the war effort.

Transportation from the TSC. $7.00 fee.

The Sea in Early American Literature Mon. Feb. 28, 10 – 11:30 a.m. (NE Branch Library)

The sea has often served as setting, theme, and symbol in the history of American literature.  This class offered by Dr. Benjamin Lawson award winning scholar and author, presents vivid images of how American writers have memorably depicted the seas of America from early Native American times until the twentieth century.  The presentation will include lively discussion of major authors like James Fenimore Cooper, Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville, Mark Twain, and Jack London along with less well known but provocative writers like Lafcadio Hearn. In person class.

Limited space available. $5.00 fee 

Railroad Square / All Saints District Guided Public Art Walk and Lunch, Thurs., March 3, 9 am – 1:00 pm

Take a 1.5-mile stroll that reveals an unusual synergy of private and public efforts supporting the arts and economic revitalization of a neighborhood once in decline. Learn about the artists and more than 50 eye-popping murals, sculptures, and historic points of interest that add life and local lore to this open-air gallery. Along the way, you will become acquainted with shopping, entertainment, and dining opportunities in the area. We’ll finish the tour with lunch at the Crum Box Gastgarden, a sandwich restaurant located in an old caboose with a rustic patio.

Fee $7 (does NOT include cost of lunch.) Transportation from the TSC.

Aucilla River and Sinks Geology Hike, Tues. March 8, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm

Hike a unique section of the Florida Trail and learn about the interesting geology of the Aucilla River with trail guide Barbara Donner and geologists Joe and Maureen Haberfeld. Emerging from the swamps near the Georgia / Florida border, the Aucilla River flows southwestward and appears and disappears in a series of “rises” and “sinks.” In this area, Florida’s ancient history is beneath your feet. View the conduit system in the limestone that was that was sculpted by groundwater over millions of years. Be sure to wear long, pants, comfortable hiking shoes and bring water and insect repellent.

Fee $18 )includes transportation from TSC and picnic lunch.)