From The South Orange-Maplewood Adult School:
It may be chilly outside, but things are warming up at SOMAS, and our Spring Catalog is ready to bloom!
Spring is a perfect time for lifelong learning, and the Adult School offers so many great classes, all of them for the community, by the community. Explore something new, hone a skill or have an adventure: there is something for everyone with lectures, day trips, experiences, fitness, technology, creativity, performing arts and so much more. Browse the online catalog, sign up for our weekly newsletter and register for classes at somadultschool.org.
SPRING HIGHLIGHTS:
- What Do(n’t) We Know About the 2024 Presidential Race?
The 2024 presidential race promises to be historic in many ways, including a potential rematch of the 2020 major-party contenders, Joe Biden and Donald Trump. What are the major issues at stake in the early nominating contests (Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina)? What can we expect to see in primary debates, major-party nomination conventions and the general-election campaign in the fall? What are the stakes for American democracy in 2024, and how will the election outcome influence politics and governance in coming years?
- Stephen Whitty Presents – Hometown Movie Stars: The Celebrated Actors Of CHS
For a high school in suburban New Jersey, Columbia High School has been a surprisingly steady source of celebrated cinema performers. We look at some of Hollywood’s favorites, from Golden Age thespians like Teresa Wright, to blockbuster stars like Roy Scheider, to current actor/auteurs like Zach Braff — with a few extra surprises along the way.
- Deconstructing Racism
In partnership with the Community Coalition on Race, this class is an overview of structural and systemic racism and its impact on the wellbeing of all Americans that will reimagine systems that benefit and value all people. We will explore the culture of white supremacy, how white supremacy is maintained, the impact of white supremacy on people of color and the nation and, finally, ways to disrupt white supremacy.
- Remembering the Ladies – From Patriots in Petticoats to Presidential Candidates
Carol Simon Levin portrays Abigail Adams as she looks forward in time to tell the stories of courageous and tenacious women of all colors and creeds who fought to enhance women’s political participation and the pioneering female activists and politicians who’ve worked to extend women’s economic, social and political rights into the 21st century.
- Growing Up Grant: A Gay Life in the Shadow of Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses Dietz Grant is the youngest living great-great-grandchild of Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia. His 2021 memoir focuses on what it meant to be given the name Ulysses in the post-WWII years when Grant’s reputation was at its lowest and American conformity at its highest and the effects of his atypical family history on his growing up as a gay man in America in the years following the Stonewall Rebellion of 1969.
- Lectures from award-winning art history educator Janet Mandel featuring The Harlem Renaissance, Augusta Savage and Käthe Kollwitz.
The Spring 2024 semester also features over 100 engaging classes and entertaining events:
Our popular Arthouse Film Festival returns to The Village at SOPAC starting March 11 with a variety of ticket options.
Take a day trip with our Meadowlands Eco-Cruise, Pre-Mother’s Day NYC Vintage Shopping Tour, or Sunset Beach Walk.
Experience a culinary journey with Craft Chocolate Tasting or Wine & Cheese: A Classic Combination.
Explore new ways to keep your body moving with a Bollywood Workout, Pilates, Yoga, T’ai Chi, Zumba or Couch to 5k.
To spark your creativity, try classes like Crochet: Beginner, Create a Mosaic Birdhouse, Pastel for Beginners, Acrylic Painting, Creative Writing Workshop, Writing a Memoir or Poetry and Performance.
Or take to the stage with Flamenco, Modern Dance, Tap Dancing, Instant Piano for Busy People, Audition Tips and Secrets and Theatrical Improvisation.
Take control of your future and finances with Retirement Income Planning, Debt-Free for Life, the Fundamentals of Academic Investing, Navigating Your Role as Executor and Long-Term Planning 101.
Stimulate your mind (and bring a friend) with Birding in NJ, Travel Hacks 101, Chess for Beginners, Mah Jongg, Bridge or a new language.
Cultivate your green thumb with Build Your Own Raised-Garden Bed, Native Plant Gardening, and Urban Jungle: Houseplants 101. Or spruce up your interior with Home Staging, Upholstery, Master Your Sewing Machine and Enhance Your Home: Be Smart With What You Have.
Focus on yourself and your health with Genealogy: The Joy of Discovery, Claiming Your Italian Citizenship, Meditation, Reiki, Somatics, Hypnosis for stopping smoking and weight loss, Speaking with Confidence and Sound Bath Experience.
Dive into technology with AI Tools for Everyday Use, Apple Watch, Cutting the Cord on Cable and Kids & Technology: A Safety Guide for Parents.
For the kids and teens, we have Junior Golf, Keyboarding for Kids and Mastering Middle School.
Are you thinking about college or career planning? We can help: Job Search with Linked In, Canva 101, Podcasting 101, The Gap Year Advantage, Parents Guide to the College Process and Preparing for the New Digital SAT.
More classes will be added throughout the semester, so be sure to sign up for our weekly newsletter at somadultschool.org.
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The Adult School is a nonprofit organization and does not receive any taxpayer funding. The school relies solely on the revenue from tuition and contributions from our vital community. To donate or become a sponsor, please email schoolinfo@somadultschool.org or visit our website.
