DAVIDSONLEARNS

For many, the end of summer brings an itch for learning — new pencils and notebooks! And DavidsonLearns is ready to scratch that itch with a diverse curriculum led by an enthusiastic volunteer faculty.

A nonprofit that provides lifelong learning for adults, DavidsonLearns has announced its fall curriculum, 15 courses that will meet for various intervals from August through November. The semester opens on August 20, with both Bill Lawing’s Jazz Essentials and Scott Denham’s Connections and Conflicts in Humanities: Revolution, Part 3, convening their first sessions.

The goal of DavidsonLearns is to enhance the intellectual, social, and cultural life of adults by providing challenging and relevant courses on diverse academic topics. Most of the classes are four to six weeks long and meet once a week for an hour to 90 minutes. Volunteer instructors, who enjoy sharing their love of learning with interested adults, facilitate thoughtful discussions on academic topics.

Executive Director Jake Jacobs, enthusiastic about the growth of DavidsonLearns since its founding in 2012, said, “This May our board approved a five-year strategic plan to help assure continued excellence in our offerings, the instructors we engage, and the management of the growth we are experiencing.

“These are exciting times for DavidsonLearns.”

Fall courses are listed below. The DavidsonLearns redesigned website has detailed listings and clear instructions for registration.

DavidsonLearns Fall Curriculum

Registration opens August 1

Connections and Conflicts in Humanities: Revolution, Part 3                
Instructor: Dr. Scott Denham – Beginning August 20

Jazz Essentials
Instructor: Dr. Bill Lawing – Beginning August 20

Civil War: A New Birth of Freedom                
Instructor: Eric Hight – Beginning September 4

Youth and the Civil Rights Movement                                  
Instructor: Dr. Nancy Fairley – Beginning September 5

The Evolution of U.S. Trade Policy
Instructor: Joe Papovich – Beginning September 11

A Brief Introduction to Peace and Conflict Resolution 
Instructor: Dr. Yves-Renée Jennings – Beginning September 13

They Made the News 
Instructor: Mark Washburn – Beginning September 14

Muslim Visions of Moral Life
Instructor: Dr. Syed Rizwan Zamir – Beginning September 14

Memoir Writing Workshop: It’s My Story and I’m Stickin’ to It 
Instructor: Jean Berg – Beginning September 17

Intermediate Genealogy Workshop
Instructor: Dr. Marilyn Rousseau – Beginning October 3

Spanish Literature from the Generation of 1898 until the Spanish Civil War
Instructor: Deborah Nelson.- Beginning October 8

French Existentialism: Sartre, Camus, Beckett
Instructor: Dr. Alan Singerman – Beginning October 9
Dive into French existential thought, as represented in works by Sartre, Camus, and Beckett. 

Advanced Poetry Workshop: The Poetry of James Wright
Instructor: Dr. Tony Abbott – Beginning October 11

Understanding Visual Forms in Film, Television, and Beyond
Instructor: Dr. Maggie McCarthy – Beginning October 11

Understanding Persistent Racial Inequality
Instructor: Dr. Ron Schmidt – Beginning October 23