NEWS

DavidsonLearns continues to capitalize on the area’s rich reserves of experts and scholars to provide engaging and diverse courses to eager lifelong learners

DavidsonLearns has been providing adult education courses in Davidson since 2012. DavidsonLearns courses cover a wide range of topics, giving potential students options for the length of the course, the amount of reading or preparation, the location of the class, and the time of day the course is held. Allyson Ray, DavidsonLearns Assistant Executive Director, explains that DavidsonLearns is constantly honing and fine-tuning the complex logistics of the organization. As the staff and Board of DavidsonLearns plan each new semester, they build their course lists through recruiting and supporting a growing roster of inspiring and knowledgeable instructors, tapping into the topics that learners want, and finding accessible and comfortable locations for meeting spaces. “The process has many moving and interrelated parts. Working through all of the variables each new semester can feel like trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube,” Ray mused.

Each semester’s offerings include some courses that appeal broadly to a large number of potential learners. These may be repeat courses that have become popular over time through word of mouth, or they are courses dealing with generally popular subjects such as art, music, political science, or psychology. Many broadly popular courses have 25 or fewer spaces available. Those limited spots are typically claimed within the first few minutes by DavidsonLearns veterans who know they must be online, logged in, and ready to grab seats. The opening morning of a new DavidsonLearns registration period is not quite as frenzied as trying to snag Taylor Swift tickets, but punctuality and intentionality certainly help to determine who gets the coveted spots.

Every spring and fall, a registration period opens for the new offerings, usually promptly at 10:00 a.m. The Pines at Davidson tends to be ground zero for the most committed and repeat DavidsonLearns students. Allyson Ray is typically posted on-site at The Pines when the courses open for registration to assist residents with the registration process.

Other DavidsonLearns courses are somewhat niche or specialized. These courses appeal to those with a particular interest in studying a topic deeply, those who are eager to read a significant number pages of literature or challenging scholarly texts, and even those who are willing to write poetry or memoir and *gasp* share it with their instructor and classmates. These classes are enriching and rewarding, but they often take a little longer to fill up, probably because the participants want to look over the course description and the requirements to make sure that they have the time needed to commit to the course.

Additionally, DavidsonLearns offers courses in three different lengths. Some courses, like the In-Person Mini-Courses, meet no more than three times. These are great starter courses for those who want to try out a DavidsonLearns course for the first time. The In-Person Traditional Courses typically meet between four and eight times over the span of a month or two and provide time for more reading and discussion in order to develop an in-depth topic. Finally, DavidsonLearns offers a series of Spotlight Events each semester. Spotlight Events are standalone lectures and presentations that are generally open to the public without registration, and address topics that are particularly timely and topical.

Spotlight Events Chair, Jane Ratteree, says that Spotlight Events are usually one hour in length and feature a lecture from a speaker, followed by time for Q&A. Spotlight Events have also included field trips for participants, and the trips have required pre-registration. However, most Spotlight Events are free and open to the public with no advance registration required. “Our speakers donate their time, and we have been fortunate to have many interesting and knowledgeable people generously share their expertise and insights with us, including faculty members at Davidson College and UNCC,” said Ratteree.

The six Spotlight Events scheduled for Fall 2024 include an exploration of friendships and well-being across the lifespan, a Julius Caesar talkback with the director and cast to coordinate with the October production to be performed at Duke Family Performance Hall, a pre-concert music talk at St. Albans, a Davidson College Women’s Basketball conversation with Coach Fulks, a timely discussion of election security in Mecklenburg County, and an exploration of dinosaurs and mass extinction. For more information about this fall’s Spotlight Events, which begin September 18 and run through November 24, visit the Spotlight Events page on the DavidsonLearns website. Jane Ratteree also encourages people to sign up for the DavidsonLearns mailing list, so that they can be alerted about all upcoming courses and events.

As of Thursday, August 29, there are a handful of In-Person Mini Courses that still have a few seats available. Of the In-Person Traditional Courses, ten courses still have seats remaining. Even if you can’t get into your first choice class because it already has a substantial waiting list, Allyson Ray encourages potential students to give some consideration to a topic that you are curious to learn more about. Ray says that “stories abound of DavidsonLearns students who registered for a class after their first choice class was full, simply because the course had seats available, and it piqued their interest, only to find that the course was an absolutely perfect fit for them.”

Click here for the most current information about the courses still available.