Bob Stone’s Lee’s Hollow Victories: Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville end-of-course battlefields field trip was held November 20, 2021. The battlefield tour covered the time period of December 1862 to May 1863. Bob has taught 30 Civil War courses with Encore Learning. After six weeks of Zoom classes, Bob brings vivid meaning and understanding to the thousands of soldiers who fought and died on the broad-view landscape and epic battles of Fredericksburg-Chancellorsville. The tour included 14 drive-stop-walks. The weather was cold, but otherwise, perfect.

The following numbers tell the story of how epic these battles were:

- Marty Suydam

To do that, email the staff at info@encorelearning.net and provide the gift recipient's name, address, email, and telephone number. A trusted Encore Learning staff member will call you and take your credit card over the phone to activate the membership. 

Alternatively, if you know someone now who seems interested in joining or know someone recently retiring, take a moment to explain to them what you find rewarding about Encore Learning. Then, let them know how to join. Joining is easy; all they have to do is visit the website and click on “join.” If they have questions about the process, they can email the staff at info@encorelearning

Dr. Joan Schiller was the featured speaker for Encore Learning Presents in November. Since retiring as Deputy Director of the Inova Schar Cancer Center, she has committed herself to educating people on the health effects of Global Climate Change. This presentation was a natural extension of an earlier Encore Learning Presentation providing a general status update on Global Climate Change. Being aware and understanding the negative health consequences can help us to plan ways to avoid or mitigate them. If you missed the presentation, we have posted it to our Youtube channel.

- David Tate

In 2020 Encore Learning hosted a volunteer project on the MLK Day of Service with several volunteers visiting seniors at Culpepper Garden and Mary Marshall Assisted Living. Our Encore Learning volunteers and the visited seniors enjoyed the time together. This year, you too can volunteer on January 17 in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr., even at home. Check out the opportunities and sign-up soon, spots do fill-up.

If you volunteer on MLK Day, send us a note about your experience.

You'll have 35 classes to choose from when you register for the Spring Semester. This includes 13 in-person classes, three of which will bring you out and about in Arlington:

Enjoy these pictures from Walks with Charley class in November, and picture yourself in such a class this spring.

I first met Ambassador John Sprott when I joined the Board of Encore Learning in 2018. At that time, he had become an ex officio member of the Board, having completed his dozen or so years as our first and longest serving President. I, and all other members of the Board, including then-President Art Gosling, found John’s continued participation on the Board invaluable, and sought John’s views on how to address the issues that came before the Board. John had a very kind voice, but he spoke with authority and on more than one occasion his advice saved us from making a serious mistake. 

Introduction to Astronomy (Virtual) Whether you are an astronomy buff or neophyte, this virtual class will situate you of the universe and our place within it. Instructor Lewis Cook will review the human study of our skies, theories of the formation of our universe, solar system description, including our planets and their moons, and many more topics. This course will be offered virtual via Zoom.

Greek Gods (In Person) Join the cult of instructor Dwight Rodgers, and explore the character, powers and forms of worship of the classical era Greek gods, beginning with the philosophy of Plato and the importation of traditions from the east during the time of Alexander the Great. This course will be offered in-person in Van Metre Hall at George Mason.

Viruses and Vaccines (Virtual) There has been a lot of science to keep up with over the past few years. Instructor Barry H. Ginsberg will take students through the essentials around the COVID-19 pandemic, covering what viruses are, how coronaviruses infect humans, how our immune system fights them, how vaccines work to destroy viruses and how viruses mutate to regain an advantage. This course will be offered virtually via Zoom.

Mark your calendars for the Spring Course Preview on Thursday, January 27th at 10:00 AM to hear from all of our instructors about the courses they are teaching. We are recruiting class aides for Spring 2022 so please contact us at info@encorelearning.net if you are interested in becoming a volunteer class aide.

Our Fall Semester wraps up this week. We are so thankful to the 40 instructors and speakers who brought engaging curriculum to our members. The blend of in-person, outside and virtual classes kept us alert. The semester brought us 16 brand new courses. Please be sure to complete your course evaluation. Look for an email from virtual@encorelearning.net with the link for your specific course feedback form. We share your feedback with the Academic Programs Committee and the instructors. Our volunteers who plan the courses, recruit instructors, and assist in classes make this possible. During this season of giving, we are very grateful to all of you.

We are now recruiting a new Academic Course Coordinator. Please share the position announcement, its a great opportunity for someone seeking a rewarding part-time position. Click here to learn more about the Academic Course Coordinator position. Interested applicants should submit resume and cover letter to exec@encorelearning.net.

For the most current status of Encore Learning, check our public calendar.

THANK YOU to Marie Schryver, Kate Mattos, Helen Ely, Patti and all of you who kindly refer friends. Tell a friend about Encore Learning so you can see your name here.

Remember that many of our virtual Encore Learning Presents events are recorded and may be found on our YouTube channel. 

Encore Learning is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Any donation is a charitable contribution deductible from income tax to the full extent permitted by law. Members, friends and organizations wishing to support Encore Learning may direct contributions to our General Fund to support our sustainability, to the Arthur W. Gosling Youth Scholarship Fund or the John T. Sprott Scholarship Fund. The charitable tax deduction has changed for 2021, so you may have greater deductibility of your contributions. We are grateful to the Arlington Community Foundation and Arlington Magazine for sharing information about Encore Learning in their end-of-year giving guides.