Seniors Achieving Greater Education [SAGE]—a special program of the University of Maine at Presque Isle that serves local residents over 50 and fosters “Lifelong Learning, Lifelong Connections”—will host its Spring Kick-off event from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Friday, March 22 in the Campus Center Multi-Purpose Room. Coffee, tea, and muffins will be served beginning at 9:30 a.m.
The kick-off will include the introduction of instructors and a brief overview of their courses, information about the new online registration option, and a video overview of the courses and events of the previous session. All are welcome to attend and bring a friend to this free event.
SAGE is one of 17 senior colleges in the Maine Senior College Network and one of the two senior colleges north of Bangor. SAGE welcomes intellectually curious older adults, age 50 and above, and with a desire to learn in the company of others in a relaxed, non-competitive atmosphere, to discover new ideas about the world and themselves. There are no grades and no tests. Learning and connecting with others is its own reward.
Participants can learn about astronomy, Greek culture, living healthy with chronic conditions, theater arts appreciation, and veterinary medicine. They can also explore a variety of TED talks, find ancestors, or delve into the history of phrenology in Presque Isle. Courses for fun will include Let’s Go to the Movies, Escape Room, SAGE Night Out, and a variety of SAGE groups, including Games, Books, Outing, and Chess Club. For crafters, classes will include Knit a Hat, Flower Arranging, creating Altered Bowls, and working on SAGE entries in the UMPI Trash to Fashion Show. For those who want to work in some physical activity, there is water fitness in the Gentile Pool, Walking for your Health and Fun, and A Matter of Balance.
For those who enjoy field trips, the SAGE Outing Club will offer several opportunities. The club partners with the Caribou Recreation Department for a number of excursions.
The spring session will run between April and May, with a few exceptions. Courses generally meet once a week for approximately two hours. Course formats range from lectures and discussions to hands-on learning. All SAGE instructors and facilitators are volunteers who have both knowledge of and enthusiasm for the subject they are presenting.
For a complete listing of SAGE Spring 2019 courses and a registration form, please visit www.umpi.edu/sage. For more information, call the SAGE Office at 207-768-9501, or email sageatumpi@outlook.com. Follow SAGE on Facebook at SAGE-UMPI for even more information.
Annual membership in SAGE is $25. Courses are $5 each for members, though some hands-on courses and activities have additional fees. Thanks to generous donors, membership scholarships and free bus tickets are offered to SAGE courses for members within ARTS bus routes.