A University of Maine at Presque Isle program that serves local residents over 50 and believes in “learning for life” will host its spring kick-off event at 9:30 a.m. Friday, March 16 in the Campus Center.
Seniors Achieving Greater Education [SAGE] has worked for more than a decade to bring short courses in arts, sciences, and specialty areas to the region’s senior community. SAGE is one of 17 senior colleges in the Maine Senior College Network, and one of two senior colleges north of Bangor.
At the March 16 event, participants will have the opportunity to socialize with SAGE members and learn all about upcoming SAGE classes. There will also be a special presentation in honor of Claudette Christnot as part of this year’s kick-off.
This spring, SAGE officials are offering more than a dozen courses and learning excursions – on topics ranging from Genealogy to Zumba. Learning excursions include trips to the Emergency Management Agency operations center in Caribou, LDS Genealogy Library in Caribou, and the Maine Solar System Model, which stretches from Presque Isle to Houlton and beyond.
Classes range in length from four to six weeks and will be offered between March 29 and May 15. Individual classes generally meet once a week for approximately two hours and are led on a volunteer basis by SAGE members and guests. Course formats range from lectures and discussions to field trips and hands-on learning.
SAGE has no entrance requirements, grades or tests, and no college background is needed. Another benefit is that course facilitators are local people who have a deep love and knowledge of the subject they are presenting.
The cost that participants pay for the education and interaction they get is minimal. Membership in Seniors Achieving Greater Education is $15 per semester or $30 annually (Sept. 1-Aug. 31). There are additional fees for field trips and lab courses. Full or partial scholarships to take part in the program are available through a simple, friendly, and confidential process. SAGE members also have free access to most events sponsored by UMPI’s Campus Activities Board, the student-run activity committee, by showing their membership cards.
For more information, to register for a class, or to make a reservation for the March 16 kick-off, contact Mary Lawrence at 768-9502. To view spring course offerings, visit www.umpi.edu/sage.