Online Courses   

In this course, formerly Exotic Travel, speakers will discuss travel in Africa and Asia for research and teaching. Their experiences include: conducting linguistic fieldwork in Cameroon, archival research in south India, anthropological work in urban South Africa and teaching in Ladakh (far northern India). Each presentation will be about 90 minutes, via Zoom, and there will be opportunities for questions and discussion.

NOTE: There is no class session on Wednesday, April 23.

What is the journey of a Ukrainian woman refugee? What was the experience of growing up in Soviet Ukraine? What is the impact of the transition from communism to a free Ukraine on the life of a Ukrainian woman and her family? Becoming a refugee involves a change of identity, loss of status and economic stability, and a descent into an unknown world. Through sharing the stories of six Ukrainian refugee women living in Ashland, these questions will be explored within the larger context of Ukrainian history, women’s spirituality and the refugee experience as a path of spiritual transformation. The course will include lecture and discussion, ritual circles, reflective writing in response to the readings, local Ukrainian women speaker presentations (videos) and out-of-class readings. 

NOTE: Required Text: “Displaced: The Ukrainian Refugee Experience” by Tamar Jacoby, independently published (Sept. 9, 2022) 

This course is designed to provide an opportunity to speak and listen to Spanish in a comfortable nonjudgmental atmosphere. It is meant for those who already speak Spanish with some fluency but who don’t have all the opportunities to converse that they would like. Each week, students will be provided with materials to stimulate conversation on a particular theme, including poems, readings, song lyrics and discussion questions. During each class, we’ll talk in a whole group and in breakout rooms. Themes include education, music, science and more, but it will be all right to stray from the theme. Grammar and vocabulary questions that arise will be answered, but the class is about enjoying conversation in Spanish. Any learning that occurs arises from that. It will enhance our conversation if students spend some time with the materials posted on LearnerNotes before each class. Translations are provided for readings and song lyrics. 
 
NOTE: This is not a Spanish course per se, and it won’t work for beginners. Rather, it is a chance for those who already comprehend and speak Spanish with some fluency to listen to others, converse freely and encounter readings and songs that reflect Hispanic culture. Those who have been in previous Conversaciones courses will find new themes, readings and music.

This DIY BetterInvesting (BI) portfolio discussion/workshop gives students practice managing a portfolio using a structured process. We start with three BI reports, four videos, a five-step process (with multiple sub-steps) and a checklist to conduct portfolio reviews for breakout group portfolios. Each student will bring stock symbols for inclusion in the group portfolios. We will use “Stock Selection Guide (SSG) & Portfolio Management Magic” by Mike Torbenson to learn the process. A link to a free PDF version will be provided in the pre-course email, or you can purchase the print version on Amazon. We also use the book’s collection of spreadsheet-and-form templates in a free Google Drive folder to do advanced tasks. You will learn how to replace low-performing stocks with new stocks. It is essential to have BI SSGPlus membership and to have previously taken two OLLI courses: DIY FUNdamental Stock Analysis Beginner and Beyond Beginner. Basic MS Word/Excel or Google Docs/Sheets skills are helpful. See www.betterinvesting.org. 

NOTE: Maximum benefits will be achieved by attending all eight sessions. Equities (in sample portfolios) are for educational purposes only; no recommendations will be made. We do not present alternate investment strategies. No penny stocks, ADRs, ETFs, index funds, bonds, mutual funds, financial advisers, cryptocurrencies or foreign stocks will be discussed. No iPads in this class. Newer Windows or Mac OS versions only, and BI membership at the SSGPlus level and Google Chrome as your primary browser are essential.  

Chaos can take many forms — whether with personal struggles or global uncertainties. Yet, peace is always within us. Inspired by the transformative teachings of Sydney Banks’ Three Principles, this understanding offers us a lens to uncover our innate resilience and well-being regardless of our external circumstances. Join this engaging journey, where we will blend insightful discussions with short, impactful videos featuring thought leaders like Syd Banks, Michael Neill and George and Linda Pransky. In watching these videos, we often receive our own deeper insights that can guide us to more clarity, peace and an empowered life. In a world yearning for peace, those of us who have embraced the wisdom of the Three Principles understand that raising our consciousness is the ultimate answer. As we live fully in our own peace, contentment and well-being, we affect all around us, at a personal, community and global level. Join this exploration toward the profound healing of the universal mind.

NOTE: There are many other wonderful Three Principles teachers. To watch other teachers, search on YouTube.