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VIU ElderCollege begins in September

Registration for classes is now open
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VIU’s ElderCollege begins online and in-person classes in September. (File photo)

VIU ElderCollege is offering both in-person and online courses this fall.

There will be 23 courses beginning in September, 21 in November, and 22 one-day sessions.

Most VIU ElderCollege courses run from two to eight weeks. New courses in the September session include How Did We Get Here and Our Cultural Grand Canyon: The Gap Between What We Know and How We Live. New courses in the November session include Introduction To Writing Poetry and The Fab Four of Florence: Fine Arts and Friendship.

The one-day sessions, usually lasting two hours, are offered for those wanting a shorter commitment. Fall 2022 new one-day sessions offer The Journey of Picasso’s Genius: An Art Workshop, and Real Life Happens on the Road.

VIU ElderCollege Saturday Speakers Series began on Sept. 17 with Overturning History: The White and Bob Case, the pivotal land claim that turned British Columbia history on its head. On Oct. 22 What Lies Behind the Treasure takes a deeper look at the inspiration behind, and beyond, Pacific Northwest Coast art. Nov. 22 wraps up the series with Food Plants of Vancouver Island First Peoples examining the key plant foods used by Vancouver Island indigenous peoples.

Registration for classes is now open.

VIU ElderCollege originally featured in-person classes for people aged 50-plus on central Vancouver Island. In 2020 VIU ElderCollege successfully responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by switching to online learning using Zoom. This switch added the benefit of attracting instructors and students from all of B.C., across Canada, and throughout the world.

A Zoom user guide is available for people to learn the basics. Zoom cafés are held for students to learn more about how to use the program, and one-on-one training sessions are available for more help if needed.

VIU ElderCollege is an adjunct program of Vancouver Island University. All tuition fees for VIU ElderCollege courses are set at cost-recovery because instructors, organizers, and directors are volunteers, and the program receives generous support from Vancouver Island University.

Registration and fee payment is available online at viu.ca/eldercollege. Telephone: 1-866-734-6252