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Everything about eating--including what we consume, how we acquire it, who prepares it, who's at the table - is a form of communication that is rich with meaning. Food is a necessary part of your life, so it becomes linked to all aspects of it. Since ancient times, people have been attributing symbolic meaning to foods. Cultures across the globe have and will continue to assign deeper meaning to everyday food items. Explore the most sacred foods and places in this food-tainment presentation.

Chef Larry P. Canepa is a certified culinary educator with a dynamic, innovative and engaging style that incorporates food history, culinary arts, education and "food-tainment". Chef works closely with farmers, growers, and food artisans to create a delicious and informative food experience -- adult learning with specialized curriculum based on Culinary Arts.

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The Baltic nation of Croatia, whose coastline hugs the deep blue Adriatic Sea, has a complicated, sometimes tragic history. The land is gorgeous, the people engaging, and the culture ancient. After completing a 12-day Road Scholar trip throughout Croatia, I will present a Zoom travelog to cover a bit of history, some stories, and lots of photos of this beautiful country

Bill Frayer is a long time Senior College instructor. He has degrees from Brown and USM, and taught for over 30 years at Central Maine Community College.

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Winners write history, so it doesn't mention the Germans who risked all to destroy Nazism. They tried to help the Allies, kill Hitler, join the resistance in France and hide the persecuted-- for which they filled concentration camps and gallows. They fought a civil war for human decency inside a fascist Germany which made compassion a crime, women invisible, nonconformity to its masculine Aryan ideal punishable by death. The courageous resisters set a precedent for human rights that resonates in our precarious moment. 

Sandy Garson heard in 1984 about German resistance and researched mostly how women, who were banished from society, fought back. She met survivors and, as a journalist, compiled their stories.

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If you are looking for inspiration, just look up!

Artists (and, indeed, poets, writers, and musicians) have sought inspiration in the heavens. Whether it is the beauty of soft clouds, the ferocity of a raging storm, the lonely and serene moon, the incredible, unbearable sun, or the galaxy’s mysteries beyond: the novas and supernovas, black holes, astrological star formations, celestial spheres. There has always been plenty up there to spark anyone’s artistic creativity.

In this online art class we will explore what artists have seen in the universe and see if we can find inspiration there as well. There will be suggested projects each week, but those who would like to merely enjoy the art are welcome.

Judy has been teaching art for a really long time. She finds she learns right along with the students.

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We’ll explore the greatest architecture of the world and the lasting influence on every plate of food placed before you in restaurants across the world. A thoughtful, entertaining food-tainment presentation for foodies and curious thinkers alike. Travel across the globe and millennia to discover the connections between architecture and food, and learn some new tricks to make your dinner look like a work of art.

Chef Larry P. Canepa is a certified culinary educator with a dynamic, innovative and engaging style that incorporates food history, culinary arts, education and "food-tainment". Chef works closely with farmers, growers, and food artisans to create a delicious and informative food experience -- adult learning with specialized curriculum based on Culinary Arts.

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Join Eve Fralick as she travels to the city of La Paz, Bolivia to ride its state-of-the-art cable car system and meander through the Witches Market.  Then, it's onto the Bolivian salt flats, considered one of the most extreme and remarkable vistas in all of South America, if not the world.  Crossing the border into Chile, you'll travel to the Atacama Desert, the driest non-polar desert, and the largest fog desert, in the world.  Due to its unique landscape, the Atacama has been used as an experimentation site on Earth for Mars expedition simulations.  Although Bolivia and Chile share a border that is in dispute, there is no debate that these two countries offer extraordinary panoramas with dramatic landscapes that can only be considered marvels of the modern world.  

Eve has backpacked around the world, off the beaten path where few others venture.  She documents her adventures in travelogues and presents them at libraries, schools, and civic groups.

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Can you draw an imperfect line on a piece of paper? If your answer is yes, you will want to join this fun zoom class with artist Anita F Poulin. All you will need is paper, medium point permanent marker and a set of color markers. When the class is over you will have a lovely, colorful piece of art to proudly show your family and friends.

Anita F Poulin has been a USM Senior College instructor in past years and has been spending the last 10 years doing her art full time. She discovered neurographic art in 2022 and has been creating art using this method ever since because it's so much fun! She hopes you will join her for a few hours of letting and just letting creativity flow!!

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Mary Jane challenges YOU to have some virtual fun, on this ZOOM-only Game Night. Everyone remembers Trivial Pursuit, but this a modern twist using ZOOM’s chat feature.

Mary Jane has discovered Zoom’s lighter side. We can play games safely with our friends across the state and around the world.