Lifelong Learning Courses at the San Juan Center

View from the Skagit Valley College deck – Contributed photo

Cathy Degnan from the San Juan Center of Skagit Valley College tells us… 

Join a course on poetry, astronomy, backpacking, or building that (tiny) home you always dreamed of!

All these lifelong learning classes described below are held at the San Juan Center of Skagit Valley College in Friday Harbor, overlooking beautiful Griffin Bay.

Set out to the Final Frontier and join this “star studded” course and learn about the science of astronomy including the solar system, stellar evolution, galactic structure, and cosmology. The course will discuss recent discoveries, historical and cultural impact of astronomy, application of physical science to astronomical observations, and stargazing. Tuesdays and Thursdays 11:30am-2:00pm beginning Tues. April 5th and running thru Thurs. June 16. Cost is $90.00.

Fall in love with poetry as you never have before; it will never be boring or dusty again!

Poetry . . . a body is a container for something constantly in motion. An emotion is something constantly in motion. A poem is both an emotion and a body. With “body” as a very loose metaphor, this survey course will explore a wide variety of form, content, and context in the genre of poetry. Our class will discover contemporary poets who are new voices creating the current global literary discourse and rediscover influences like Plath, Whitman, and Ginsberg. Students will free write and read widely, explore various aspects of craft including sensory experience, texture, repetition, imagery, metaphor, verse, prose poems, rhythm, diction, tone, and performance. Through peer discussion, we will learn how to articulate our response to a poem. We will try writing poems, read them to an audience in a supportive environment, and celebrate each other’s attempts and successes. All levels of experience and comfort with poetry are welcome. Tuesday and Thursdays 8:45am-11:00am beginning Tues. April 5th and running thru Thurs. June 16. Cost is $90.00.

Its hiking season and the Pacific NW is a hiker’s mecca! Join a local biologist and outdoor enthusiast in this course on the fundamentals of hiking and backpacking. The course will include lectures, videos, and field work to teach basic hiking and backpacking skills. These skills are easy and fun to learn; you need only to be in good health and reasonably fit. Local field trips to be announced. Class is on Fridays, from 9:30AM – 11:10 AM, April 9 – June 17. Cost of class: $119.00

Housing . . . a very hot topic in the San Juan Islands. Many are considering a tiny house and downsizing the American Dream. There is a resounding trend in house building and design occurring that declares that “smaller is better, more manageable, more environmentally friendly and less of a personal financial burden.” For the young who may be accustomed to retreating into a space the size of a private bedroom or student apartment, and for the senior who is looking to shed a lifetime of collected baggage, “tiny houses” have an appeal that begs for consideration.

This seminar is a comprehensive discussion of the “what and how” of tiny houses. Some sample structural and floor plans will be available for illustration. Applicable building codes if any and other legal aspects and a structure completely self-contained and “off the grid” will be discussed. This one-day seminar is Sat., April 9, 9:00AM – 4:00PM. Cost: $65.00

Whether you are building a tiny house or traditional sized home. Whether you are a contractor, a client or, simply an interested person. The greatest source of anxiety in house building is the uncertainty of its ultimate costs. Whether you are considering an economy, a custom or a premium designed house or remodel project, basic construction costs are knowable before work commences if you are willing to do the work. Critical to controlling costs is having and understanding an accurate and well-specified line-item cost breakdown based on an accurate description of materials. In this detailed-filled one-day seminar participants will learn techniques, develop resources, and have the experience of preparing an accurate breakdown of building costs arrived at from working drawings and specifications. Participants will learn how to generate detailed lists of needed building materials and how to determine labor costs. A small project will be “costed out” as an example. This one-day seminar is Sat., April 23, 9:30AM – 3:30PM. Cost: $65.00.

All classes held at the San Juan Center of Skagit Valley College in Friday Harbor, overlooking beautiful Griffin Bay. Call 378-3220 for more information.

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