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The year 1936 saw continuing economic depression and a presidential election in the United States, the use of propaganda and the Olympic Games by Hitler, the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, and three kings in England. We will explore each of these topics in detail throughout this four-week class. 

World War II was the climactic event of the twentieth century and changed the face of warfare and the political and economic world forever. This class looks at the origins of the war, the decisive turning point battles, the factors that account for the Allied victory, and how the war still impacts our lives.

Continue viewing the American Film Institute’s choices of the best films ever made. In this class, participants watch each film and, if time allows, have a brief discussion.

Infectious diseases account for the second greatest cause of death worldwide. Using The Great Courses material and class discussions, participants will learn a bit of history on viruses, bacteria, and fungi and how to deal with them.

Participants will explore and discuss healthy aging components supported by current science-based information, review tools to assess one's own Super Aging potential, and investigate today’s hot topics in health and nutrition that may influence aging.

In 1958, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote, “… history will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.” As part of the Exploring Equity series, we will focus on how to move beyond our understanding of racism and oppression to actively engage in the important work of creating communities where ALL our neighbors feel safe and welcomed. Moving toward equity through anti-racist action,   we will review the historical impacts of racism and discrimination and then explore practices that lead to positive change. Extraordinary opportunities to expand our participation are available here in the Twin Ports, allowing us to learn from local leaders and field trips how to be the catalyst for change we hope to see in ourselves and society.

This class uses the Ronnie Gardiner Method of movement, which incorporates visual symbols that correlate with both a specific name and motor movement. The combination stimulates the brain and body through music and movement. It's fun, challenging, and modifiable for any experience level.

Ever looked at a work of art and wished you could ask the artist how they did it? Or why? Here's your chance. Several local artists will share their work, talk about their process and vision, and engage with participants. Whenever possible, artist websites and other materials will be sent out in advance of the class. LIMIT 20

The U.S. Constitution is the world’s longest surviving written charter of government. This class will take a journey back two-hundred thirty-eight years to the crafting of the Constitution during the hot, humid, Philadelphia summer of 1787. During this journey we’ll discover who the framers were and ask what their influences, agreements, disagreements, and compromises were. We will learn about the founding principles of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and about other aspects of crafting this important document. Finally, we will discuss what changes, if any, should be made to our Constitution, as well as what should never change. Questions and comments from all class members will be encouraged.

Take a visual tour of Duluth’s historic architecture. Participants will learn about architects and landscape architects who worked in Duluth, explore lost structures, and relive the construction of Glensheen Mansion.

Are you interested in adopting a whole-food plant-based lifestyle, or just adding more plants to your diet? In this course we will learn how choosing to “plant-power” our lives can help prevent and reverse chronic disease while reducing our carbon footprint and the harm caused to other living creatures. Sessions will be interactive, featuring film, video, and hands-on exercises as we learn how to shop economically, interpret food labels, track daily consumption of plant-based foods, modify traditional recipes, identify where and how to eat out, food-prep to save time, and prepare quick and healthy meals with minimum effort. LIMIT 16

Take a hiking class where each hike will be up to two hours long and include steep sections and uneven ground. Participants are encouraged to be in good physical condition and ready  for a long walk. Hikes locations will range from eastern to western areas of Greater Duluth, using hike, bike, and ski trails. The hikes will allow us to appreciate how the trails connect us to all parts of Duluth. LIMIT 25

Brad Pitt’s recently released movie spotlights the American-owned auto racing series called Formula One or simply F1. Since 2017 these races have grown in American popularity, and three of the twenty-four Grands Prix are in the USA: Miami, Austin, and Las Vegas. This class will look at the history of Formula One racing since its 1950 inception.  We will view Hollywood movies about F1, a Netflix TV series about F1, and an actual F1 Grand Prix. Come and see why F1 is the fastest growing sport in America.

Shakespeare’s comedies are like no other comedies in the long history of theater. The four plays we will explore in this class–The Comedy of Errors, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, and Twelfth Night–will take you to four different “worlds,” filled with memorable characters, humor, conflicts, anger, beauty, love, music, magic, disguise, and truly impressive women. Shakespeare’s comic art works for first-timers as well as seasoned theater-goers, and this class is designed for both (and even for those with Shakespearephobia!). Because the experience of great art changes at different times of our lives, a “senior perspective” is perfect for appreciating the life-affirming nature of comedy.

Tuesday's hikes will be short and gentle hikes that will include time for absorbing the beauty and restorative nature of our environment. Participants can bring binoculars, a camera, or other tools for deeper appreciation during stops. The focus will still be on hiking (not forest bathing, birding, or plant identification) but without the push of the Thursday hikes. LIMIT 20

Spiders are very common members of the Northland ecosystem. Despite this, most folks know little about them. In this class, we will learn what is and is not a spider, where they live, and how they live. We will talk about spiders that make webs but also those that do not. Emphasis will be on local spiders, their feeding habits, life cycle, and how to recognize them.

Engage in reading and discussing significant written works of western civilization. This term focuses mainly on twentieth century thought, although we begin with the Victorian-era poet Christina Rossetti, followed by physicist Max Planck, Synge’s play The Playboy of the Western World, economist Friedrich Hayek, political philosopher John Rawls, fiction by Frank O'Conner and Raymond Carver, and the book Eichmann in Jerusalem by Hannah Arendt. LIMIT 16

Great Decisions is an eight-chapter class produced by the Foreign Policy Association to encourage discussion among citizens about foreign policy. The topic of the first chapter, The New World Order, has sent a shock wave through the ranks of foreign policy professionals because of its implications for diplomacy. It potentially affects America's relationships in the Middle East, China and Russia, the Global South, and NATO nations. We will discuss recommended readings and videos and hear from outside speakers to further stimulate discussion. LIMIT 16

Explore the relationship between Ancient Greek communities and the Persian Empire as seen in contemporary literature, in the physical remains of both groups, and in the remains of others influenced by them.

This group will hike local Duluth trails with a focus on easy trails; some will be pavement, and some will be packed dirt. Hikes will be between three and four miles each with options for shorter routes if desired.

Dancing is an excellent activity for both the body and the brain. Physical activity protects the brain, learning lets it grow, socialization helps it thrive, and, most of all, it is fun. Dance to music from many countries. All are welcome to join, and no partners are needed.

Particle physics is the study of what the world is made of at the most fundamental level. This class will offer a non-mathematical review of the search for the basic constituents of nature and the forces through which they interact. We will try to demystify buzzwords such as “quarks,” “neutrinos,” and “bosons.” We will discuss the historical ideas and discoveries, some of the curious characters involved, the increasingly sophisticated experimental equipment and techniques, and the mysteries still being pursued today. Excerpts from The Great Courses will be supplemented with slides and classroom discussion.

Poetry is especially valuable in confronting anxieties and uncertainties. While poetry does not necessarily answer the large questions that confront us, it can put words to the situations that trouble us most, and by so doing, define and exert control over our worries. In this class, we will discuss the work of English poets from World War II onwards: W.H. Auden, Philip Larkin, Stevie Smith, Dylan Thomas, and a few writers from the 21st century as well. The class will be mostly discussion, a careful reading of the words poets use and an examination of how they address problems: existential, national, personal. No special knowledge of poetry is needed--only a willingness to spend time thinking about poems and how they create meaning, for the writers in their world and, perhaps, for us in ours. LIMIT 20

Join a class built around Mayme Sevander's memoir They Took My Father: Finnish Americans in Stalin’s Russia. Mayme was born in Brule, Wisconsin, in 1923, to a Finnish-American family. The family emigrated to Soviet Russia in 1934 as a part of a mass emigration of (mostly) North American Finns disillusioned over the promise of an "American dream" and committed to going to Soviet Karelia to help build a new society under the leadership of Joseph Stalin.

Recent scientific and technological advances in artificial intelligence have produced a variety of human substitutions that blur the line between what is real and what is not. Paralleling those advances, the movies of a number of current filmmakers provide a rich resource for exploring ideas of what being human -- whether authentic or synthetic -- means. To consider those movies and AI's promise or threat, participants will view and discuss both full-length films and selected excerpts. Features include Steven Spielberg’s A.I.; Frank Langella in Robot & Frank; Pulitzer play nominee Marjorie Prime; and Ibelin, a documentary.  Blade Runner, Her, Ex Machina, and Companion are among those to be excerpted.

Let's learn about the Sax-Zim Bog, a large and somewhat unexplored area northwest of Duluth. We'll look at the people who have tried to settle it and discuss the phenomenon of the many birders and photographers who visit in winter to see special bird bogs and other creatures. We will also discuss how alive the bog is in the summer with its array of flowers and critters.

Explore the scientific principles behind cooking and how they affect food. Together, we will examine how heat, cold, acids, and other ingredients transform food, affecting its flavor, texture, and preservation.

Scotland is a country rich in history and lush in beauty. Its geography and history influence and shape its peoples, its culture, and its identity. As we explore Scotland's Lowlands, Highlands, and Islands, we will get acquainted with kings and queens, kilts and bagpipes, its spirit of independence, and more.

Take some time to explore the complex and intertwined histories of Israel and Palestine. The book Side By Side: Parallel Histories Of Israel - Palestine provides a “dual narrative” of Israeli and Palestinian conflict, providing both perspectives on key historical events.

Tai Chi is a slow, graceful exercise that is sometimes called a moving meditation. Its many benefits include reduced stress, increased flexibility, improved balance, and cardiovascular fitness. Whether you are new to Tai Chi or a seasoned expert, all are welcome! Members may enroll in one or both offerings of this class. LIMIT 25

Tai Chi is a slow, graceful exercise that is sometimes called a moving meditation. Its many benefits include reduced stress, increased flexibility, improved balance, and cardiovascular fitness. Whether you are new to Tai Chi or a seasoned expert, all are welcome! Members may enroll in one or both offerings of this class. LIMIT 25

The year 1925 defined a decade of extraordinary creativity for Black arts of various media, and Harlem was the heart of it. According to Henry Louis Gates Jr., “...these years marked an especially brilliant moment in the history of blacks in America…the creativity of black Americans undoubtedly came from a common source—the irresistible impulse of blacks to create boldly expressive art of a high quality as a primary response to their social conditions, as an affirmation of their dignity and humanity in the face of poverty and racism.” We will read and listen to the voices of a wide range of writers, musicians, and visual artists, ranging from Langston Hughes, to Zora Neale Hurston, to Louis Armstong, to Paul Robeson.

One hundred years ago, John Thomas Scopes was put on trial for teaching evolution in Dayton, Tennessee, and the trial gripped the nation. This class will look at the stages of the trial and how it was covered in the press and written about in history books. After exploring how what everybody "knows" about the trial is not exactly accurate, we’ll view the 1960 film version of Inherit the Wind to see what it changed and why it matters, especially given the current conflicts between science and religion.

Gaslamp-lit and carriage-driven, the Victorian Era of England spanned Queen Victoria’s reign from 1837 to 1901. A time of rapid industrialization and imperial expansion, the Victorian Era saw huge a disparity between rich and poor and between men and women. A refined culture on one hand, this was also a time of seances, sideshows, workhouses, child labor, grave robbers, disease, and famine. We will explore the contradictions of the Victorian Era as a microcosm of the human condition.

The United States boasts "a remarkable treasure trove of wilderness, wildlife, history and recreation in its over 8,000 state parks" (The Great Courses). A series of Great Courses lectures, with supplemental material, will highlight the origin of these parks, what they have to offer to America's story, and how to best experience them. This class is a continuation of the States Parks class originally offered during the Winter 2025 term. No lectures are being repeated.

Chef Bill Briwa (The Great Courses) will guide this class as we explore the world of vegetables. Together, participants will look at veggie favorites in a new way, find out about some unfamiliar veggies, and learn creative ways to prepare and enjoy all of them. Recipes and tasting samples provided!

This class is an eight-week survey of women whose influence changed the world. We will discuss difference-makers and historical figures from the Middle Ages to the present. We will cover the royals, the scientists, the politicians, the literary giants, the abolitionists, the social reformers, the First Ladies, and the teenagers.

For beginners, intermediates, and those who just want to get together to paint while inspiring others, bring a brush and join the class. The weekly sessions consist of a demonstration, time to paint and ask questions, and the opportunity to share individual projects. Basic watercolor supplies are required. LIMIT 18

Haiku, an ancient form of poetic expression, pairs well with the more recent free verse. Did you know that some of our modern free verse "Beat" poets were also Haiku poets? During this class we will learn about major writers from both genres. We will write our own poems every class period and share our work voluntarily.

Anyone interested in continuing the study of Spanish at whatever level should join this class. Communicating with one another is the most valuable aspect of this class. Join to improve your Spanish language conversational skills, and enjoy others doing the same. Share in the exploration and fun. LIMIT 12