Lifelong Learning Classes/Talks

Register for these programs: by phone (507-664-3700), in person at FiftyNorth, or by clicking on the title of the class

Please pre-register and check-in for all classes no matter your membership levels. It is also important to check-in at the front desk when you arrive for your class.  We use attendance data for grant applications, insurance reimbursement, space planning and determining whether or not to cancel a class.
Scholarships are available to help defray the cost of classes for those who find the cost a financial hardship.
If you are interested in teaching a Lifelong Learning class or if you have an idea for a new class offering, please contact Patty Ciernia at 664-3709

Vintage Baseball Presentation

Thursday, February 6
1:00-2:00pm

Scott “Rabbit” Richardson helped revive Northfield’s fabled baseball team, the Silver Stars, in 2003. It was vintage baseball, played with rules from the 1860s — no called balls and strikes, no gloves, balls caught on the bounce were outs, and the ball was almost always in play, even if it landed in the lap of one of the fans. He will cover some of Northfield’s glorious baseball history, explain some of the differences in the spirit and the rules of play, and share stories of the Silver Stars in contemporary times.

Instructor: Scott Richardson
Capacity: 30
Cost: $10 Nonmember, $8 Member
Space: Room 103

GET THE SCOOP! CONVERSATIONS with Barbara Krause

Friday, February 7
1:00-2:30pm

GET THE SCOOP! CONVERSATIONS with Barbara Krause

Friday, February 28
1:00-2:30pm
What scares you the most about dying?

A) Fear of the unknown
B) The pain of the process
C) It happening too soon

Some people believe there is nothing positive about death and dying. They avoid the subject in any way they can. Why? Resisting loss, death, and dying gives them a false sense of security, power, or control. The truth is, that consistently denying, being stubborn, or anticipating the worst keeps us separate from fully living our lives. We’re always looking over our shoulders, anxious and fearful. That is not living!
Face-to-face conversations about loss, death, and dying show us that others have similar concerns. We are not alone in our thinking and feeling! We are just like others—AND, learning together is a bonus. Ahhhh, a ginormous burden lifts. Longed for relief settles in. Peace of mind is at hand.
Find out current thinking, facts, opinions, and myths about end-of-life situations.
Join Barbara Krause—Certified Death Midwife; Loss, Death, and Dying facilitator, speaker, author, and Funeral Celebrant—for eye-opening, twice a month conversations. Everything is on the table.
Sponsored by Age-Friendly Northfield. Session are free and open to the public.

Facilitator: Barbara Krause
Capacity: 20
Cost: Free
Room: Room 103

Author Talk: Patsy Dew – Out of Focus: A Caregiver’s Search for Clarity

Thursday, February 13
1:00-2:00pm
Join author Patsy Dew for an overview of her recent book; Out of Focus: A Caregiver’s Search for Clarity.
Excerpt from Query letter:
Ours had been a long, happy marriage.  The youngest of our four children had moved on to college. Tom was at the height of his career as a legislative analyst; I loved my job on the staff of a senior center. We had more time for each other, and retirement still seemed far into the future. Easing into comfortable old age, however, was not to be. Tom started showing signs of significant memory issues, which turned out to be the beginnings of Alzheimer’s disease.
Out of Focus: A Caregiver’s Search for Clarity is a collection of thirty-nine pieces, each a page or less in length, that I wrote about us during the last eight years of Tom’s life. Some of the pieces are prose, some are poetry, all fit in the genre of memoir. Each piece is paired with one of my photographs, chosen as metaphoric interpretations of the writing. Together these pieces tell the story of enduring love amid a changing relationship.
In this memoir I do not offer a prescription for getting through a difficult journey. Instead I hope these heartfelt pages may serve as a sympathetic companion for others who would help a loved one suffering from dementia.
Author: Patsy Dew
Capacity: 40
Cost: $10 Nonmbr, $8 Mbr
Space: Room 103

Advance Care Planning Open House

Thursday, February 20
9:00-10:30am
Come and work in the presence of others to put your wishes and values into words. Start, complete, or revise your Advance Care Directive with the assistance of trained facilitators. Gain peace of mind and a thumbs up from family and healthcare.
Questions? Contact: Mary Carlsen, [email protected] or Barbara Krause, [email protected]
Presenters: Northfield Advanced Care Planning Group
Capacity:  25
Cost: Free
Space:  Room 103

MN Hospice: UNDERSTANDING GRIEF

Tuesday, March 4
10:30-11:30am
Have you ever worried about how you or others experience grief?
Do you wonder if there is a right or wrong way to grieve?
Join us to learn more about different types of grief, as well as how grief is experienced physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. We will discuss strategies for coping with grief in healthy ways, the importance of self-care, inhibitors to healthy grieving, and when it may be time to seek professional assistance.
Upon completion of this class, participants will be able to:
  • Understand and describe uncomplicated grief, anticipatory grief, and ambiguous grief
  • Understand and describe the physical, emotional, and spiritual experience of grief
  • Identify several inhibitors to healthy grieving and when it may be time to seek professional assistance
  • Identify and implement several strategies for coping with grief in healthy ways
Presenters: MN Hospice
Capacity: 25
Cost: Free
Space: Room 106
This complimentary education qualifies at a 1.0clock-hour, live, interactive CE!
Minnesota Hospice is proud to be an approved Continuing Education (CE) Provider through the Minnesota Board of Social Work (CEP #2379). These activities have been designed to meet the Minnesota Board of Nursing continuing education requirements. However, the nurse is responsible for determining whether an activity meets the requirements for acceptable continuing education.

GET THE SCOOP! CONVERSATIONS with Barbara Krause

Friday, March 7
1:00-2:30pm

GET THE SCOOP! CONVERSATIONS with Barbara Krause

Friday, March 21
1:00-2:30pm
What do you believe happens when you die?

A) It’s either heaven or hell. You know, depending
B) Your soul spends a little time in bliss, and then you reincarnate
C) Total black-out. That’s all folks

Some people believe there is nothing positive about death and dying. They avoid the subject in any way they can. Why? Resisting loss, death, and dying gives them a false sense of security, power, or control. The truth is, that consistently denying, being stubborn, or anticipating the worst keeps us separate from fully living our lives. We’re always looking over our shoulders, anxious and fearful. That is not living!
Face-to-face conversations about loss, death, and dying show us that others have similar concerns. We are not alone in our thinking and feeling! We are just like others—AND, learning together is a bonus. Ahhhh, a ginormous burden lifts. Longed for relief settles in. Peace of mind is at hand.
Find out current thinking, facts, opinions, and myths about end-of-life situations.
Join Barbara Krause—Certified Death Midwife; Loss, Death, and Dying facilitator, speaker, author, and Funeral Celebrant—for eye-opening, twice a month conversations. Everything is on the table.
QUOTE from past session participant:
“Barbara Krause has a wonderful way of engaging people in a rich, comfortable dialogue on the topic. She is a wealth of knowledge and resources.”
Sponsored by Age-Friendly Northfield. Session are free and open to the public.

Facilitator: Barbara Krause
Capacity: 20
Cost: Free
Room: Room 103

Spanish 1: Session 3

Mondays & Thursdays
March 24, 27
April 3, 7, 10, 14, 17, 28
May 1, 5, 9, 12, 16
(No class on April 21, April 24)
10:00-11:00am
This is a continuation of the fall and winter Spanish courses. Students will continue to work with the Realidades 1 text. Class focus will be on vocabulary acquisition and conjugating regular verbs in the present tense and using this vocabulary and grammar structure in conversation. Class discussions will include cultural information regarding current events, art, history, cuisine, dance and music. As in the fall and winter semester, the “Realidades 1” text will be used (available from the instructor for $20), along with its accompanying workbook and answer key. All materials provided.
(No class on 4/21, 4/24)
(13 sessions)
Instructor: Chris Kauffeld
Capacity: Minimum 8, Maximum 15
Cost: $105 nonmember, $95 member,
Space: Room 106
Registration deadline: March 17

Minnesota’s Hooded History: The Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s in Minnesota

Tuesday, April 22
1:00-2:00pm

Local historian and librarian, Nancy Vaillancourt, has spent years researching the presence of the Ku Klux Klan in Southeast Minnesota. Join us to learn about this forgotten history and the organized traditions of prejudice and nativism in our region.

Instructor: Nancy Vaillancourt
Capacity: 30
Cost: $10 Non-member, $8 Member
Space: Room 103

Japanese Culture and Language

Wednesday, May 14
1:00-2:30pm
Begin your journey of discovery into the culture of Japan and learn some basic Japanese language. Learn about traditional clothes, toys, and art that depict Japan’s rich cultural heritage.
Explore, write, and practice common phrases such as hello, how are you, thank you, please, and good-bye.
Instructor: Sayaka Yamazaki
Capacity: 3 Minimum, 12 Maximum
Cost: $30 Nonmember, $15 Member
Space: Room 102
Registration deadline: May 9
Sayaka Yamazaki Bio:
Sayaka Yamazaki was born and grew up in Tokyo, Japan. She graduated from a University in Japan and earned another bachelor degree in the United States. Her grandmother taught her how to make origami at the age of four and she taught her children the art of origami at home. The ancient practice of paper folding has been passed down through generations.
Sayaka learned calligraphy in elementary school in Japan and brought the calligraphy set from Japan to share Japanese art and writing.
She has taught Japanese language, art, culture, and more at Concordia Language Camp, Japanese school, charter and public schools, community centers, and in an assisted living care center. She also taught private Japanese classes, piano lessons and cooking classes at the Community Education Center.
Sayaka is looking forward to sharing her experiences about the beauty of Japan.