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IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom, 2275 Platt Road
In his career, Karl has worked with the most privileged and least privileged students in the United States. The former were at pricey prep schools in hyper-educated communities; the latter were in prison. There are some fundamental principles to our work that are common to nearly every educational environment.
They are:
Play. Learning and fun are not mutually exclusive.
Needs. Care for the person so you can build the mind.
Humans. What kids need is a lot like what adults need, and vice versa.
Relationships. Nothing is one-tenth as important as relationships.
Disciplines. Academic disciplines have value.
Expectations. We rise and fall to the level ofexpectations.
Amidst. Walk amongst them; better to be Gandhi than Mussolini.
Humor. Humor is a core principle.
Skills. Teaching skills are relevant to most jobs.
Hypocrites. We are all well-meaning hypocrites.
Kindness. Kindness is not weakness.
Karl Sikkenga earned a PhD in education from the University of Michigan. He has spent 35 years in the field of education, serving as a teacher, principal, dean of students, teacher educator, coach, proctor, and director.
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Fee: $20.00
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Instructor(s): Karl Sikkenga
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Dates: 9/29/2026 - 9/29/2026
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: Tu
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Building: 2275 Platt Road
Room: Classroom
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IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom, 2275 Platt Road
There is an epidemic that no one is talking about outside of Indian Country. Within the Indian community we are dealing with an epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women. With numbers so high that they are unreported, how do we deal with it all? Why aren’t there concrete statistics? What has the FBI done to help with this epidemic? Why do the crimes go unreported? What does “Missing White Woman Syndrome” have to do with this? Join us to discuss some history, and to learn about why this is an issue and what we can do in and out of the Indian Country to make sure that our sisters, mothers, daughters, wives, and girlfriends, don’t become statistics. Heather Bruegl is a citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and a first-line descendant of the Stockbridge- Munsee Tribe. She is a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, where she studies First Nations Education. Heather’s research focuses on the importance of telling the truth in history, in museums, and in cultural institutions. She is also a public historian, activist, and independent consultant who works with institutions and organizations for Indigenous sovereignty and collective liberation.
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Fee: $20.00
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Instructor(s): Heather Bruegl
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Dates: 9/30/2026 - 9/30/2026
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: W
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Building: 2275 Platt Road
Room: Classroom
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IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom, 2275 Platt Road
Join us as we welcome true crime author Tobin Buhk, who will tell us about the infamous Michigan Borgia who used strychnine to lop off an entire branch of her family tree, and three sirens who lured a rich lawyer to his death. The Detroit House of Corrections was the only Michigan prison to house women serving long sentences. Learn about an inmate there who poisoned her victims solely to attend their funerals in her black dress. True crime afficionados are sure to love Tobin’s meticulous research and vintage photographs. Tobin Buhk is a true crime writer and researcher who probes the dark corners of history from his base in West Michigan. To research his first two books, he became a volunteer in a county morgue. Tobin is currently working on his 20th book.
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Fee: $20.00
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Instructor(s): Tobin Buhk
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Dates: 10/1/2026 - 10/1/2026
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: Th
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Building: 2275 Platt Road
Room: Classroom
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HYBRID: In the classroom and online. A Zoom link will be sent to all registrants one day before class.
This class runs from 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.
Join George Jabol for this exciting slideshow presentation of his 2009 journey to India. George will take us to sites in northern India, including Delhi, Jaipur, and the Ranthambore National Park, where tigers roam. We will visit the breathtaking Taj Mahal In Agra, the exotic temples at Khajuraho, and the sacred city of Varanasi on the Ganges River. With his outstanding photography, George is eager to share the wonders – often strange to Western eyes – that he encountered on his unforgettable journey to the heart of India. George Jabol received his B.A. degree from Ohio’s Muskingum University, and a Ph.D. in English language and literature from the University of Michigan. Fully retired now from a career with the federal government, George creates photographic slide shows as a way to remember his travels and share them with others.
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Fee: $20.00
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Instructor(s): George Jabol
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Dates: 10/8/2026 - 10/8/2026
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: Th
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Building: Hybrid: In-Person and Online
Room: In the 2275 Platt Road Classroom and on Zoom
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IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom, 2275 Platt Road
How did humans go from hunting and gathering to growing crops, keeping animals, and living in villages and cities? In this class we will look at one of the most important changes in human history: the shift from foraging to farming. We will explore archaeological evidence for how and when this unfolded in different parts of the world, possible explanations for the transition, and why experts still debate whether it was really a “revolution.” Along the way, we will look at the surprising consequences of farming, from rising populations and technological innovations to disease, inequality, and war. Drawing on examples from several continents, the class offers a lively introduction to a change that still shapes the world we live in today. Raven Garvey is an Associate Professor of Anthropology and Associate Curator at the University of Michigan, where she investigates how past peoples adapted to—and sometimes thrived amid—challenging environments and dramatic climate changes. She has conducted archaeological research in ten U.S. states and four countries, and for the last 20 years has focused on Patagonia (southern Argentina and Chile), where she and her colleagues unearth clues about human ingenuity and resilience. In recent years, she has also partnered with aerospace engineers and geophysicists to explore how unconventional approaches and cross-disciplinary team efforts can further illuminate ancient mysteries.
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Fee: $20.00
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Instructor(s): Raven Garvey
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Dates: 10/15/2026 - 10/15/2026
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: Th
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Building: 2275 Platt Road
Room: Classroom
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ONLINE: A Zoom invitation link will be sent one day before class begins.
Lisboa (or Lisbon) is one of the oldest cities in Western Europe. It boasts a rich and colourful history, enchanting visitors with its old-world charm and modern vibrancy. We will walk the maze of narrow cobblestone streets, admire the Azulejos tiled buildings, and ride the iconic yellow trams that wind their way around the city. Join us as Pat takes us to the many historic places both Lisbon and the surrounding area have to offer: the castle, the cathedral, and UNESCO listed buildings such as the Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower, and the nearby beautiful town of Sintra. Later, we can delight in Lisbon’s street art with its murals, graffiti, and sculpture reflecting social, political, and cultural narratives, or simply relax in one of the many tascas, where the traditional soulful Portuguese music fado drifts on the night air. Pat Butler was the Elderwise Learning Administrator until retiring to Warwick, England in 2017. She has since qualified as a Tour Guide for the National Trust’s Living Back-to-Back History Museum in Birmingham, U.K., and enjoys taking groups of visitors around this popular venue. Pat also presents classes on social history to the U.K.’s University of the Third Age.
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Fee: $20.00
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Instructor(s): Pat Butler
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Dates: 10/23/2026 - 10/23/2026
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: F
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Building: Online Course
Room: Online via Zoom
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IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom, 2275 Platt Road
What do Sanskrit, English, Pashto, Greek, Welsh, and Yiddish have in common? In this presentation, based on the book Proto by Laura Spinney, we will learn how their precursor, Proto-Indo-European, arose near the Black Sea in the 5th millennium BC, spread around the globe, and fractured into the Indo-European language family. This story is still emerging but depends on studies of linguistics, archeology, and the genetics of ancient humans. Rick Neubig holds a B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Michigan and an M.D. and Ph.D. from Harvard and MIT. He taught Pharmacology at U of M and Michigan State University. Rick has a passion for nature, especially birding, and recently became entranced with the study of ancient human origins.
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Fee: $20.00
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Instructor(s): Rick Neubig
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Dates: 11/17/2026 - 11/17/2026
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
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Sessions: 1
Days: Tu
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Building: 2275 Platt Road
Room: Classroom
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- ONLINE registration for this class is now closed.
If the start date of the first session has not happened yet,
please call or email the Elderwise office to get registered.
Thank you!
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IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom, 2275 Platt Road
If you grew up in Michigan, you are certainly familiar with Vernor’s ginger ale, Faygo pop, Jiffy Mix, Gerber, Sanders, and Better Made Potato Chips. Plus, we practically invented cereal! Did you know that Ritz crackers were invented in Jackson? To learn more about our great state’s food history, join us for a highly entertaining and informative afternoon of food memories. Gail Offen and Jon Milan, authors of the book Classic Michigan Food and Drinks:The Stories Behind the Brands, will amaze and delight you with their stories of road trips throughout both peninsulas, exploring Michigan food brands. Be prepared for a gustatory trip down memory lane! Gail Offen is an adjunct professor at Lawrence Technological University and an award-winning advertising creative director, writer, and branding specialist. She and writing partner Jon Milan have written Grand River Avenue: From Detroit to Lake Michigan, Iconic Restaurants of Ann Arbor, and Michigan Haunts: Public Places and Eerie Spaces. Jon Milan is a lecturer, journalist and photographer specializing in topics related to Michigan social history, travel, and music. He is a professional pianist and was a Corporate Communications manager. In addition to the books he authored with Gail, he has also written Detroit: Ragtime and the Jazz Age, and Old Chicago Road: US-12 fromDetroit to Chicago.
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