HGTC Grand Strand (Market Common)   

We all have a poet inside us — a quiet observer who notices beauty in everyday moments, who remembers, reflects, and feels deeply. Awakening the Inner Poet is a gentle, four-week journey into the art of expression through poetry. Each week, we’ll explore a new theme designed to spark creativity and confidence. Through simple writing prompts, shared readings, and guided reflection, you’ll learn how to transform your memories, emotions, and observations into meaningful verse. Whether you’ve written for years or are putting pen to paper for the first time, this class offers a welcoming space to discover your unique poetic voice.

No previous experience is needed — just an open heart, a curious mind, and a willingness to see the world through a poet’s eyes.

Required Materials: Notebook or journal or laptop/tablet (if you prefer), your favorite writing tool (pen or pencil), folder, & an open mind and a willingness to share.

This four-week course is designed to help you take control of your financial future by building a comprehensive understanding of the strategies that matter most in retirement. Each week builds upon the last, giving you a step-by-step foundation covering how to maximize your Social Security benefits, reduce your tax burden in retirement, and navigate IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount) — the Medicare surcharge that catches many retirees off guard. Whether you are approaching retirement or already in it, this course will walk you through practical, real-world strategies used by financial planning professionals.

Week 1: Social Security Fundamentals & When to Claim - How Social Security works, how your benefit is calculated, and the key decisions that will shape your retirement income for life. Then a deep dive into the optimal age to claim, break-even analysis, and how your health, cash flow, and employment status factor into the decision.

Week 2: Spousal, Survivor, and Divorce Benefits - Maximizing benefits for married couples, widows, widowers, and divorced individuals — strategies most people never know to ask about.

Week 3: Social Security, Taxes & IRMAA - How Social Security benefits are taxed, what triggers higher taxation, and planning strategies to reduce the amount of your benefit subject to tax. Then an introduction to IRMAA - what it is, how it's calculated, which income sources trigger it, and why it surprises so many retirees when they least expect it.

Week 4: Reducing Your Tax Burden & Roth Conversions - Tax-efficient withdrawal strategies, the role of Roth accounts, and how sequencing your income sources can significantly reduce your lifetime tax bill. Then when Roth conversions make sense, how to avoid IRMAA surcharges while converting, and building a tax-diversified retirement income plan - plus a wrap-up review and open Q&A to help you build your own personal action plan.

Required Materials: No financial background is required — just a curiosity about making the most of what you have worked hard to build. No materials or supplies are needed. Simply bring a notepad and pen and come ready to engage!

We will explore recent advances in solar, wind, nuclear, geothermal and hydrogen energy, the electrical grid, and energy storage. Then we will visit ecological restoration "nature-based solutions" in the Carolinas and around the world. We'll discuss the many effective actions each of us can do in our personal life - we can be part of the solution.

Please click here to see an image of the Guandong twin wind turbine!

This class is a virtual journey through the history and traditions of America’s most beloved holiday, the Fourth of July. From family gatherings and backyard picnics to parades, concerts, and spectacular fireworks displays, Independence Day is celebrated with customs that generations of Americans have come to cherish. This engaging presentation explores the origins of these traditions and traces how they have evolved over time, from the nation’s first observance in 1776, to the upcoming Semi quincentennial, America’s 250th anniversary, in 2026.

Please click here to see your instructor.

Thinking about the future doesn’t have to be overwhelming. This accessible, practice‑focused course walks you step‑by‑step through the estate‑planning essentials so you can create a clear, functioning plan that reflects your wishes.

We will cover: Core documents: wills, durable powers of attorney, and advance healthcare directives; Choosing and empowering executors, trustees, and healthcare agents; Probate basics and strategies for efficient asset transfer; Special considerations: minor children, blended families, incapacity, and basic tax implications.

Through guided exercises, sample templates, and real‑world scenarios, you will draft the framework of a plan suited to your situation, and learn how to finalize it with professional help.

This course offers a deep dive into the "Gift of the Nile," moving beyond the gold masks and mummies to uncover the complex society, belief systems, and daily lives of Ancient Egyptians - Royalty and commoners. The curriculum balances archaeological and Egyptological with historian rigor.

What will you discover?

The Blueprint of the Empire: Trace the timeline from the Predynastic Period through the grandeur of the New Kingdom and the eventual Roman Conquer.

The Architecture of Eternity: Examine the engineering marvels of the Pyramids of Giza and the hidden tombs of the Valley of the Kings.

Divine Order (MA ‘at): Explore the pantheon of gods, the significance of the Pharaoh as a living god, and the intricate rituals of the Egyptian Book of the Dead.

Life on the Nile: Shift focus from the elite to the commoners - discover what they ate, how they dressed, and the surprisingly modern legal rights of the Egyptian women.

Please click here for course inspiration!

Why take this course?

Whether you're planning a trip to the Grand Egyptian Museum, have a lifelong fascination with archaeology or Egyptology, or simply want to understand the foundations of Western civilization, this course provides a social and intellectual space to learn living history.

This computer genealogy workshop will assist participants in the use of the free HeritageQuest Online database to access digital images of Census Records and Revolutionary War Pension files, as well as books and many new databases, to search for ancestors.

Recommended Materials: Georgetown and Horry County residents are asked to bring their county library card to class. Students who want to follow along online will need to bring a laptop computer or tablet in addition to their library card. Students will need their library card to access this database from home.

This course will cover the basic science and skills needed to take an ecological and sustainable approach to home gardening and landscaping. This course is focused on the importance of native plants, the fascinating interactions between plants and wildlife, and practical actions that home gardeners can use to create healthy home habitats. Participants will learn about local ecosystems in the Grand Strand region, sustainable landscaping issues and how to address them, the fascinating science of plant-insect interactions, best practices for gardening with native plants, and ecological landscape design principles. This course is suited for anyone with an interest in local ecology, gardening, biodiversity and nature, or landscape design.

Please click here to see an example of ecological gardening!

Week 1: Introduction to Local Ecosystems of the Grand Strand and the Importance of Native Plants

Week 2: Native Plants for Coastal South Carolina and Plant-Insect Ecology

Week 3: Ecological Garden Design and Implementation

Week 4: Sustainable Landscape Issues and Further Resources

Learn how to capture a masterpiece with your cellphone. We will discuss: how to get the exposure right on your cell phone camera, composition rules, how to use all the fancy settings, how to enhance the color of your photos, and how to manipulate your photos using free Apps for editing.

Please click here to see some inspiration for this course.

Required Materials: iPhones are preferred for this class, but Android is also welcome.
 

Italian is a beautiful language but slightly challenging. We will learn basic communication skills, along with phraseology which will help us maneuver through the country, ask for assistance, and read signs.

Italian is a beautiful language but slightly challenging. We will learn basic communication skills, along with phraseology which will help us maneuver through the country, ask for assistance, and read signs.

Individuals attending the Understanding Medicare course will learn Medicare basics, Medicare enrollment periods, Medicare plans and Part D prescription drug plans. In addition, they will be provided a hand-out for each course day. This is an open forum class and students are encouraged to ask questions. We will discuss scenarios that apply to most Medicare recipients to help them navigate the Medicare system and to better understand their options in healthcare.