Online Courses   

This course is geared for those new to yoga, those interested in a slower and more gentle practice, or those recovering from illness or injury. It includes a combination of meditation, breath work, and flowing movement intended for all abilities. Participants will move from seated on the floor (or a chair) to standing and then will return to mats. Participants will experiment with balance, strength, flexibility, and stillness while practicing mindfulness and meditation techniques. 

NOTE: The Gentle Yoga A and B classes are companion courses. Members can just register for both or just one. 

Everyone has read a quote by Oscar Wilde, whether in a book, on a mug, or across the internet. But behind his witty one-liners, Oscar Wilde was a sharp social critic, an Irish nationalist, a husband, a father, and a queer pioneer. This class will sample Wilde's life works, including his only novel, his plays, poetry, and essays, so that we come to understand the man himself and his enduring impact on our culture, art, and humor.

 

Cuban art is the genuine expression of the condition of life for the people who live in Cuba. It is impossible to talk about Cuban art without mentioning the socio-political environment in which it was created. In this course, members will learn about Cuban visual arts in various stages of the country’s history and a range of styles. Members will explore the works of different artists, watch short interviews, read articles about Cuban art, and explore fragments of cinema, literature, and music to approach the culture in a holistic way.

This gentle form of yoga is practiced using a chair as a prop/stabilizer for support during standing poses or adapted for sitting on a chair. It is especially beneficial for people concerned with balance or coordination issues or those who have felt they are unable to participate in other yoga experiences. The class includes poses for strength training, mobility in the joints, and more relaxing poses to help steady the mind. Modifications will be offered throughout the course so that participants learn to adapt to their personal situations and comfort as well as challenge themselves. The course is appropriate for all levels.  

 

Stirring musical performances that celebrate and support our country have the power to swell the pride in our hearts. From inaugurations to the Super Bowl, patriotic music performances in various settings have often inspired audiences. In this course, we will be listening to pre-eminent patriotic performances and discussing the qualities that make each of them distinct and memorable. We will begin with the national anthem before continuing with several songs associated with the rich American national heritage.

This course explores the rich musical traditions of Latin American music, from Argentina's tango to Mexico's mariachi, examining their historical development, cultural significance, and musical characteristics of each country and the musical influences in our American music. Members will study the fusion of indigenous, African, and European roots that shaped these diverse musical expressions.

Black children and adults are greatly over-represented in traffic and pedestrian stops, frisks, searches, uses of force, and arrests by police in urban areas. This course will give a brief history of the problem of racial disparities and discrimination in Pittsburgh and other cities, provide current data, and analyze causes, effects, and solutions. Many sources will be used, including a RAND study in 2023, reports by Dr. Bangs in 2024-2025, and investigations by the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Note: This course will be hybrid, meeting in the Community Engagement Center in Homewood and on Zoom.

The objective of this course is to enable members to be more productive on their Macintosh® computers. This course will cover the operating systems currently being used by Macs that are 8 years old or newer (roughly OS X 10.13 through MacOS Big Sur 11). Participants will explore the intricacies of the Finder and many of the current Apple applications.

Romanticism emerged in the late 1700s in England and Europe in defiance of the dominance of reason, objectivity, and industrialism in the 18th century. Its main themes have become intrinsic to our culture and literary traditions and include individualism, human rights, and the power of the imagination. In this course, we will first explore the philosophical roots of Romanticism and its themes presented in poems by significant English poets. We will then read and discuss selected chapters of Mary Shelley's legendary novel Frankenstein (1818) as it reflects Romantic ideas and cautions readers of its time and our own about the perils of the unbounded scientific imagination.

This 10-week course is appropriate for participants who are comfortable and successful at communicating in Spanish and want to further develop their reading and conversational skills. Participants are expected to be able to use present, past and future tenses, and have significant vocabulary and understanding of syntax (or have successfully completed Intermediate Spanish). The course is taught in Spanish and focuses on analyzing and discussing reading material. Weekly class material is provided. NOTE: This course is often taken several times. This is a versatile course that includes different class material under the same goals and objects every term.

Members may only take one Spanish course at a time.

In this course, designed for members with minimal prior knowledge of French, our focus will be on mastering phrases and set structures that may be useful for communicating across a variety of situations. Members will be encouraged to develop strategies to try to make themselves understood where language proficiency may be lacking. The material presented in this course will vary each term according to the needs of the participants.

Note: Members may only take one French course at a time.

The arrival and evolution of the first people in the Americas is a story that continues to reveal itself from mystery to majesty. From the time hominids began traversing the earth until they arrived at Turtle Island, one theory after another is undone by new discoveries. This course looks at the pathways to and through the Americas, the cultures of the Indigenous peoples who populated the Americas, and their encounters with each other and an alien race that tried to subjugate or exterminate them.

Jim Morrison was most famously known for his contributions to his band, The Doors. However, as an academic, his poetry and written works transcend space and time. Through the biographical, historical, psychoanalytical, and reader-response literary criticism theory lenses, members will experience an in-depth analysis into Morrison's poetry and other written works, including lyric investigation throughout his albums with The Doors. Members will also be immersed into the culture of the era and witness the influences it had on the artist, as well as the listeners.

In this introductory course, members will become familiar with some of the most famous works of art from the Renaissance. This course will highlight Florence of the 14th and 15th centuries, as it was established as the intellectual and artistic center of Europe. We will overview art history and talk about the elements of style, the artistic techniques, the historical context, and the role of the artist and patron. We will cover Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Brunelleschi, Botticelli, and more.

This course is geared for those new to yoga, those interested in a slower and more gentle practice, or those recovering from illness or injury. It includes a combination of meditation, breath work, and flowing movement intended for all abilities. Participants will move from seated on the floor (or a chair) to standing and then will return to mats. Participants will experiment with balance, strength, flexibility, and stillness while practicing mindfulness and meditation techniques.

NOTE: The Gentle Yoga A and B classes are companion courses. Members can just register for both or just one.  

 

Experience the joys and benefits of keeping an artistic journal. Members with watercolor experience will paint in a sketchbook. You will be encouraged to develop your style, create art that is more personal, and explore ways to stay motivated to paint outside of class. A sketchbook is portable, private and causal—how might that change your process? Each class will open with a suggestion or prompt. Members will paint and then be encouraged to share work in the online album, but sharing is not mandatory.

This course will examine one of the most fraught episodes in modern history: the end of the Cold War and the emergence of a post-Cold War era. Viewed largely from the U.S. perspective, we will explore the fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Persian Gulf War, the AIDS crisis, and the profound political and domestic transformations that occurred during the Clinton and first Bush administrations. Both men were critical figures in the development of a “new world order,” leaving the United States the lone superpower but one whose people were increasingly dissatisfied.

The Baroque art style in Italy emerges as part of the Catholic Counter-Reformation's effort to reinspire the faithful back to the Church. Understanding the power of art, the Church began to commission grand scale works of art to communicate directly with the public. Dramatic and theatrical, these works strove to entertain and inspire while also engaging the viewer. Three of the most distinct artists of this time and region are Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Michelangelo Caravaggio, and Artemisia Gentileschi. Along with some other contemporaries, this course will give an overview of the development of their distinctive style

A foundational principle in medical ethics is patient autonomy. But when is it appropriate for the government to intervene? This course will examine medical, legal, and ethical controversies that arise when personal autonomy is perceived to be in conflict with the interests of society. We will consider the contentious issues of abortion, assisted reproduction, end-of-life care, medical aid in dying and gender-reassignment surgery. Opinions of medical organizations, patient rights and religious groups, and recent legal decisions will form the basis for discussion from many points of view.

This course is a follow-up to "Five Element Qigong: Principles and Practice" course from Fall 2024, but can also be taken and enjoyed without the prerequisite. Qigong describes cultivating our energy through movement, breath awareness, posture, visualization, and meditation for the purpose of enhancing our functionality and general well being. This course will explore qigong concepts along with a physical practice related to the fire element in Taoist five element theory.

Eastern Europe has geographical areas with exceptional conditions for grapevine growing and is the birthplace of a myriad of grape varietals. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, there has been heavy investment in the modernization of their wine industry. Each week we will undertake a journey of discovery by tasting and rating a wine from one of these regions while we explore its terroir. A few weeks before the course starts, the instructor will identify wines that members should purchase.

NOTE: This course will be offered twice, once in session 1 and the same course repeated in session 2. Members may only sign up for one section.

How was the Earth and our atmosphere formed ? What rocks compose the Earth? What events have changed the Earth throughout geologic time? Explore these intriguing topics and more in this review of Earth science.

This course is an introduction to Italian history and culture through the lens of Italian cuisine and its role in literature, historical texts, visual arts, and film. Members will examine the history of food culture and its sociocultural and socioeconomic impacts from antiquity to contemporary Italy.

This 10-week course is appropriate for participants who are comfortable with basic Spanish conversation using the present tense (or members who have successfully completed several cycles of the Beginning Spanish course). The course focuses on the use of the past and future tenses, more extensive vocabulary, and structures and syntax. At the end of the course, members are expected to feel comfortable with standard Spanish conversation.

Members may only take one level of Spanish at a time.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS COURSE WILL ONLY BE TAUGHT DURING SUMMER SESSION 2. THIS IS A CHANGE TO THE ORIGINAL CATALOG SCHEDULE.

This course will review the political history of Pennsylvania since its founding by William Penn. We will explore the state's structure of government and compare its major public policies (taxation, welfare, reproductive rights, environmental regulation, direct democracy, and criminal justice) with those of other states in our federal system. We will analyze the impact of the state's political culture, parties, interest groups, and demographic trends on public policy and on recent elections to state and federal office.

This will be a fun, exploratory course delving into the world of fine art printmaking. Techniques will include monotype using a gel plate and linocut and/or relief methods. Emphasis will be placed on experimentation and combining techniques, rather than producing multiples of the same image. A printmaking press is not needed. This course is suitable for both members new to printmaking and those who have taken printmaking courses from the instructor or elsewhere.

The survey of modern architects, which began with the world’s first steel-framed skyscraper in Chicago, concludes with a broad look at contemporary architecture. Beginning with Philip Johnson and “Postmodernism” concluding with the Chinese firm of Neri & Hu, we will examine examples from the kaleidoscope of approaches to design and the introduction of new technologies to create buildings that challenge our preconceptions and excite our senses. Striking photography and video will illustrate the adventure. Lively discussions will be strongly encouraged.

This course describes the structure and function of the United Nations, NATO, the European Union, the Commonwealth, and other inter-governmental organizations. How do these organizations work toward peace and prosperity in the world? How do countries use them to achieve their policy goals? What are the challenges of cooperating on an international scale?

Part 1 of this course takes members on a virtual and chronological tour of historic places in Western Pennsylvania, from pre-history to the dawn of the Industrial Age. Participants will virtually visit several locations, from Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village in Washington County to Old Economy Village in Beaver County. The course is designed to encourage members to explore these places on their own and with their families.

This course moves through traditional yoga poses (or asanas) that align each individual chakra, moving up the spine from the root chakra to the crown chakra. Chakras are energy centers located across different points on our spinal column. When energy becomes blocked in a chakra, it triggers imbalances that manifest in symptoms such as anxiety, lethargy, or poor digestion. This course is for members who like fluid, mindful practice that links alignment, movement, and breath. Participants should wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing and have a yoga mat. While still accessible to a beginning student, this class is more challenging than the Gentle Yoga classes.

Each term, the focus of this course will be on studying the formation and uses of various French verb tenses. In addition to grammar-oriented textbook exercises, we will also explore material found online to deepen our understanding of many grammatical concepts. Participants will be encouraged to actively engage in both structured and free-form communicative activities. This course is geared to members who may still have difficulty in comfortably delivering simple sentences in French. Some prior knowledge of French is expected. Advanced speaking skills are not required.

NOTE: Members may only take one French course at a time.

This course will introduce members to the basic physiological mechanisms that affect human health. The focus of the course will be on the biological changes responsible for pathogenesis and disease management.

The Americans who participated in the epic struggle to separate from Britain generally accepted the idea of representative self-government, but they sharply disagreed with each other about what that meant. The men we know as "The Founders" crafted a scheme for a centralized constitutional republic. Those who disagreed, who worried about the accumulation of power and the lack of safeguards for civil rights, were also Founders. These were the Antifederalists. Their contributions and failings will be discussed.

Part 2 of this course takes members on a virtual and chronological tour of historic places in Western Pennsylvania, from the Industrial Age to the modern day. Participants will virtually visit several locations, from the Drake Oil Well in Venango County to Quecreek Mine Rescue in Somerset County. Part 1 is not a prerequisite for Part 2.

This course will examine the life, work, and enduring legacy of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, both during their time in the White House and beyond. We will delve into their political careers, post-presidential humanitarian efforts, and impact on American society and the world. Through readings and critical analysis, we will explore the complexities of their legacy and their contributions to issues such as human rights, democracy, and public health.

This course will provide insight into the mental processes used to create an aesthetic experience. The course begins with defining art appreciation. Next, the theories of the early 20th century psychologists Freud and Jung on art and the unconscious are covered. The course will discuss contemporary scientific research on the conscious and unconscious mental processes used during art appreciation. Finally, personality variables and contextual factors that affect preference for certain types of art will be examined. The course ends with a discussion of art appreciation in the future.

Lies, propaganda, and conspiracy theories are used to deny reality and promote authoritarian interests in America today. This course identifies the anti-democratic truth-killers, examines how they create and amplify disinformation and manipulate the population, and discusses how to win the war on truth. We will rely on the book, On Disinformation: How to Fight for Truth and Protect Democracy (McIntyre, 2023), and other sources.

This course will explore a wide range of Medieval and Renaissance art in the collections of museums around the world. Members will learn about medieval manuscript illuminations and discuss Rembrandt, Caravaggio, and Vermeer. Of particular note are the paintings in the New York Metropolitan Museum's recent exhibition about the dawn of the Italian Renaissance, Siena: The Rise of Painting, (1300-1350). Understanding art in its cultural/historical context is centered in this course. Half of the course content is repeated from the prior course.

This course considers Cardiovascular Organ Replacements (CVOR). The basic physiology of four organ systems will be reviewed (heart, lung, blood vessel, blood) and the medical, engineering, and societal considerations for CVOR systems discussed. The plusses and minuses of commercially available CVOR will be considered leading to discussion as to possible improvements of existing CVOR. The health inequities and disparities faced by underrepresented and underserved patients will be discussed along with challenges patients with CVOR and their families face daily. The business and economics of CVOR will also be discussed within the context of spiraling health care costs.

Sociologists of religion provide a taxonomy for identifying religious groups beyond the normative title of ‘church’—specifically sects and cults. Sects provide an alternative religious society often derived from a larger religious entity. A cult is constellated around a seer or a new revelation specific to one or two individuals. This course will take these sociological identifiers and show how they look in the religious landscape of America. Specifically, we will consider five movements or sects and demonstrate the ways in which each fall within these sociological categories: Jehovah’s Witnesses, Church of Latter-Day Saints, Scientology, Westboro Baptist Church and the “Spiritual not Religious” adherents.

In this interactive online discussion course, we will explore famous philosophical thought experiments and their practical applications. How does the trolley problem relate to the question of whether self-driving cars should be programmed to protect passengers inside the car or the pedestrians outside the car if brakes fail? What does John Rawls’ “veil of ignorance” thought experiment teach us about how to set up a just society? Participants will receive text handouts which we will study during the class sessions. Come join the conversation!

 

This course will explore the lives and careers of actors and actresses in the 1930s and 1940s who prided themselves on their abilities to inhabit any role. In addition to focusing on notable legends like Claudette Colbert, Clark Gable, Hepburn and Tracy, Jimmy Stewart, and Judy Garland, the course will also note the lesser-known actors of the era like Luise Rainer and Robert Donat. The course will conclude with an examination of one of the most storied years in Hollywood history: 1939.

This course explores the art and architecture of ancient Greece, from temples and tombs to pottery and paintings. Structured chronologically, illustrated lectures explore the visual arts of ancient Greece by period, from its beginning in the Bronze Age (ca. 3000-1200 BCE) to the end of the Hellenistic Period (ca. 323-31 BCE). The focus is key monuments and works of art and the artistic and technological developments that gave rise to them, an archaeological approach that considers the social function of Greek art in its wider Mediterranean context.

In school we often learned myths about our founders who seemed to be beyond our ability to emulate. Today's trend is to "cancel" them because their faults err on the other extreme. The founders were humans with complex admirable accomplishments and reprehensible failings. Understanding these historic figures' contributions to the founding of the republic and their acknowledged inability to end slavery and native displacement provide a realistic analysis of our history. Learn from the founders to understand the evolution and current situation of our government.

For those who are really interested in their Apple® products, this course will show you how to integrate your devices. We will explore iPhone and iPad while mixing in a bit of Mac, AppleTV, Apple Watch, AirPods, and even CarPlay.

Are you looking for an exercise program designed to improve your everyday life? Work with a physical therapist to learn balance and strengthening exercises. Come join the fun and learn a program designed to improve your daily function while also decreasing your risk of falls and injury. No special equipment is necessary, and all exercises are completed sitting or standing. This program is suitable for beginners yet appropriate for those with more exercise experience as it can be adapted to fit individual needs. Participants will be given instructions on how to complete this program at home for continued benefits. Wear comfortable clothes and supportive shoes.

This course is an introduction to Western Modernism in the arts and its relationship to the visual culture of modernity from the mid-19th century through the 20th century. Weekly lectures and discussions will address developments in painting, sculpture, photography, and architecture from Europe, Russia, and the United States.

The field of astrophysics literally covers the entire universe. Of the many possible topics, we will discuss the following: a brief history of ground-based optical telescopes, Einstein's incredible year of 1905, the origin of the elements, dark matter and dark energy, and space travel. The course is intended for non-experts; math and jargon will be kept to a minimum.

Some of the finest lyrics in English poetry came out of the 17th century. We will read a wide variety of poems, taking a fresh look at some old favorites. The list will include a generous sampling of Donne's verse, but we will also look at a some lesser known poets, and styles.

This creative writing course will help members refocus, reimagine, and reinvigorate their lives through writing from prompts and discussion designed to employ imagination and insight. Participants can write in any genre they wish, and no writing experience is necessary. The course will give members the space and encouragement they need to enhance creativity. Writing tools and ideas to continue work in class and inspire further discovery will be offered.

 

Architectural history follows a canon of both traditional and eclectic styles from ancient to contemporary times. But what happens when a mix of whimsy, eccentricity, and humor—and sometimes the creator's genius—insert themselves into the mix? Occurring throughout time and in various parts of the world, these structures exist to serve the cultures they were created for, from ancient religious sites to modern car-culture merriment. This course will explore a myriad variety of structures throughout the world, the construction methods used, the patrons for whom these structures were constructed, and the notions of the builders and architects who created them.

So, you believe you are the victim of a medical error. Now what? The course will cover attorney hiring considerations, phases of malpractice litigation, and client responsibilites. Members will learn about the most common errors, special rules for first responders, Good Samaritans, and federal government providers. Finally, we will cover trends/statistics, what tort reform is (and whether it has worked), and dispel some myths.

To quote 42nd Street, "think of musical comedy, the most glorious words in the English language." Using various clips from Broadway and movie musicals, this course will explore five categories: movies to Broadway musicals, Broadway to movie musicals, off-Broadway musicals, message musicals, and show biz musicals. Join us as we dissect and discuss one of America's true art forms, musical comedy.