Writing, Language & Culture   

Continue learning the third most commonly used language in the United States, American Sign Language! Build on the basics in this continuation class. This is a great class if you've taken ASL for Beginners 1 with us, or if you have some foundational knowledge of ASL including the alphabet, numbers and greetings. 

Open to students 16 years of age and up. 

Please see Student Learning Outcomes and CEU Process. 

This level focuses on increasing Spanish vocabulary and using interactive practice of pronunciation through dialogue and role-play. Students develop meaningful appreciation and an understanding of grammatical concepts. To complement the language skills, the student will acquire survival key points for traveling and knowledge about the cuisine of Spanish-speaking cultures. This course now includes access to Canvas for easy reference to learning documents!

Prerequisite: Spanish Language 1 or equivalent experience. Students with some basic Spanish speaking experience are welcome and encouraged to sign up for this class. Students will learn how to express opinions and have basic casual conversations, understand familiar topics, and hold conversations about routines, travels, experiences and hobbies.

Open to students 16 years of age and up, or by permission by instructor. Students taking this class for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) must attend 80% of classes. Email communityed@pencol.edu for your CEU Verification Letter at the completion of class.

Learning Outcomes:

• Build on basic sentence structure 
• Emphasis on conversation 
• Grammar and vocabulary 
• Cultural immersion 
• Practical application scenarios  

Everyone has a story. Have you always wanted to write your story? If you already have a body of work, a collection of essays, or even a memoir manuscript in hand, you will enjoy this class. Beginners are welcome too. Through writing exercises and prompts, you'll be able to dig deep into your story and make it universally important to the ones you love and the world. Wherever you are in your life or on your writing journey you will appreciate your fellow writer and having an experienced writer, teacher, and mentor. In this supportive classroom setting, you’ll share your writing and engage in constructive feedback with peers to improve your writing.

Open to students 16 years of age and older.

Build on your existing Spanish skills to reach an intermediate level of comprehension, vocabulary, and idioms. This course strengthens your ability to understand and speak through practical scenarios, encouraging you to apply your skills in real-life contexts. You’ll also enjoy virtual travel experiences that showcase the rich cultures of Spain, Central America, and South America. This course now includes access to Canvas for easy reference to learning documents!

Prerequisite: Spanish Language 2 or equivalent experience. Students with a background who are able to hold a conversation in Spanish are welcome and encouraged to sign up for this class. Students will be taught to negotiate, persuade, request and express themselves effectively. 

Open to students 16 years of age and up, or by permission by instructor. Students taking this class for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) must attend 80% of classes. Email communityed@pencol.edu for your CEU Verification Letter at the completion of class.

Learning Outcomes:

• Enhanced vocabulary 
• Improved communication skills 
• Cultural exploration 
• Develop effective sentence structures
• Practical application scenarios  

Learn the third most commonly used language in the United States, American Sign Language! We will start at the beginning and build a foundation in the language and culture of the Deaf in the United States and most of Canada. No previous knowledge of ASL or Deaf culture needed, we will provide you with the basics and build upon those skills.

Open to students 16 years of age and up. 

Please see Student Learning Outcomes and CEU Process.

Discover the joys of learning Spanish with a native speaker in this engaging 8-week course! You'll build the skills needed to communicate effectively in everyday situations, gaining the confidence to hold simple conversations in Spanish. Whether you're interested in travel, culture, or simply expanding your horizons, this course offers a dynamic environment where you can explore topics that matter to you. This course now includes access to Canvas for easy reference to learning documents!

Students with no Spanish speaking experience are welcome and encouraged to sign up for this class. Students will learn to ask and answer basic questions (name, nationality, preferences) and understand simple, slow speech conversations in predictable contexts. 

Learning Outcomes:

• Elementary Spanish vocabulary and phrases
• Basic grammar
• Emphasis on beginning conversation
• Cultural overview 
• Basic conversation scenarios
   

Join us to start your Spanish language journey and connect with a vibrant culture! Open to students 16 years of age and up, or by permission by instructor. Students taking this class for Continuing Education Units (CEUs) must attend 80% of classes. Email communityed@pencol.edu for your CEU Verification Letter at the completion of class.

If you've already taken Spanish 1, consider signing up for Spanish 2. 

Interested in developing your poetry? This traditional poetry workshop, aimed specifically at peer-critique and navigating online submission platforms, will introduce you to methods of the creative writing workshop, develop an engaged writing community, and provide you with the tools to get your poems published!

By gathering a community of aspiring local writers, exploring the formal elements of successful poems, and emphasizing the methods of the traditional peer-centered writing workshop, this course will engage participants in the refinement of their poetry. With particular attention paid to the processes by which poems come to be published in regional and national literary magazines, this course is for the emerging and enthusiastic poet looking to get their work our into the world. Outside of the formal workshop, we will discuss the various online methods of submitting unpublished work, the particulars of choosing where to send one's work, and the nuances of interfacing with editorial staff. Each class meeting will be suitably divided between the discussion of the formal elements of successful poetry, poetic styles and movements, or navigating submission platforms and a traditional workshop. Theory and practice--each session.

Open to students ages 16 and up! 

Student Learning Outcomes:

• Identify the elements of a strong poem
• Understand their individual creative processes
• Meaningfully engage in peer-critique
• Thoughtfully support peers in the development of their work
• Comfortably navigate online submissions platforms
• Confidently dialogue with editors, readers, and other editorial staff
   

What changes when we begin to understand ourselves not as separate from the natural world, but as part of it?

How might our relationships with place, community, and the more-than-human world shape our health, our choices, and our sense of belonging? And what might become possible when we begin paying closer attention to those relationships?

Over the course of three weeks, meeting twice each week, this course will explore the foundations and practices of Ecopsychology, a transdisciplinary field concerned with the relationship between human well-being and the living world. We will explore the connections between mind, body, community, and our larger ecological home by incorporating the perspectives of authors and activists such as Joanna Macy, Robert Greenway, Paul Shepard, Robin Walle-Kimmerer, and others. Our main touchstone will be three essays from the book Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth, Healing the Mind.

In addition to readings and discussion, we’ll experiment with what these ideas look and feel like in practice. Our time together will include conversation, movement, meditation, time outdoors, personal reflection, and community-building. We’ll spend time in our local forests, pay attention to the places we already inhabit, and explore how our relationship with the natural world might inform the way we care for ourselves, one another, and the communities we belong to.

Reading and brief homework assignments will offer opportunities to follow your own curiosity and bring what we are exploring into your everyday life. 
 

Student Learning Outcomes:

By the end of this course, students will have the opportunity to develop:

• A deeper understanding of how identity, well-being, and environment are interconnected. 
• Greater curiosity, compassion, and appreciation for both human and more-than-human life.
• Practical skills for supporting personal well-being, relationships, community connection, and ecological awareness.
• More confidence in identifying meaningful ways to participate in the care of their communities and the living world.
• A set of practices that can continue beyond the course and be integrated into everyday life.
   

Are you curious about how artificial intelligence (AI) is shaping our world? Join us for this engaging and accessible community education course designed to demystify AI and help you understand its impact on everyday life. From smart assistants and recommendation systems to powerful tools like ChatGPT, we'll explore how AI works, where it shows up, and how to use it responsibly.

No technical background is required! Discover the history, opportunities, and challenges of AI and gain hands-on experience with practical tools that can improve your personal and professional life. Empower yourself with knowledge in this fascinating field that's changing the world.

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

•  Understand the history, foundations, and evolution of AI.
• Define and explain common AI terms and concepts.
• Identify where AI appears in everyday life.
• Understand the ethical considerations, standards, and risks associated with AI.
• Confidently use AI tools (like ChatGPT) for personal, educational, and professional purposes.
• Develop a personal strategy for engaging with AI thoughtfully and responsibly.

Would you like to fall in love again with life, the world, and everything? Rumi's mystical poetry will set your heart and soul on fire.

Explore the life and poetry of the great Sufi mystic and poet Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Rumi. The course will explore the themes, subject matter, and symbolism of Rumi’s poetry and make comparisons with similar poetic expressions in Zen Buddhism and Daoism.

Zines are hand-made easy to photocopy mini booklets. They have historically been a way for marginalized groups to create stories and publish art and ideas. This class will show you how to make your own while providing accessible ways to get your artistic voice heard. In this class we will create zines based on a theme utilizing one 8.5x11 piece of printer paper divided into eighths and a variety of multi-media mediums (collage, pens, pencils etc.) We will then demonstrate how to scan and prepare your zines for mass printing. Student Learning Outcomes: Students will be able to fold, create and prepare zines for distribution.

This class is conducted entirely in French. It is a mixture of grammar, culture pronunciation, listening and speaking. It includes readings from authors of the French speaking world such as Camus, Abdellah Taia, Orsenna, Yourcenar, etc.

Required materials:

• The Ultimate French Review and Practice, 4th Edition; ISBN 978-1-260-45241-9
• Léon l’Africain by the Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf ISBN 978-2709604932
   

This class is mostly conducted in Spanish at an intermediate level. It is a mixture of grammar, culture pronunciation, listening and speaking. It includes readings from authors of the Spanish speaking world such as García Márquez, Cortázar, Borges, García Lorca, etc.

Required Materials:

• Practice Makes Perfect - Complete Spanish Grammar - 4th Edition by Gilda Nissenberg; ISBN 9781260463156
   

This class is conducted entirely in Spanish at an advanced level. It is a mixture of grammar, culture pronunciation, listening and speaking. It includes readings from authors of the Spanish speaking world such as García Márquez, Cortázar, Borges, García Lorca, etc.

Required Materials:

• Practice Makes Perfect - Complete Spanish Grammar - 4th Edition by Gilda Nissenberg; ISBN 9781260463156