Wednesdays   

American Presidents and Midterms 
POLI-01 (in-person)
POLI-01-Z (distance-delivered) RECORDED
Session I Add-On: Oct. 12 - 15
Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs 2:00 - 3:15 pm
*This course meets for 4 consecutive meetings.
This course reviews the U.S. Presidency during Midterm elections. We will cover the political development of the presidency, the role midterms play in relation to presidents, and the final two classes will discuss current events in relation to students' interests in the topic.

Dr. Amy Lovecraft is a Professor of Political Science at UAF where she has worked since 2001.

American Presidents and Midterms 
POLI-01 (in-person)
POLI-01-Z (distance-delivered) RECORDED
Session I Add-On: Oct. 12 - 15
Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs 2:00 - 3:15 pm
*This course meets for 4 consecutive meetings.
This course reviews the U.S. Presidency during Midterm elections. We will cover the political development of the presidency, the role midterms play in relation to presidents, and the final two classes will discuss current events in relation to students' interests in the topic.

Dr. Amy Lovecraft is a Professor of Political Science at UAF where she has worked since 2001.

Breweries of Fairbanks
FF-04 (in-person)
Session I: Sept. 16, 23, 30, Oct. 7
Wednesdays 4:00 - 5:00 pm
*This course meets at different breweries each week.
Ever wonder how beer and cider are made? Or what the difference is between the varieties of beer and cider? Fairbanks has four fine breweries and this class will be taking a tour of each one! Every week we will be visiting a different brewery where you will get a tour and learn about the process and compare the products. Enrollment limited to 20 students. The breweries we will visit are: 
Sept. 16: Black Spruce Brewing Co.
Sept. 23: Lat 65 Brewing Co.
Sept. 30: HooDoo Brewing Co.
Oct. 7: Humble Roots Beer Project

Instructor Mary Burtness put this class together to learn about brewing and support local businesses. And she enjoys trying different brews!

Classic Novels: American Realism
LIT-01 (in-person)
Session I: Sept. 16, 23, 30, Oct. 7
Wednesdays 10:30 - 11:45 am
Read and discuss four classic novels from the American Realism movement. Class texts include Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage (1895), Sarah Orne Jewett’s The Country of Pointed Firs (1896), Kate Chopin’s The Awakening (1899), and Charles Chesnutt’s The Marrow of Tradition (1901). Enrollment limited to 15.

Instructor Jericho Williams is Assistant Professor of American Literature at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, where he teaches classes such as African American Literature, American Realism, Banned Books, Great American Novels, and Rise of the American Novel.

Creme de la Creme: The World's Most Luxurious Ingredients
FF-03-Z (distance-delivered) RECORDED
Session I: Sept. 16, 23, 30, Oct. 7
Wednesdays 10:30 - 11:45 am
One of the biggest perks of traveling the world and experiencing new cultures is the ability to try new things, especially new cuisines. Foodies travel far and wide across the globe to find some of the world’s best food internationally. From cheesy wood fired pizza in Italy to chili-covered grasshoppers in Mexico to spicy curries in Morocco, local foods can be both delicious and unusual. This food-tainment celebration explores the very best dishes of the world!

With a 50-year career spanning every facet of the hospitality industry, Chef Larry P. Canepa is a Certified Culinary Educator and the creative force behind Dinner at Eight, specializing in "food-tainment"- a unique blend of culinary expertise.

Curated Criterion Cinema, I
FLM-02 (in-person)
Session I: Sept. 16, 23, 30, Oct. 7, 14
Wednesdays 2:00 - 5:00 pm (5 weeks)
Explore the Criterion Collection through a dual lens of timeless world masterpieces and gritty international crime cinema. From J-Noir gems and French polars to essential human dramas, this course unearths restored rarities that captured the cultural zeitgeist. Join us to examine how sharp cinematography and diverse storytelling styles have preserved cinema's most powerful visions.    

Instructor Jeffrey Simonson has been watching and studying cinema, and attending film festivals for over 30 years.

Curated Criterion Cinema, II
FLM-03 (in-person)
Session II: Oct 21, 28, Nov. 4, 11, 18
Wednesdays 2:00 - 5:00 pm (5 weeks)
Explore the Criterion Collection through a dual lens of timeless world masterpieces and gritty international crime cinema. From J-Noir gems and French polars to essential human dramas, this course unearths restored rarities that captured the cultural zeitgeist. Join us to examine how sharp cinematography and diverse storytelling styles have preserved cinema's most powerful visions.    

Instructor Jeffrey Simonson has been watching and studying cinema, and attending film festivals for over 30 years.

Great Decisions 2026, I
HIS-03 (in-person)
Session I: Sept. 16, 23, 30, Oct. 7
Wednesdays 10:30 - 11:45 am
*This course is free to attend and does not require OLLI membership.
*Participants can buy their own Great Decisions 2025 Briefing Book from the Foreign Policy Association website for $35. https://fpa.org/bookstore/
Global and Domestic challenges affect all our lives. Get info you need to figure out what's happening and discuss it with others. This program was developed by the Foreign Policy Association. Read the briefing book at home, watch expert video analysis in class, then participate in group discussion.
Topics for 2026 Session I:
America and the World: Trump 2.0 Foreign Policy
Trump Tariffs and the Future of the World Economy
U.S.-China Relations
Ruptured Alliances and the Risk of Nuclear Proliferation
Facilitator: Paolo Greer

Guided Visualization Game of The Cube 
RB-03 (in-person)
Session I Add-On: Oct. 14
Wednesday 12:00 - 3:00 pm (one meeting)
This imagination exercise is a quiet, guided visualization. It can only be done in person, for yourself. It is easy, intriguing, and fun. You only need your imagination, although a pen and piece of paper would be useful at the end for your personal notes. The visuals’ symbolism suggests surprising and thought-provoking psychological insights. As people are willing, we will share our visuals and compare the variations of meaning.

Instructor Ginny McDowell delights in sharing fun ways to see and understand one's self in a new light.

Improving Our Art: Watercolors
ART-08 (in-person)
Session II: Oct. 21, 28, Nov. 4, 11
Wednesdays 12:15 - 1:30 pm
Focusing on Watercolor, we will observe the different effects materials, atmospheric conditions, and timing may make to our results. By exploring paintings published in art magazines and books, we can improve our own art through critique. We will note the importance of design to give impact to our paintings and to lead the viewer’s eye. Students will bring watercolor materials; the instructor will share materials, and we will play! Enrollment limited to 6.

Instructor Helen Howard has been a member of the Fairbanks Watercolor Society since about 2002. She has taken many workshops and courses from Vladimir Zhikhartsev and other excellent teachers in Alaska and elsewhere.

Jewish Food and Spirituality in Film & Literature
FLM-06 (in-person)
Session II Add-On: Nov. 16, 18
Monday & Wednesday 10:30 am - 12:30 pm (two meetings)
We will cook together, watch films, and read while exploring diverse Jewish cultures expressed through food, poetry, history, spirituality, generational wisdom, and lived experience. Materials fee: $20, pay instructor at first meeting. Enrollment limited to 20.

A teacher, a writer, and an immigrant, Dafna Young has lived and thrived in Fairbanks for over two decades.

Line Dancing, I
DAN-02 (in-person)
Session I: Sept. 16, 23, 30, Oct. 7
Wednesdays 12:15 - 1:30 pm
*This course meets at the Pioneer Park Dance Hall! 2300 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709.
*Participants should bring comfortable, no marking shoes with smooth soles, and water. 
*Part II builds on concepts learned in Part I, the instructor recommends you take both if you can.
Have fun learning how to do line dances. You will learn the main line dance steps and popular line dances. Dances may include but not limited to: The Electric Slide, Cupid Shuffle, Hillbilly Shoes and Wobble. More newer dances may include: The Door, Honky Tonk Highway, Boots On The Ground, and Footloose. Each class meeting will start with a warm up, followed with review and then a new dance.    

Instructor Michele Mouton has been dancing for over 35 years and has taught line dances in several venues. She loves to share her skills and get others dancing.

Line Dancing, II
DAN-03 (in-person)
Session II: Oct. 21, 28, Nov. 4, 11
Wednesdays 12:15 - 1:30 pm
*This course meets at the Pioneer Park Dance Hall! 2300 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709.
*Participants should bring comfortable, no marking shoes with smooth soles, and water. 
*Part II builds on concepts learned in Part I, the instructor recommends you take both if you can.
Have fun learning how to do line dances. You will learn the main line dance steps and popular line dances. Dances may include but not limited to: The Electric Slide, Cupid Shuffle, Hillbilly Shoes and Wobble. More newer dances may include: The Door, Honky Tonk Highway, Boots On The Ground, and Footloose. Each class meeting will start with a warm up, followed with review and then a new dance.    

Instructor Michele Mouton has been dancing for over 35 years and has taught line dances in several venues. She loves to share her skills and get others dancing.

Organic Planters, A
ART-01a (in-person)
Date: Sept. 8
Tuesday 11:00 am - 1:30 pm
*Three sections of the same course, feel free to register for one or all.
*Meets at 1790 Old Pioneer Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709.
Learn to make planters from branches and birch bark. We will be using some power tools (with training). This is a one day course, but if you need to finish your project you can join us for another day. The class will be held outdoors so please dress for the temperatures. Enrollment limited to 4.

Instructor Carla Reardon has lived in Alaska since the 1970s. She enjoys a wide variety of crafts from sewing to metalsmithing, and likes to relax by reading and doing Sudoku puzzles. If you have any questions about the course, please contact her at 907-457-4836.
 

 

Organic Planters, B
ART-01b (in-person)
Date: Sept. 9
Wednesday 11:00 am - 1:30 pm
*Three sections of the same course, feel free to register for one or all.
*Meets at 1790 Old Pioneer Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709.
Learn to make planters from branches and birch bark. We will be using some power tools (with training). This is a one day course, but if you need to finish your project you can join us for another day. The class will be held outdoors so please dress for the temperatures. Enrollment limited to 4.

Instructor Carla Reardon has lived in Alaska since the 1970s. She enjoys a wide variety of crafts from sewing to metalsmithing, and likes to relax by reading and doing Sudoku puzzles. If you have any questions about the course, please contact her at 907-457-4836.

Thursday 11 am - 1:30 pm
*Three sections of the same course, feel free to register for one or all.
*Meets at 1790 Old Pioneer Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709.
Learn to make planters from branches and birch bark. We will be using some power tools (with training). This is a one day course, but if you need to finish your project you can join us for another day. The class will be held outdoors so please dress for the temperatures. Enrollment limited to 4.

Instructor Carla Reardon has lived in Alaska since the 1970s. She enjoys a wide variety of crafts from sewing to metalsmithing, and likes to relax by reading and doing Sudoku puzzles. If you have any questions about the course, please contact her at 907-457-4836.
 

Painting on Glass, A    
ART-05a (in-person)
Session I Add-On: Oct. 13
Tuesday 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
*Two sections of the same course, feel free to register for one or both.
*Meets at 1790 Old Pioneer Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709.
We will paint bottles, glassware, or jars with acrylic paint that you can take home and bake in your oven. Your project will then be permanent and washable. The instructor will provide plenty of glass choices, but you can also bring your own. Enrollment limited to 6.

Instructor Carla Reardon has lived in Alaska since the 1970s. She enjoys a wide variety of crafts from sewing to metalsmithing, and likes to relax by reading and doing Sudoku puzzles. If you have any questions about the course, please contact her at 907-457-4836.
 

ART-05b (in-person)
Session II Add-On: Nov. 18
Wednesday 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
*Two sections of the same course, feel free to register for one or both.
*Meets at 1790 Old Pioneer Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709.
We will paint bottles, glassware, or jars with acrylic paint that you can take home and bake in your oven. Your project will then be permanent and washable. The instructor will provide plenty of glass choices, but you can also bring your own. Enrollment limited to 6.

Instructor Carla Reardon has lived in Alaska since the 1970s. She enjoys a wide variety of crafts from sewing to metalsmithing, and likes to relax by reading and doing Sudoku puzzles. If you have any questions about the course, please contact her at 907-457-4836.
 

Practical Knots
REC-02 (in-person)
Session I: Sept. 16, 23, 30, Oct. 7
Wednesdays 12:15 - 1:30 pm
Develop essential knot-tying skills in this interactive, hands-on workshop. Practice techniques that are dependable, easy to learn, and practical for everyday tasks around the home, garden, or outdoors. Leave with skills that feel natural and ready to use whenever you need them. Enrollment limited to 10.

Instructor Jeffrey Simonson (see FLM-02) is an experienced Alaskan tinkerer and homesteader who specializes in the essential knots and mechanical hitches required for practical maintenance and secure load-hauling.

Staying Safe: Martial Arts for Seniors
EX-07 (in-person)
Session II: Oct. 21, 28, Nov. 4, 11
Wednesdays 10:30 -11:15 am
*Meets at Fairbanks Senior Center, 1424 Moore Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701
We are in a daily battle to maintain our independence both physically and mentally. Martial arts techniques have been shown to improve brain function, reaction time, and build confidence. We will do simple stretching and some fun exercises to turn you into a master of your own destiny! This class is suitable for all levels. 

Instructor Arlene Slocum is a 4th degree black belt who has been teaching martial arts for over 30 years. She leads a class at the senior center for Ancient Warriors and specializes in helping seniors with disabilities.

Strategy Board Games, II
REC-05 (in-person)
Session II: Oct. 21, 28, Nov. 4, 11
Wednesdays 1:30 - 4:30 pm
*Each course stands alone, you can take either one or both.
Each class meeting will cover a different board/strategy game. In the past, games included Wingspan, Ticket to Ride, and Harmonies. Session I will cover some of the games explored in previous Board Game courses. Session II will showcase different games from Session I, including some that are more complex. All games will be taught in class and no experience with the games is required. Materials fee: $20, pay instructor at first meeting. Enrollment limited to 12.
Instructor: Laura Walsh (see MUS-07)