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Come and learn how to make your own underwear (sizes 7-12) with pretty fabrics and elastics. You will need to bring a sewing machine and have basic knowledge of sewing. You will leave with a pattern and a new pair – or two!

Enrollment limited to 8.

Do you set your glasses down and often lose them? Learn to make attractive beaded straps to hold your eyeglasses! You can make them as fancy or as simple as you wish, and make as many as you want. Bring the glasses or sunglasses you want them to fit on. All supplies are provided. This involves stringing beads; it is "close" work so bring appropriate eye wear.

Have you ever wanted to paint or draw a portrait of your favorite animal? A cherished pet or beloved grandchild? This course will help you to draw realistic people and animals. Students should have some drawing experience. Materials fee $5; pay instructor at first meeting.

Enrollment limited to 16.

Have fun making your own painted rock art! Decorate your yard, garden, flower bed, or indoor potted plant with a colorful hand-painted rock. No experience is required. It's easy and enjoyable. Bring a rock and some acrylic paint if you have it; if not, we can share.

Enrollment limited to 12.

Who doesn't love to receive a handmade greeting card? Make that special occasion even more memorable by gifting a home-crafted, custom-made greeting card. A variety of acrylic paints, acrylic paint pens, watercolors, and watercolor pencils will be available! We will also have some stencils to play with, as well as some unusual and unique items to paint your card to make it even more noteworthy. No experience is required. All supplies provided. Materials fee $5; pay instructor at first meeting.

Enrollment limited to 15. 

A combination lecture/hands-on course which will include a historical overview of the history of chocolate from Pre-Columbian America to today, chocolate tasting, and creating chocolates. Materials fee $20; pay instructor at first meeting.

3/23, 3/30 - meets in room 156

4/6, 4/13 - meets in room 154 (kitchen)

Enrollment limited to 20.

Food is exciting, and there's no doubt it's a huge part of our lives. That's why we love making it, sharing it, and even documenting it with photographs and on social media. It brings us together and, at the most basic, it keeps us alive. Sure, that's all very impressive, but it's tough to imagine that sometimes certain foods have an even bigger story to tell. Some foods have made such a big impact that they’ve actually changed the world.

Family: who or what defines us? Inclusive or exclusive? Do they stick with us through good and hard times (such as the Great Depression)? Should families change with emerging technologies and increasing longevity? National and international dramas, musicals, comedies, and documentaries will take us to new places all on the topic of family and what it means to be one.

Enrollment limited to 25.

*Each 4-week session stands alone; you may take either one or both.

Global & Domestic challenges affect all our lives. Get the info you need to figure out what's happening and discuss it with others. Read the briefing book at home, watch the expert video analysis in class, then participate in group discussion. Students must buy their own Great Decisions briefing book from the Foreign Policy Association website (https://fpa.org) for $35.

Topics for 2023 Session II:

• Politics in Latin America

• Global Famine

• Iran at a Crossroads

• Climate Migration

Global Warming and its impacts are both broad and localized. This course will survey the effects of climate change on concepts of national security, including food, housing, energy, and more. We will take a critical view of ideas of 'security' - what does it actually mean? What is being secured, by whom and for what purpose?

Enrollment limited to 20.

*Meets at the Alaska Mining Hall of Fame Museum, 406 Cushman St.

Come learn about some of Alaska’s minerals and how they played a critical and strategic role in Alaska’s history, both back then and now.

Before she died in 1974, Felicia Bornstein Lubliner wrote about her internment in ghettos and concentration camps in Nazi-occupied Poland, powerful stories published by her son. Irving Lubliner, professor emeritus at Southern Oregon University, will share excerpts from Only Hope: A Survivor’s Stories of the Holocaust, shedding light on his mother’s fortitude and indomitable spirit, as well as his own experience as a child of Holocaust survivors. Learn about the Holocaust through the eyes of a survivor, as well as how the instructor, the child of two survivors, was impacted by his parents' experiences.

Learn techniques to take control of your subconscious mind to enhance skills and let go of outdated beliefs and patterns. Learn about hypnosis, the subconscious mind, effective self hypnosis techniques, and how to craft effective auto suggestions for yourself. Experience group hypnosis and take from this course powerful tools that you can use to change your life in positive ways.

Better posture adds years to our life AND life to our years! Increase your vitality, longevity, and energy levels and DECREASE chronic pains with Physiokinetix Movement Therapy and Myoskeletal Alignment Therapy. Posture is the baseline of all flexibility and movement. It is the interface of how we both move through and perceive the world around us. Our most common issues start with our most common positions. Learn how to mitigate and even alleviate those issues.

With support from local professionals, this course is designed to help folks get a better understanding of life in retirement as it relates to many different topics that people typically experience as they age. Each meeting will have a different presenter who has experience working in the related field to the meeting topic. Topics include finances, investments in general, estate planning, hospice, Medicare, and senior support. We encourage questions and open conversation during each presentation.

Come and discuss the latest and greatest in hearing care. This is a great opportunity to listen as Dr. Lily Hughes provides information on hearing, caring for your ears, and to answer any of your questions.

Enrollment limited to 20.

Come and discuss the latest and greatest in hearing care. This is a great opportunity to listen as Dr. Lily Hughes provides information on hearing, caring for your ears, and to answer any of your questions.

Enrollment limited to 20.

Have you ever wanted to write a Shakespearean sonnet? Maybe you’ve already written many. Either way, you’ll write at least one (more) in this course. This will be a workshop focused on the little fourteen-line poems that Shakespeare made famous. We’ll read some of his sonnets and try writing some of our own.

Join us for a hands-on learning experience in Bluegrass music! All bluegrass instruments welcome, no previous experience necessary. Learn many different bluegrass standards, learn how to lead songs and follow new songs; learn how to find melodies, fake solos, and sing harmony. A low-pressure, encouraging atmosphere – perfect for beginners and intermediates alike! Materials fee $10; pay instructor at first meeting.

Enrollment limited to 9. 

This course is singing for the individual taught in a group setting. Learn or review the basics of singing with topics and activities such as vocal anatomy, warming up the voice, singing in various vocal styles, and learning and performing songs. Participants will explore concepts of singing solo and with others in a community setting, with specific topics tailored to the particular interests of each group. You do not need to have any previous experience, play instruments, or read music to take this course. All levels of experience are welcome.

Enrollment limited to 12.

This course continues where Advanced Beginning Guitar left off last Fall. The major emphasis will be to PLAY THE GUITAR. Some music will be provided. However students are expected to bring copies of chords and lyrics of songs they like to play. Changing major chords to seventh, and minor chords and more will be demonstrated. Alternative fingering of chords and the use of a capo will be demonstrated.

Enrollment limited to 8.

Time to learn about recreational drones! UAVs, or unmanned aerial vehicles, can be your landscape camera, your wildlife video camera, a mapping tool, real estate tool, and more. We will discuss the basic rules and regulations for drone pilots, see examples of drone videography, and get a hands on look at 4 different popular drones and their differences. Their use for photography and videography will be emphasized.

Enrollment limited to 20.

Contrary to popular belief, Sudoku puzzles don’t require any math! It's a fun way to improve brain function with pattern recognition. The first two weeks you will gain the skills to be comfortable with easy to medium puzzles. The last two weeks you will learn about three different varieties of Sudoku puzzles. Everyone will go home with new skills and two Sudoku puzzle books to start you off. Come have fun with us!

Enrollment limited to 10.

Americans, originally from Russia, give their perspective on current events involving the country they left behind. Presenters were originally born in Russia and became US citizens. 

(Instructor Shirley Liss invites presenters Yelena Matusevich, Tatiana Kripina, Vladimir Romanovsky, and others to share their experiences and perspectives.)

This is an introduction to professional and personal public speaking skills that build confidence. Public speaking is one of the most important forms of communication. Participants will be mentored, then give prepared and impromptu speeches. Focus will be on organization, vocal variety, gestures, body language, and other effective techniques. Experienced speakers will give sample speeches, then the class will discuss their techniques. Materials fee $10; pay instructor at first meeting.

Enrollment limited to 12.

This is an introduction to professional and personal public speaking skills that build confidence. Public speaking is one of the most important forms of communication. Participants will be mentored, then give prepared and impromptu speeches. Focus will be on organization, vocal variety, gestures, body language, and other effective techniques. Experienced speakers will give sample speeches, then the class will discuss their techniques. Materials fee $10; pay instructor at first meeting.

Enrollment limited to 12.

*OLLI membership is not required.

Learn how easy it is to plan your estate and leave gifts to people and charities that mean the most to your family! Philanthropic advisors for the UA Foundation will discuss giving through your retirement and estate planning and other strategies. All attendees will receive a printed will planning guide. Bring your laptop, and we will show you how to use UA’s FreeWill software. If you’ve never had time to meet with an estate planner or advisor, please feel free to schedule an appointment with Harry, Scott, or Teresa – questions are welcome, but they can give you more in-depth advice during one-on-one appointments.

*OLLI membership is not required.

Learn how easy it is to plan your estate and leave gifts to people and charities that mean the most to your family! Philanthropic advisors for the UA Foundation will discuss giving through your retirement and estate planning and other strategies. All attendees will receive a printed will planning guide. Bring your laptop, and we will show you how to use UA’s FreeWill software. If you’ve never had time to meet with an estate planner or advisor, please feel free to schedule an appointment with Harry, Scott, or Teresa – questions are welcome, but they can give you more in-depth advice during one-on-one appointments.

*OLLI membership is not required.

Since the SECURE Act took effect in 2020, almost all beneficiaries will have to take the total amount of inherited retirement accounts out within a 10 year period of time, resulting in higher taxes, due sooner. We’ll discuss the SECURE act and alternative strategies to reduce your income tax and to pass, to your beneficiaries, your remaining retirement account values in the most tax efficient way. We’ll explore the relationship between IRA withdrawals, taxability of Social Security and Medicare part B payments, and how to leverage your giving power with Qualified Charitable Distributions from your IRA. We would encourage those attending to bring their statements or have them available to participate in this activity.

*OLLI membership is not required.

Since the SECURE Act took effect in 2020, almost all beneficiaries will have to take the total amount of inherited retirement accounts out within a 10 year period of time, resulting in higher taxes, due sooner. We’ll discuss the SECURE act and alternative strategies to reduce your income tax and to pass, to your beneficiaries, your remaining retirement account values in the most tax efficient way. We’ll explore the relationship between IRA withdrawals, taxability of Social Security and Medicare part B payments, and how to leverage your giving power with Qualified Charitable Distributions from your IRA. We would encourage those attending to bring their statements or have them available to participate in this activity.

Most of us have lots of photos that are poorly organized, hard to find, or in need of a little editing and we often have little idea of how to share them with friends and family. Here we will help you organize, edit, share, and make presentations of your photos on your Apple devices.

Enrollment limited to 18.

Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter, who has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. Carole King Klein is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway and later as a solo artist. This will be a discussion group, and we will listen to and discuss several of their great, and maybe not-so-great works. Come prepared to join the discussion!

*Continuation of RB-01-Z

This course is an exploration of various topics in Western Astrological practice. Students must have a working knowledge of the language of astrology.

*Bring your bicycle!

Learn how to fix flats, adjust gears and brakes, straighten wheels, and take care of bearings, chains, and cables. Set up your bike for better riding and be prepared for all conditions – even winter! Students must bring a bike.

Enrollment limited to 12.

*Meets at the UA Museum of the North's Creativity Lab, 1962 Yukon Drive

Graduate students at the University of Alaska Museum of the North study extremely diverse topics. Every week, a museum graduate student will present their research in an informal setting. Learn about Alaskan endemic insects, explore how plant fossils help to reconstruct the ancient past, hear about fossil birds from the North Slope, discover how environmental DNA is being used to detect species, and find out about the growth of Alaska museums in the 20th century.

Instructors: Maggie Harings, Fisheries M.S. student; Taylor Kane, Entomology Ph.D. student; Lauren Keller, Geoscience M.S. student; Angela Linn, UAMN Ethnology & History Senior Collections Manager; Stephanie Zaborac-Reed, Paleobiology Ph.D. student.

Facilitated by: Jennifer Arseneau

Thanks to municipal services, waste management is something out of sight, out of mind for most of us. The destination for most of the objects in our lives sooner or later is the landfill. To minimize what we put into the landfill, we can reduce, reuse, and recycle. Green Star of Interior Alaska will provide an overview of the landscape of recycling in the Interior, revealing “behind the scenes” at the Fairbanks North Star Borough Central Recycling Facility and the Green Star of Interior Alaska electronics recycling warehouse. We will also discuss future visions of recycling in the FNSB, and answer questions Fairbanksans have about recycling.

Enrollment limited to 12.

Mar 20, 27: Meets at FNSB Central Recycling Facility, 1855 Marika Rd

Apr. 3: Meets at Green Star of Interior Alaska, 2134 Texaco Ave.