fbpx

Winter/Spring courses are fun, enlightening—and potentially free

Lifelong learning is always rewarding. But this winter and spring, it could also be free.

Jeffrey S. Russell: 'Whether you’re interested in exploring the arts and humanities or improving your professional skills, you can choose from an array of affordable, convenient classes.'
Jeffrey S. Russell: ‘Whether you’re interested in exploring the arts and humanities or improving your professional skills, you can choose from an array of affordable, convenient classes.’

The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Division of Continuing Studies is offering another Lifelong Learning Giveaway in its Winter/Spring Catalog, which will appear in the December 3 edition of Isthmus. Enter here by December 31 to win up to $100 off on a Continuing Studies class in the first half of 2016. Ten randomly selected winners will be notified no later than January 15.

Continuing Studies got a tremendous response to last fall’s Lifelong Learning Giveaway, thanks to offerings that appeal to a wide range of people.

“We’ve got nearly 250 classes in a broad spectrum of subject areas,” says Jeffrey S. Russell, dean of the Division of Continuing Studies. “Whether you’re interested in exploring the arts and humanities or improving your professional skills, you can choose from an array of affordable, convenient classes taught by experienced, knowledgeable, and supportive instructors.”

Professional opportunities

In the Winter/Spring catalog, you’ll find courses for working professionals interested in career advancement or a career change. These include managers, teachers, health professionals, and others who must continue learning to keep up in their fields.

Easing the Burden of Aging and Illness will help human services clinicians understand needs commonly associated with aging and advanced illness.
Easing the Burden of Aging and Illness will help human services clinicians understand needs commonly associated with aging and advanced illness.

For example, the Wisconsin Certified Public Manager Program prepares managers in federal, state, and local government and in tribal and nonprofit organizations for the unique demands of the public management profession. Easing the Burden of Aging and Illness: Integrating Supportive and Palliative Care will help human services clinicians understand needs commonly associated with aging and advanced illness.

Mary Angert, who enrolled in this fall’s session of Easing the Burden of Aging and Illness, says, “There were excellent discussions between participants and lots of opportunities for participant input with presenters.”

Enriching your life

The Winter/Spring catalog also showcases courses for those who simply want to enrich their lives, whether by mastering a language, learning a musical instrument, exploring personal growth, or delving into a historical topic. They include Drawing Fundamentals, Elizabeth I and the Elizabethans, Singing the Madrigals of Shakespeare’s Time, and Managing Life’s Challenges.

Enrichment courses like How to Write Compelling Fiction are offered entirely online.
Enrichment courses like How to Write Compelling Fiction are offered entirely online.

Some of the enrichment courses are offered entirely online, like Angela Rydell’s How to Write Compelling Fiction. After taking a previous session of the course, Sean Higgins got two of his stories published.

“The course was exactly the jolt that my writing life needed,” Higgins says. “The lessons themselves delve into technique in a very practical way, and Angela’s critiques are specific and detailed—enough so that I was able to start using them in my writing immediately.”

Along with courses, the Winter/Spring catalog features lectures, retreats, workshops, festivals, and educational travel experiences. Among the highlights are the Writers’ Institute, the Career Change 101 workshop, and a trip to Japan.

So search out the Division of Continuing Studies’ fall catalog in the December 3 Isthmus, or see the complete list of classes online.

“Look over our offerings and find a Continuing Studies class that fits your interests, calendar, and budget,” says Russell.