Spend a few hours learning how to jam with others and pick up a lifetime of music and joy. 

Whether you are a backroom strummer or a lapsed high school musician, Jamming for Everyone starting on Monday, May 6th at Chesapeake Forum, is, well, for everyone!  

Join musician and teacher Jonathan Williams in a supportive, learning environment geared towards having fun!  Learn a few basic songs.  Understand how to play with others  – even if you don’t know the tune – and leave with the confidence to start your jam group or to fearlessly join one.  

By the end of this three-session course, you will be able to use a lead sheet to accompany a simple vernacular tune.  You will learn how to use YouTube to find popular recordings in suitable keys to play along with, and be able to jam with a guitar or piano player playing a simple song like “You are my Sunshine,” “Chain of Fools” or “Hallelujah.”  You may also be able to play solos using a combination of lead sheet, knowledge of jamming practices and notation, and be able to modify lead sheet keys to better suit your instrument or the requirements of other musicians.

Jamming for Everyone is three sessions, Monday, May 6th, 13th, 20th from 1 – 3 PM. In person at the Easton Family YMCA.  $40.  To register, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org.

Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning opportunities for residents of the Eastern Shore.  Chesapeake Forum is a part of the YMCA of the Chesapeake.   To receive Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, please send your name and contact information to [email protected]

Find out what’s happening at Talbot County Schools on March 26th when Superintendent of Schools Dr. Sharon Pepukayi holds a public conversation hosted by the Chesapeake Forum from 5:30 – 7 PM.   If you have questions, this is an opportunity to get answers.  The presentation will be held on ZOOM and is FREE and open to the public.  To register, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org.

Dr. Pepukayi has been at the helm of Talbot County School District for the past year and half.  She says her mission has been to keep students at the forefront of all education decision.  Come find out about the challenges and successes the school district has faced during that time.  Please send your questions for Dr. Pepukayi in advance to [email protected].

“I’m a big proponent of ‘student voice’ and having current students at the table to help the adults make the decisions that affect their education,” she shares.  “I am talking to students to find out what’s good, what’s bad, and what they feel indifferent about concerning their education and school experience. I want kids to feel comfortable talking about their educational journey and what we can do to help them discover opportunities and take advantage of all that TCPS has to offer.”

Come and hear Pepukayi’s views on how primary and secondary students are doing in the Talbot County Public Schools and how she and her staff are working to affect positive change.  

Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning opportunities for residents of the Eastern Shore.  To receive Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, please send your information to: [email protected]

 

Mark your calendar for Chesapeake Forum’s Preview Party April 3rd when its Spring 2024 class line up will be unveiled at the Academy Art Museum in Easton from 3:30 – 5 PM.  The festive, catered event offers guests a chance to hear from Chesapeake Forum instructors, learn what’s new and find out more about the program.  The event is free but registration is required at https://chesapeakeforum.org.

There are more than 30 classes on tap this spring from birding to car maintenance. Wayne Bell is back with his popular birding class, this time concentrating on the spring songbird migration.  Several veteran teachers are also returning with new classes including investment opportunities for seniors, more about the Civil War in Maryland,  edible flowers, ancient Greek dramas, basic car maintenance, and much more.  Classes are usually 1-3 sessions and in most cases, can be attended in person at the Easton Family YMCA, on ZOOM or watched on a recording.  Registration begins April 4th.  Classes start on the 11th.

In addition to classes, Lectures on the Shore, Chesapeake Forum’s speaker series, returns on May 9th with Lights, Camera, Action, the story of the extraordinary Fine family – two generations of award-winning filmmakers.  Come along as the Fines take you on a journey through more than 40 years of documentary filmmaking, including the Oscar-winning Inocente.  

The mission of the Chesapeake Forum is to provide lifelong learning opportunities for residents of the Eastern Shore.  The organization recently merged with the YMCA of the Eastern Shore. To receive Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, please send your contact information to [email protected]

March is Women’s History Month and a big part of women’s stories all across the world is healthcare – often inadequate, sometimes dangerous and frequently indifferent.  From Ukraine to Sudan to the Americas, violence, poverty, new infectious diseases, forced migration, and discrimination have created communities of women with limited access to health services.

Join Chesapeake Forum on March 5th from 10 -11:30 AM  for Global Women’s Healthcare: Gains and Losses as two global healthcare professionals – Katherine Marconi, Ph.D., and Mary Jordan – give us a world tour of recent challenges and accomplishments in improving women’s health in a variety of countries .

Both women have had projects in Malawi, Ethiopia, and South Africa and will also talk about issues and concerns in Afghanistan. In their focus on these three countries, they will describe recent health trends, underlying social determinants of health in each country, and their journeys to form public-private partnerships to improve health in each country.

Katherine will show a video from an African physician she teaches with, who is currently providing care for women, children, and adolescents in several countries. Through her you will be exposed to the experiences of working with communities of women who have limited access to health care.

You will learn about and discuss unique approaches to improving women’s health, and be part of a dialogue about what it might be like living in a country under these health conditions.

Global Women’s Health: Gains and Losses is one session, Tuesday, March 5th from 10-11:30 AM.  $20.  To register visit https://chesapeakeforum.org.

Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning opportunities for residents of the Eastern Shore.  To receive Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, send your name and contact information to [email protected]

Grab a unique chance to see history unfold on paper in “Six Centuries of Headlines” with Chesapeake Forum veteran Steve Goldman on March 12th and 19th from 4:30 – 6:00 PM.  Goldman travels back through six centuries of newspapers, books and pamphlets back to explore some of history’s most important famous and infamous events.

Goldman’s extensive newspaper archives offer a chance to look at original, first drafts of history.  Read the original story and see if it holds up over time.  If not, was it deliberately fake? Steve promises to read any type that is too small as many of the documents are very old.

Six Centuries of Headlines is two sessions, Tuesday, March 12th and 19th rom 4:30 – 6 PM. HYBRID (in person at the Easton Family YMCA, ZOOM or recording). $30. To register visit https://chesapeakeforum.org

Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning opportunities for residents of the Eastern Shore. To receive Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, send your name and contact information to [email protected]

Divorce, retirement, the loss of a spouse, an empty nest are all things that Life Reimagined tackles on March 6th with Chesapeake Forum veteran Dodie Theune, Ph.D.

You’re never too old and it’s never too late!  People change over their lifespan and their dreams and goals and visions change as well! Join a fun group of adult learners in finding their way toward a life of purpose and personal fulfillment after retirement.

This workshop is primarily about discovery and empowering life change.  Through an interactive exploration you will see how living a more purposeful life can positively impact your overall well-being and life satisfaction. Everyone will participate in guided self-reflection and journaling exercises to help you identify your values, passions, and strengths as a way to uncover your ‘true self.’

You will discover much more about how your values, needs and strengths have changed over time. The object of the course is to design a Personal Life Plan as a guide for a future life of purpose, fulfillment, growth and contribution.

This is your chance to try out new ideas in a safe environment; to ask “what if” and “why not?”.  Three sessions, March 6th, 13th and 20th from 10-11:30 AM.  $40.  In person at the Easton Family YMCA or Zoom. No recording. To register, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org

Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning opportunities to residents of the Eastern Shore.  To receive Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, please send your name and contact information to [email protected].

Chesapeake Forum has made some changes to its leadership team following its official merger with the YMCA of the Chesapeake last month.  In its first official post-merger meeting, the Board shifted former Chesapeake Forum President Lynn Randle to the role of Executive Director while Vice President Claudia Dziobek takes over the reins as President, Board of Directors.  Dziobek is joined by Bruce Purdy, vice president, and Doug Holly, curriculum chair.

Dziobek recently retired from the International Monetary Fund, where she advised governments on macroeconomic issues, financial stability, and global economic statistics.  She leveraged that experience for several fascinating Chesapeake Forum classes on international economics and cryptocurrency (available at no charge:  https://chesapeakeforum.org/course/) She says she is looking forward to helping Chesapeake Forum pursue its mission of lifelong learning on the eastern shore.

Purdy also works in the international arena as a development consultant and has leveraged his experience to create several classes on what it takes to build sustainable cities as well as his experience. He brings a lifelong passion for learning and education to the Board, along with creativity, adaptability, visionary leadership, and a whole lot of perseverance.  Plus, a really nice art collection which he has also leveraged for a Chesapeake Forum class.

Dziobek and Purdy are joined by Doug Holly who is now helming the organization’s core curriculum.  Holly is responsible for developing and managing all of the courses for Chesapeake Forum, with a little help from friends (and with the number of lifelong learners and courses growing each semester, he needs all the help he can get!)

Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning opportunities to residents on the Eastern Show. The 2024 Winter Semester is currently underway (there’s still time to sign up!).  The preview party for Spring Semester will be March 20th at the Art Academy of Easton.  To sign up for Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, please send your name and contact information to [email protected].

 

Chesapeake Forum is hosting a round-trip executive bus trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. on Fr., Feb. 16th.  The Museum is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture.

The bus will leave the Easton Fire House at 8:30 AM sharp and return by 5 PM.  Touring the Museum’s History Galleries will take approximately two hours and require walking about a mile.    There is no entry fee for the Museum.

To register for the field trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture on Fri., Feb. 16th visit http://chesapeakeforum.org. Field Trip.  $65. Please arrive at the bus location at 8:15 AM.

January wraps up with three terrific classes from Chesapeake Forum.  First up, EVs: the Transportation Revolution with James Scoggins on January 25th and 31st from 10-11:30 a.m. Whether you are just curious about electric vehicles or are thinking about buying one, Jim will explore the EV revolution, including current and emerging technologies, adaptation and acceptance, growth projections, infrastructure, and other major challenges to the ability to make this happen. The second session will end with a 20-minute demo of an electric car provided by Hertrich Honda Kia of Easton.  Anyone who is attending the class on Zoom is welcome to come in person to see the car. EV’s: The Transportation Revolution is two (2) sessions on Thursday, January 25th and 31st from 10 – 11:30 AM. $30. HYBRID (in person at the Easton Family YMCA, Zoom or recording.) To register, visit https://chesapeakeforum.org.

Also on Thursday, January 25th, Books with Friends resumes with Be Mine by Richard Ford.  This course is held on Zoom so you can stay cozy and enjoy a friendly conversation about stories, writing, writers and who knows what else? Books with Friends is three (3) sessions and meets on Thursday, January 25th, February 29th and March 28th from 1-2:30 PM.  There is no cost to participate but you must register at https://chesapeakeforum.org.  Zoom only.

Finally,  Options for Aging, a two-session community-service course offered at no charge to anyone navigating changes due to aging.  Whether it’s a new diagnosis or a disease that has progressed to a state beyond your skill level, you might be overwhelmed and wondering what type and level of care is needed and where and how to get it.  Instructor Amy Keller will focus on legal choices, housing choices, household repairs or modifications plus what’s normal aging and what is not normal.  Options for Aging is two (2) sessions, Wednesday January 31st and February 7th from 10-11:30 AM.  No Charge. HYBRID (in-person at the Easton Family YMCA or by Zoom.  No recording). To register visit https://chesapeakeforum.org

Registration is open for Chesapeake Forum’s Winter Session. Grab a cuppa and settle in for a Journey to the Arctic Circle with Chesapeake Forum on Wednesday, January 24th from 10-11:30 AM.  Veteran traveler Kathleen Marconi leads this fascinating arm-chair tour of Finland and Lapland.  Think: dog sledding, the Northern Lights, remote villages and cold, very, very cold.  But as you’ll find out, ”there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing” as Marconi shares tips on how to pack for the extreme conditions.

One session, January 24th from 10 -11:30 am.  HYBRID (in person at the Easton Family YMCA, Zoom or recording). $20.  To register visit: https://chesapeakeforum.org.

Also on Wednesday, the 24th – a hot topic to warm up a cold winter day:  When Democracy Fell:  Maryland’s Civil War Constitutional Crisis.  Local author Paul Callahan takes us on a journey through Maryland during the Civil War when the state’s constitution was suspended, the legislature imprisoned, and newspaper editors, generals and judges arrested.   Three sessions, Wednesday January 24, 31 and February 7th from 1-2:30 pm.  $40.  HYBRID (in person at the Easton Family YMCA, Zoom or recording). $40.  To register visit: https://chesapeakeforum.org.

Here’s a revolution that’s happening behind the wheel – electric cars.  Join James Scoggins on Thursday January 25th when he lifts the hood in EVs: The Transportation Revolution. If you curious about EVs or are thinking about buying one but are not sure, this class is for you.  Two sessions.  Thursday, January 25 and 31 from 10 – 11:30 am.  $30.  HYBRID (in person at the Easton Family YMCA, Zoom or recording). $30.  To register visit: https://chesapeakeforum.org.

What would winter be without a good book?  Lynn Randle continues her popular Books with Friends on the last Thursday of each month throughout Winter session. In January, the group will be discussing Be Mine, by Richard Ford.  Books with Friends is three sessions,  Thursdays, January 25th, February 29th and March 28th from 1-2:30.  Register at https://chesapeakeforum.org.  Free.  ZOOM only.

If nothing else can makes a person feel their age, it’s winter.  But apart from the weather making us feel our creaky bones, what else is it about aging that triggers so many new feelings and concerns?   In Amy Keller’s new class, Options for Aging, you’ll find out what’s normal and what’s not when it comes to aging.  How can you make positive adjustments as you and your partner get older? What resources are available? Two sessions, Wednesday, January 31 and February 7th from 10-11:30 AM. HYBRID (in person at the Easton Family YMCA or ZOOM. No recording)  No charge but registration is required at https://chesapeakeforum.org

Chesapeake Forum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing lifelong learning opportunities to residents of the Eastern Shore.  To sign up for Chesapeake Forum’s newsletter, please send your mailing address and contact information to [email protected].