Where can your curiosity take you? The Academy of Lifelong Learning (ALL), a part of the Lincoln Land Community College Community Education department, offers adults (50 years or greater) the opportunity to connect, learn, build skills, express talents and engage in a vibrant social network.

And a little good news? ALL now offers a reduced half-year membership fee of $35 through July 1, 2020. (After July 1, the full year membership fee is $60) It’s a great time to give ALL try.

With 390 members, ALL offers activities throughout the year, as well as special events. A number of monthly programs and special interest groups provide a wide range of activities. The Chautauqua program presents three to four thematic lectures with related discussion. The Today’s Topic program highlights individual topics of current interest. Along with breakfast, the Breakfast Roundtable program features local speakers on a variety of interesting topics. A new ALL group, History Hunters, investigates and researches local, state, national and international historical events. Members volunteer to delve into topics they find interesting and then share what they have learned at meetings. Discussion follows. “The Chicago Bears/Decatur Staley’s” and the Early NFL will be presented in February. 

ALL also offers the opportunity to learn and enhance skills. ALL’s Tech Talk group explores the impact, availability and use of technology in our rapidly changing world. Want to learn a new game and sharpen strategy skills? The Games special interest group meets to learn/play games, including mahjong. Interested in writing? The Scribes special interest group writes to a prompt or from a participant’s original writing and then shares creative writing, fiction, non-fiction and poetry, especially memoir. In April, Scribes plan to repeat their special open mic event to encourage any interested ALL member to share funny, poignant and memorable stories with the greater ALL membership. 

Maybe you made a resolution to be more active in 2020. Depending on the season, ALL offers bowling, biking, walking and golf groups to members where the emphasis is on fun and connection. A new initiative, chair yoga, is being offered to ALL members. A three-week class will be held in February. Chair yoga is done standing or sitting in a chair. With adapted poses in chair yoga, individuals can experience traditional coordination of breath with movement in a more accessible way.

While personal connection threads through all ALL activities, special interest groups such as Book Lovers give members who share the love of a good book a gathering for lively discussion on many must-read books, fiction and non-fiction. Flicks on Fridays connects members who love classic films, with a discussion about what makes the viewed movie and its cast unique and memorable. Looking for other adventurers? Look no further than Around Town events when ALL members explore events and sites within our own community. Members also can explore the local culinary scene at the Meet, Eat and Greet group held in local restaurants, which also features discussion questions. The Wander on Wednesdays group makes unique day trips for an exploration of interesting sites and events. Most ALL activities are included in the membership fee. A few events, such as Breakfast Roundtable and Wander on Wednesday, do have a nominal fee for participation.

Important to the vibrancy of ALL is the participation of members who share their leadership and talents. ALL offers a number of leadership opportunities through facilitation of monthly programs and special interest groups, assisting with special events, such as the annual Kickoff, participation in ALL committees and serving on the ALL Board. To keep up-to-date on activities, members receive a newsletter and e-mail blasts. 

Why not begin 2020 with an ALL membership and discover the wonderful opportunities and people that await? ALL inspires learning, connection and fun.

To learn more or for enrollment information, visit www.llcc.edu/academy-lifelong-learning or call us at 217-786-2432. We look forward to hearing from you!