The Mississippi University for Women’s spring term of the Life Enrichment Program kicked off Monday.
There are eight new courses being offered this year. Registration is still open.
The Life Enrichment Program allows curious locals to pay $35 to take up to five, six-week courses taught by volunteers. This year, 86 people have signed up to take 27 courses, according to Life Enrichment Program coordinator Janie Shields.
Among the new programs this year is “Development and Industry in the Golden Triangle.” The course will be taught by Golden Triangle Development LINK vice-president Macaulay Whitaker.
“It’s all about letting people in to see what we do,” Whitaker said.
She said the course will be divided into classroom time, and time spent touring industrial sites in Lowndes County. Students will learn how the LINK creates jobs and affects communities. Whitaker said students will see how essential the role of all citizens in the community is to boosting industry. “I would love to see a group from all walks of life sign up,” Whitaker said.
Shields said the Life Enrichment Program was initially founded for seniors and retirees in 2009. Since then, it has evolved to welcoming all interested adults, including a local group of mentally handicapped persons.
“The best part is getting to know all our participants,” Shields said. “They just love learning and it’s so exciting.”
One person who loved learning more than most was a 20-year-old deaf woman who learned sign language for the first time via the Life Enrichment Program two years ago, according to Shields. Another group who is entering a new world through the Learning Enrichment Program are senior citizens taking the iPhone and iPad course. They learn how to send texts, use apps and FaceTime.
“They love it,” Shields said. “They go from taking pictures to sending texts. They even learn how to use emoji.”
Another new course this year is “Exploring Plymouth Bluff,” which will look at a different aspect of the Plymouth Bluff ecosystem each week. Different instructors will teach each class, which range from soil studies to bird watching.
Shields said about half the instructors in the Life Enrichment Program are MUW professors. The rest are local professionals.
If people can’t fit the program in this spring, registration for the four-week Summer Life Enrichment Program is slated to begin in May.
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