Senior Academy is back for fall! Registration opens August 18.
A Home for Lifelong Learners
The Senior Academy offers quarterly academic courses for Seniors that want to engage in academic material in a deeper way. We offer both online and in-person classes. Open to members and the general public!

Witches Magick and Goddesses: The Rise of Neopaganism from Romanticism to the 21st Century
Pagans have been attacked by the Abrahamic religions for well over 3,000 years. Yet paganism has survived the Inquisition, the witch hunts and as well as the attacks by mechanistic scientists in 17th century Europe. What have been the qualities of pagan magic that have made it a resilient tradition among the peasantry (low magick), the middle class and even the upper middle class (high magic) in European history? What about the existence of witches in Europe? Were they real or were they hatched of the paranoid minds of the Inquisition? We discuss pagan holidays, rites of passage, and tools used along with guided imagery to create altered states of consciousness. We define what magick is and isn’t. As part of the romantic movement in the 19 th century a new kind of paganism emerged which has been called “Neopaganism’. In the new kind of paganism, the presence of feminism and matriarchy theory made itself felt. We discuss its practices, important books, its controversies and its diffusion across first England and then the United States. What are the demographics of Neopaganism in England and the United States today? Why do some pagans work in covens, others in lodges and others work by themselves?
Are the gods and goddesses real? That depends on the type of Neopagan group you converse with. Who are Neopagans heroines and heroes? “But isn’t Neopaganism really just New Age?” Most Neopagans want nothing to do with New Age. Find out why. We close the class with a discussion of nine controversies that divide pagan communities.
*Required reading: Introduction to Pagan Studies (2007) Barbara, Jane Davy Altamira Press
*Last class will be held Wednesday, November 26 due to Veteran’s Day
Your Instructor: Bruce Lerro has been a night-school college teacher for 27 years. He has taught in alternative college settings, in prisons, in the Air Force and in the Navy. Bruce has taught in community colleges in the San Francisco Bay Area. Bruce has written eight books, including three on the application of Russian Lev Vygotsky’s work on word history. Bruce is also a pen-and-ink- artist.
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Your Life, Your Story
Have you ever wanted to write your memoir or leave a legacy for your loved ones? This eight-week course will help you write, share and preserve the life stories only you can tell. Whether you’re a seasoned writer or just starting out, the Guided Autobiography process offers a structured, supportive environment to help you reflect on your life and the events that have shaped it. Each week you’ll receive prompting questions to write two-pages at home on a theme such as family, career, friendship, travel and more. You’ll bring your writing the following week to read aloud in class. Sharing life stories is an ideal way to find new meaning in life and put past events into perspective. No writing experience is necessary, just an openness to appreciate and share the unique life that is yours.
Your Instructor: Pam Toal is a published writer, coach, and certified Guided Autobiography facilitator. Her professional background in non-profits, higher education, and consulting led her to discover the rewards of writing and sharing life stories.
*Class limited to 9 students!

The Writing Spa
When was the last time you played with LEGOs or fashioned something from Play-Doh? These exercises will help you generate new material and embed craft skills as you revise and polish your writing. If you are beginning to write, or have logged hundreds of hours in the chair, the assignments will strengthen your voice and your confidence as you write in class and at home. Gentle feedback from one another will be part of our work. The final meeting is a Celebration Supper.
Your Instructor: Anne (Mitchelson) Hansen was an elementary teacher for 37 years with North Thurston Public Schools. Her favorite subject to teach was writing. She was a Teaching Consultant for Puget Sound Writing Project, and founded Gadget Writing, a series of workshops for children and adults, designed to reach and teach reluctant writers. Anne lives in Lacey with her husband David Hansen. She loves books and boats and bicycles, and has several quilts in progress at any given time in the sewing room.
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Survey of Mindfulness and Meditation: Choose What Works for You
In this eight-week meditation-binge, both the seasoned practitioner and meditation-curious will have a chance to sample and dig more deeply into mindfulness and a variety of meditation styles, analyzing their form, purpose and effectiveness for personal use. Mindfulness has been described as a mental superpower, a natural brain function and boost to our mental and physical resilience, but why choose shamatha, vipassana, open monitoring, centering prayer, metta, tonglen or a simple body scan? You might find your perfect fit, or relax in knowing you don’t have to. Class time will be divided between instruction, guided meditation, discussion and–if past performance is a predictor of future results–laughter and fun interaction, as well.
Your Instructor: Margo Benedetto is a certified mindfulness instructor and veteran classroom teacher in Washington State. She was a leader in bringing mindfulness education to Centralia School District from 2015-2020 and continues to provide personal and professional development on mindfulness for individuals and groups. She enjoys the variety of classroom settings she finds for her work, including Thurston County Dog 4-H, Olympia Senior Services and North Thurston Public Schools.

Echoes of Sovereignty: Indigenizing the Present
This six-week course invites participants into a deeper exploration of Indigenous presence, persistence, and resurgence in the Pacific Northwest—through a holistic lens that honors the interconnectedness of thought, experience, emotion, and spirit. Guided by Indigenous lifeways within the lands and stories of Northwest Nations, we’ll move beyond linear narratives to embrace learning as a living, relational process. Each session builds upon the last through shared stories, land-based understanding, and dialogue with community voices. Together, we’ll reflect on the legacies of colonial policy and the movements of renewal led by Native communities today—from language revitalization to treaty justice, from environmental stewardship to cultural healing. Rather than separating our ways of knowing, this course enriches a unified awareness of place, history, and the responsibilities we carry into the future. Designed to nourish curiosity, connection, and shared purpose, Echoes of Sovereignty offers not only understanding but the opportunity to live commonly in relationship with land, community, and nature.
Your Instructor: Professor Ron Johnson is an enrolled member of the Makah Nation in Neah Bay. His mother Julie is an enrolled member of the Lummi Nation. Ron has worked in a variety of natural resource fields, has three beautiful children and is currently pursuing his Doctorate degree. Ron has taught courses at The Evergreen State College and currently teaches at Northwest Indian College.

Shepherding Your Novel
This is a class for those who are in the midst of a long-ish writing project. While it’s specifically for those writing a novel, it could also be useful to someone writing a memoir or nonfiction book. If you’re feeling stuck, this class might be for you. To help us keep moving, and perhaps feel less stuck, we’ll try to go deeper into our characters. Since characters are the drivers of plot, we’ll focus on them. How do we get to know our characters better? We’ll do discovery exercises, that is, prompts, looking at different aspects of who our characters are, their quirks and desires. We’ll look for clues on what motivates them; from this, we’ll find ways to move forward. Along with writing prompts, in class we’ll also read our work, and get feedback from others. You’ll be expected to write 5-7 pages of new material for each class. Those who have taken writing classes know that a writing class quickly becomes a community of highly valued peers. We’ll approach each other’s work with kindness, honesty and respect.
Your Instructor: Diane Chiddister has been writing fiction for more than 40 years, starting at the Iowa Writers Workshop. After I received my MFA from Iowa in 1981, I veered into journalism and spent my working life there. But my first love was fiction writing, and I was always working on a short story. After retiring from journalism, I wrote and published my first novel, “One More Day,” in 2021. “One More Day” won the $8,000 grand prize in the North Street Book Prize competition and was also runner up in the First Novel division of the Next Generation Book Awards. Since then, I’ve completed a second novel and am working on my third. I’m struggling a bit with this third one, and have, while trying to get out of my own stuck-ness, been thinking about how to help others who also take on long projects. Even if you’re not struggling with finishing your book, I believe this class can deepen and strengthen your writing.
*Class limited to 10 students!

Saving the World, Again
By the 1960s, The Greatest Generation led us from the Depression and World War II to a period of unprecedented prosperity and technological innovation. They challenged
racism, sexism, and reinvented our concept of elderhood, teaching us that active human development continues through late life. Now many of the advances they made are being reversed. American democracy is witnessing creeping autocracy, eroding trust in government, challenges to the rule of law, and threats to free and fair elections. This impacts social policies, health, work and retirement, family support and caregiving, housing, demographics, and economic well-being. Change is hard on those to whom it is happening. While many are thriving, many others struggle with health issues, depression, anxiety, and despair. Now, the “Baby Boomers” are today’s elders. Will we as individuals and as a cohort model integrity or despair? Can we, like our parents and grandparents before us, continue to show succeeding generations how to find hope and purpose in life and contribute to human flourishing? Can we elders, along with our family members and our communities, save the world again, locally and globally? Despite the stereotypes, most people over 60 are active, healthy, capable individuals, and 95% live independently. Throughout the course, we will share our lifetime of experiences to understand how our personal worldview affects our beliefs and values about aging and to become confident in our ability to identify and play an essential role in saving the world.
Your Instructor: John is retired from teaching Human Development and Family Studies at Pennsylvania State University. John also worked in a variety of human service roles: early childhood education, community mental health, aging services, and geriatric partial hospitalization programs. John earned a Ph.D. in the Administration and Leadership Studies for Nonprofits program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2010. John “fully” retired and relocated to Olympia in 2019 but continues to be involved in a variety of volunteer activities.

Making a Better World for All: Contributing in Community with Others (A Late Life Design Workshop) - Olympia
Do you wish for a better world than it is now? Do you want to support the next generation in finding their way? What and how can you contribute? In this workshop you will: explore groups you belong to and ways they contribute to improving life. Learn how to connect with international, national, state, and local groups. create a design for your time in community wide concerns to gain a sense of balance and meaning as you continue to contribute to the world as you age. Come share your vision for a better future and learn ways to create networks of cooperation with others in making a better life for all and the planet we share.
Your Instructor: Marty (Martha) Worcester is a Consultant for Aging with a rich background in Growth and Development in the decades of life after age 65. She works with individuals and groups to acquire information needed to meet the challenges and find enjoyment unique to each decade of late life. She fosters appreciation of the age you are and valuing all those on the journey with you as you create your own Late Life Design.
Email keysaging@gmail.com Website - https://www.keystoaging-latelifedesign.com

Making a Better World for All: Contributing in Community with Others (A Late Life Design Workshop) - Lacey
Do you wish for a better world than it is now? Do you want to support the next generation in finding their way? What and how can you contribute? In this workshop you will: explore groups you belong to and ways they contribute to improving life. Learn how to connect with international, national, state, and local groups. create a design for your time in community wide concerns to gain a sense of balance and meaning as you continue to contribute to the world as you age. Come share your vision for a better future and learn ways to create networks of cooperation with others in making a better life for all and the planet we share.
Your Instructor: Marty (Martha) Worcester is a Consultant for Aging with a rich background in Growth and Development in the decades of life after age 65. She works with individuals and groups to acquire information needed to meet the challenges and find enjoyment unique to each decade of late life. She fosters appreciation of the age you are and valuing all those on the journey with you as you create your own Late Life Design.
Email keysaging@gmail.com Website - https://www.keystoaging-latelifedesign.com
Ready to register or have questions?
Please contact us at 360.586.6181 or via email at info@southsoundseniors.org
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