Seeking New Director for the Lifelong Learning Program
News Category: News and Announcements
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Published December 13, 2021
After nine years and more than 150 courses held in our beautiful and fully equipped classroom at the Instituto Allende, we are about to undergo a major change. After this season I will moving and no longer able to continue being the director of the Lifelong Learning Program. We are opening a search for a new director, someone who loves intellectual stimulation and enjoys organizing. It is a volunteer position with a staff of eight.
The LLP director’s two main responsibilities are:
1) to find and work with instructors to shape new courses, usually about 20 a season from October through March. Often instructors are returning after previous highly rated courses; other instructors are new.
2) to coordinate the work of the other seven staff members – associate director, publicity, student relations, coordinator relations, registration, and three members of our technology team (our publicity director doubles as one of the tech team). We are a group of very dedicated volunteers who work together beautifully.
The job is most easily done if the director is in San Miguel during our season, but actually could be done 100% via computer from anywhere if necessary – new instructors could be interviewed on Zoom, and someone else could make the opening announcements and introductions. However, not being here means not being able to take courses.
In exchange, all staff members are entitled to take as many courses as they like at no charge. To my mind, being involved in San Miguel’s pre-eminent intellectual program has been a profound source of satisfaction and stimulation, and, I have found, a source of prestige here in San Miguel. I have truly loved doing it and hope you will too.
If you think that the LLP would be a marvelous fit in your life at this stage, and that this possibility interests you, please contact Zara Fernández, Instituto administrator, at 415 151-0047 (cell and WhatsApp), or at z.fernandez@instituto-allende.edu.mx (email, which she checks often). The phone number for the office at the Instituto is 415 152-0190. Of course I will be available throughout to provide any help I can.
If you know anyone who might be interested in this opportunity, would you pass it along to them? Much appreciated.
Jo Sanders
Announcing the 2020-2021 Lifelong Learning Program Courses
The Lifelong Learning Program at the Centro Cultural / Instituto Allende provides San Miguel de Allende residents and visitors with the opportunity of taking courses designed for self-enrichment, intellectual stimulation, and fun. Courses are designed for adult learners by skilled instructors. All program staff and instructors are volunteers in order to keep tuition as low as possible. Normally all courses take place in the Lifelong Learning Program classroom on the upper level of the Instituto, Ancha de San Antonio 22.We offer approximately two dozen courses from October through March. There are two to seven two-hour classes per course. For schedules and fees, which include social hour snacks after each class, or lunch in one-day courses, please see course descriptions below. The program is an excellent way to meet interesting new people and to indulge your intellectual curiosity. Now you can finally take those intriguing courses you never had time to take in school, but with no homework, exams, or grades!To be added to our mailing list, please contact Josephine Curtis at jocurtis44@hotmail.com
To keep all of us safe, we have made two changes while still offering you the same quality of stimulating courses as in years past.1. Registration will be only electronic (not in the Instituto office). 2. Some courses will be taught with Zoom.
REGISTRATION Electronically only, with PayPal.
To pay using PayPal you will need a PayPal account, a free download. (You may already have one.) It lets you choose to pay either directly from your bank or with a credit card.
ZOOM COURSES - Before your Zoom course starts, you will receive emails from the Lifelong Learning Program with the following information:
- Information on how to take a Zoom course, including what to do if you run into a problem. We are preparing special sessions to get you comfortable with Zoom. They are optional but we strongly recommend them if you are not confident about taking a Zoom course.
- Course handouts.
- The Zoom link for the course. There will be one link per course, regardless of the number of classes.
- A Zoom course registration is for ONE computer screen (one email address), regardless of how many people are in front of the screen.
- Zoom courses are limited to about 100 registrations.
- Zoom courses are not geographically limited. If you know someone at any location who would be interested in signing up for one of our Zoom courses, please send them the Lifelong Learning Program website URL (address) so they can register directly.
- Only people whose names we have received from PayPal as having registered can be admitted into a Zoom course.
CANCELLATION POLICY If WE are forced to cancel a course, unfortunately the Instituto cannot make refunds but you will be entitled to a substitute course at any price within one year. Alternatively, the course fee can be donated to the Lifelong Learning Program as a contribution. Please contact the Instituto administrator, Zara Fernández at z.fernandez@instituto-allende.edu.mx. If YOU are forced to cancel a course that you have registered for, you can request a certificate for a substitute course of equal or lesser value. Alternatively, this certificate may be used by you or by someone else within one calendar year for another course, or it may be donated to the Lifelong Learning Program as a contribution. Please contact the Instituto administrator, Zara Fernández at z.fernandez@instituto-allende.edu.mx.
REGISTRATION FOR WINTER COURSES Registration for winter courses — January through March — will begin on December 1. Everyone on our mailing list will receive a reminder in November. If you are not on our list and would like to be, please send a request to our director of student relations, Josephine Curtis, at jocurtis44@hotmail.com, to be added.
FINAL REGISTRATION DATES All 2020-2021 registrations, for both Zoom and in-person courses, will close two business days before the first class. Please register early — especially important for the courses we now think will be in person since the capacity of our classroom may be reduced due to Covid-19 restrictions.
QUESTIONS? Please email Jo Sanders, the Lifelong Learning Program director, at jo@josanders.com. - Before your Zoom course starts, you will receive emails from the Lifelong Learning Program with the following information:
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