Fall for Scarsdale Adult School’s autumn classes
A look at the amazing lineup of courses the Adult School will offer in the upcoming months.
BY DEBORAH SKOLNIK AND THE SCARSDALE ADULT SCHOOL
Back-to-school season is around the corner. Why should kids have all the excitement of meeting new teachers, making new friends, and expanding their minds by learning fascinating things? Scarsdale Adult School (SAS) has provided award-winning, wonderful, and affordable adult education adult education for 85 years and counting. This fall, it’s offering stimulating new classes and bringing back fan favorites.
IT'S RAINING RECIPES Al Roker and his daughter will discuss their new cookbook with SAS students in December.
Amazing author events
The SAS will also host a special author visit you will not—repeat not—want to miss. On Wednesday, December 11th, at 7:00 p.m., the nation’s most famous weatherman, Al Roker, and his daughter Courtney Roker Laga will discuss their new family cookbook. Learn about Roker family rituals (maybe you’ll want to adopt some!) while thumbing through the Roker family recipe box. Registration is already open for Recipes to Live By: An Evening with Al Roker and Courtney Roker Laga (Course 12819). Sign up ASAP—like a buffet, it’s first come, first serve.
That’s hardly the only “wow, you got THEM?” author event on tap for this fall. SAS will host Middlebury Professor of Philosophy Lorraine Besser (The Art of the Interesting) and breakout novelist Shelby Van Pelt (Remarkably Bright Creatures), both in September over Zoom. There will also be virtual visits from three non-fiction writers who whose books concern the role of physical fitness in the women’s movement and popular culture: Vicki Valosik (Swimming Pretty), Danielle Friedman (Let’s Get Physical), and Ava Purkiss (Fit Citizens). Complementing the speaker series is an interdisciplinary literature, film, art, and history course, available in-person or online, on the same topic.
Take it on the road SAS walking tours get your mind and body in gear.
Lace up your sneakers and learn
People love SAS’s walking tours—they’re the perfect way to exercise your body while building up your brain. This semester, forays will take students to historic neighborhoods, museums, and galleries in New York City and the tri-state region. Enjoy guided tours of the Brooklyn Museum, the Morgan Library, and Grey Art Gallery, plus regular excursions to the Met and art galleries throughout New York City. Culinary trips will venture to Arthur Avenue, Astoria, Chinatown, Bushwick, and Industry City. And if you’re an architecture buff, there are tours just for you, where you can take in the beauty of Central Park, Chelsea, the financial district, Greenwich Village, Riverside Drive, and the Upper and Lower East Sides.
What’s new?
Among the many topics debuting this term is a course on France’s influence on American architecture, art, food, and fashion. A new art appreciation course, Harlem Renaissance and Beyond, is inspired by the Met’s exceedingly popular exhibition, The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism. SAS is also offering new music appreciation courses this fall that focus on Joni Mitchell and the music of the 1950s. Literature and film discussion classes cover everything from the classics to contemporary selections, including Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, and Percival Everett’s latest bestseller James. Film buffs, rejoice: A discussion group will focus on the movies showing this year at the Jacob Burns Film Center, beginning with The Remains of the Day.
Check out the SAS catalog, and you’ll find countless other options: Learn about notable cases on the Supreme Court's docket for the upcoming 2024-25 term, analyze the American presidency, and gain an understanding of the International Monetary Fund. Want to update your living space? Prepare for construction with a step-by-step guide to house renovating. Hone your skills in our world language classes (Spanish, French, Italian, German, and ESL) and refine your storytelling abilities in writing workshops.
Artful offerings
Start September with performing arts lessons in piano, string instruments, bells, and voice. In October, take a star turn as acting and improv starts. Arts & crafts offerings include a variety of courses in drawing, painting, knitting, basket weaving, and other media. Digital photography is also in the rotation, and bound to click with you. Fun continues with fitness classes for those seeking to get in shape or stay in shape, as well as instruction in bridge, canasta, and mah jongg.
Sign me up!
Registration is open 24/7 to all adults regardless of residency. In-person classes take place in Scarsdale and neighboring venues; online classes are via Zoom (most are recorded and available to watch on demand, eliminating scheduling constraints). Visit www.ScarsdaleAdultSchool.org to register, to subscribe at no cost to the weekly newsletter, to page through the interactive flipbook [link coming soon], or to search the catalog. For questions, call (914) 723-2325.
Lifelong learning is a community-building experience regardless of place and space. With an unparalleled breadth of course offerings, SAS has something for everyone! Embrace the opportunity. Embrace the adventure. Embrace SAS.