Your Virtual Senior Center
Virtual programs are offered through the Senior Learning Network and other partners.
SLN Virtual Programs are home viewing only. Please register in advance to receive your Zoom link by calling 802-457-3277.
Harper’s Ferry National Park
Harpers Ferry’s Place in History
Tuesday, December 10, 2:00 pm
Discover how the promise of “…a more perfect union,” was defended, debated, and redefined in Harpers Ferry. Learn about the United States Armory, John Brown’s Raid, the Civil War, the struggle for Civil Rights, and more!
John Bunker Sands Photography Gallery
Thursday, Dec. 12, 2:00pm
A new special exhibition at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West shares dramatic images of wildland firefighting taken by a hotshot firefighter in the thick of the action. Photographed by Wyoming Hotshot Captain Kyle Miller, Fire on the Mountain provides an intimate encounter with the realities of a changing climate. Kyle began photographing wildfires in 2004 while serving on a fire crew in Montana. The work is physically strenuous, mentally taxing, and requires a high level of conditioning in both body and mind. The images in this exhibition highlight two primary themes: Fire Ecology and the Human Element of Wildland Firefighting.
Holidays with the Roosevelts/FDR Presidential Library and Museum
Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2:00 pm
It wouldn’t be the holidays without checking in with the Roosevelts! Join us with our friend, Jeff Urbin- education specialist at FDR Presidential Library and Museum for a trip down memory lane with the Roosevelt family.
We will discuss how the Roosevelts celebrated Christmas during the dark times of the Great Depression and WW2, and how it impacted the ways that Americans celebrated the holidays. Join us for this fun and informative time as we close out our year of life long learning!
The Cold War & The Carter Administration
Tuesday, Jan 7, 2:00 pm
Carter comes to the presidency during a time of détente with the Soviet Union, but other fronts of the Cold War pose critical challenges that he and his administration confront with the powers provided by the Constitution. But every decision is a calculated risk! Was President Carter able to maintain détente with the Soviets while improving relations with their communist nemesis China? What factor did President Carter’s commitment to promoting human rights play in all of this? Analysis of primary sources and facilitated dialogue will help attendees answer these questions and better understand the civic aspects of the American Presidency. (from the Carter Presidential Library)
“Life on the Edge”: Rocky Mountain National Park
Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2:00 pm
The alpine zone of Rocky Mountain National Park boasts a diverse biodiversity, including a variety of hardy plants like alpine wildflowers, low-growing shrubs, and lichen, alongside animals like bighorn sheep, mountain goats, ptarmigan birds, and small mammals adapted to the harsh, high-elevation environment with its extreme temperature fluctuations and thin air; this unique ecosystem is often referred to as alpine tundra, with a noticeable patchiness in vegetation due to the challenging conditions. Join us for this program, “Life on the Edge, where we will learn about biodiversity in the alpine and what threatens it and the research that is done to study and to mitigate those threats.
Montezuma’s Castle National Historic Monument
Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2:00 pm
Located in Camp Verde, Arizona, Montezuma Castle National Monument protects the well-preserved living spaces of the Sinagua Indians.
Like an ancient five-story apartment building, Montezuma Castle towers above the desert below, a stone-and-mortar marvel of early architectural engineering. Experts have determined that the Castle was built over three centuries and provided shelter for the Sinagua Indians during flood seasons. However, contrary to the belief of the European-Americans who discovered the structure, there’s no historical connection to the Aztec emperor for whom it’s named—the structure was abandoned more than 40 years prior to his birth. Today, approximately 350,000 people per year visit the Castle, browse the museum, and stroll through the scenic sycamore grove and the towering trees offer welcome shade and a critical habitat for hundreds of native plants and animals.
Presidential Inaugurations on the National Mall
Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2:00 pm
Every presidential inauguration is a moment in our nation’s history and each president has left their own legacy that shaped the country. Some presidents are honored with monuments and memorials for future generations to reflect on their life and legacy, including many iconic sites in the nation’s capital. In honor of the presidential inauguration, follow the journeys of past presidents through places and stories found in national parks in D.C. and across the country. The National Park Service has been at the center of planning presidential inaugurations for more than 80 years. The National Park Service are responsible for the care, maintenance and preservation of some of the most important locations used during inaugurations, from viewing areas on the National Mall to the inaugural parade route on Pennsylvania Avenue to the site of the presidential reviewing stand near President’s Park. Two administrative units of the National Park Service—National and Memorial Parks and President’s Park—play an important role in planning inauguration event support in DC.