The Spoon River College Office of Community Outreach will host the 34th Lifelong Learning Conference on Friday, April 17, at the Canton Campus. This popular event for lifelong learners offers interesting speakers, lunch, and a resource fair.
Rick Klinedinst will start the day with a keynote presentation titled “America 250: Independence Won—and Almost Lost” as he explores the fragile years after 1776, when independence had been secured but the republic itself nearly failed. Seven break-out sessions will follow, with attendees choosing three of those to attend.
Morning sessions include “Pursuit of Creative Endeavors” by Jeanine Standard and Linda Brown as they explore how creative endeavors can affect mood, relationships, and brain functioning, followed by “Hidden Lives of the Titanic Stories of the Unrecognized Passengers and Crew” by Gwen Alexander, who brings to light the stories of those who largely remain unknown and a local family’s surprising connection to the Titanic.
Afternoon sessions include “1776 in 2026” by Stan Ransom featuring clips from the Broadway musical 1776; Christine Wright will present “Designing with Daisies” (bring your clippers!); Local winemaker Bradley Beam will present “C’est si bon: An Introduction to the Wines of France”; Mike Delligatti will share his travel adventures with “35 Fabulous Days in Australia,” and Larry Eskridge will lead the discussion of “one of the world’s most unpopular books” and its effect on people everywhere.
Check-in and refreshments are from 8-8:30 a.m., followed by opening remarks and the keynote presentation at 9 a.m. A Resource Fair and a soup and sandwich buffet will be held in between the morning and afternoon sessions, and the day wraps up at 2:30 p.m.
The event is sponsored by MidAmerica National Bank and resource fair venders CASA of West Central Illinois, Farmington Village Nursing and Rehab, Help at Home, SRC Adult Education; Spoon River Home Health, The Clayberg Nursing Center, Willow Ridge Hospice, and Canton Family YMCA. All attendees will be entered for door prize drawings compliments of the sponsors. Cost of the event is $25 ($35 after April 10) and registration can be completed online at https://src.augusoft.net/ or by calling 309-649-6260.