Late Fall 2022 Session - Lifelong Learning Program

About our Lectures and Workshops

Our engaging lecture series provide participants with entertaining learning opportunities, without required readings, assignments, or tests. Participants can easily interact with the experts and with other lifelong learners, and many participants attend with a friend or family member. You can learn more about us from this website and from this 2022 article.

This November and December, in addition to three fascinating online series (see for yourself why participants love our fully supported online events), we are offering four in-person series on the main campus, and at the National Gallery of Art.

Below are details for our Late Fall 2022 session. Please see our policy page for important updates regarding in-person offerings. Sign up for our mailing list to receive notifications of our program offerings, as well as selected free events at Carleton University. We hope to see you soon!

Parking Note: While we are currently not able to organize and take payment for parking for our participants, we are working on another arrangement with special rates for registered LLeaP participants.

Late Fall Lecture and Workshop Series: (registration is closed)

ONLINE SERIES :
Art and Mythology: Stories of the Living Past
The Nature of Ontario

IN-PERSON SERIES:
The Games People Play: Secrets of Puzzles and Patterns
My Life as a Museum: a Springboard for Memoir
Writing the Stories of My Life: Remembering my Mother
People, Places, Myths and Symbols: Viewing Art at the National Gallery

ONLINE SERIES

Lecture Series 2 (ONLINE)
Art and Mythology: Stories of the Living Past
Lecturer: Dr. Eric Weichel

Series description: In this new fast-paced series, LLeaP lecturer Dr. Eric Weichel explores the relationship between art and mythology, using primary sources, literary and visual theory, and archaeology and visual art. Participants will learn how myth, symbol and tradition continue to inform both historical and contemporary modes of art production, reception and exhibition. Topics will include Vikings, Minoan Art and Proto-Myth, Helen of Troy, Indigenous Myth and Legend in Contemporary Canada, and Rituals, Myth and the Body.

Note: Dr. Weichel covered “Classical Traditions” in his earlier Art and Mythology series in the Early Fall 2022 session. However, there are no pre-requisites for this “Stories of the Living Past” lecture series, which covers different material and thematic content.

Days: Mondays, October 31, November 7, 14, 21, 28 and December 5
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Format: Online
Location: Zoom (This lecture series is offered via Zoom, which can be used on computers and mobile devices. We recommend you use a computer/laptop with high-speed internet. A camera and microphone will enable you to participate more fully, but they are not required. See our Support page for details.)
Lecture Series Outline
Fee: $160 (HST included)
Registration is closed

Lecturer biography: Dr. Eric Weichel has taught several popular lecture series for the Lifelong Learning Program. He received his PhD in Art History from Queen’s University (Kingston) in 2013, and completed a SSHRC-funded Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Concordia University (Montreal) in 2015. His research specialties involve the role of palace women in facilitating visual and literary cross-cultural exchanges in the courtly sphere. Eric has curated an exhibition on eighteenth-century French prints for the Carleton University Art Gallery, and was a research assistant at the prestigious Rembrandt Specialist conference at Herstmonceux Castle, Sussex. Eric currently teaches at Nipissing University. Read what LLeaP participants have said about Dr. Eric Weichel’s lecture series.

Lecture Series 5 and 6 (ONLINE)
The Nature of Ontario
Lecturer: Michael Runtz

Series description: Ontario is as large as many countries, and harbours a diverse array of habitats, ranging from the most southern subarctic tundra in the world to the most northern section of Carolinian Forest in North America. Also included in the mix are remnant areas of tall grass prairie, rare limestone alvars, coastal sand dunes, and fire-driven Jack Pine forests. These habitats are home to an incredible diversity of plants and animals that includes prairie species such as Badgers and White-tailed Jackrabbits, southern species such as Five-lined Skinks and Prothonotary Warblers, and northern species such as Polar Bears and Arctic Foxes. When the lichens and plants (such as Prickly Pear Cactus and Arctic Willow) are added to this diversity, more than 17,000 species call Ontario home. This extravagantly illustrated series by Carleton University’s celebrated naturalist Michael Runtz will explore in detail the diverse ecoregions that make Ontario a most exciting place to explore.

Days: Wednesdays, November 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, and December 7
TWO TIME OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM:
- Morning: 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time
- Afternoon: 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Format: Online
Location: Zoom (This lecture series is offered via Zoom, which can be used on computers and mobile devices. We recommend you use a computer/laptop with high-speed internet. A camera and microphone will enable you to participate more fully, but they are not required. See our Support page for details.)
Lecture Series Outline
Fee: $160 (HST included)
Registration is closed

LLeaP lecturer Michael Runtz, photo by Britta Gerwin Lecturer biography: Michael Runtz is one of Canada’s most highly respected naturalists, nature photographers, and natural history authors, with 14 bestselling books to his name. (See an article featuring Michael Runtz and his new Algonquin Park book.) A dynamic communicator, Michael Runtz is equally at home in the television or radio studio, lecture hall or classroom. His Natural History course is the most popular of its kind in Canada, due to his award-winning infectious and enthusiastic teaching style. You may have seen (and heard) him hosting the international television series Wild by Nature, speaking as a frequent guest on television and radio shows such as CBC Radio Noon, or delivering presentations for groups as diverse as outdoor educators, professional biologists, schoolchildren, and naturalists’ clubs. Michael Runtz is also a finalist for the prestigious Nature Inspiration Award. Winners will be announced by the Canadian Museum of Nature on November 14. Read what participants have said about Michael’s lectures.

IN-PERSON SERIES

Lecture Series 1 (IN-PERSON)
The Games People Play: Puzzles and Patterns Explained (SERIES IS NOW FULL)
Lecturers: Amanda Chafee and Kirsten Nelson

Series description: Come test your problem solving and pattern recognition with fun puzzles!

Discrete mathematics has important applications across a wide variety of fields. Examples include such disparate topics such as solving puzzles, designing experiments, and software testing. The discrete structures we use are the foundation of logic puzzles such as Sudoku and Kakuro. Participants will see how adding and removing restrictions can change a question.

Amanda Chafee and Kirsten Nelson will guide you through the mathematical underpinnings of puzzles and patterns, including set notation, types of counting, discrete designs, orthogonal arrays, latin squares, other designs, and graphs.

This small-group series will include lectures and demonstrations but also opportunities to apply what you are learning. Participants will work in teams and individually to solve classic brain teasers and open real-world problems. They can also learn to create their own puzzles. No previous math experience required!

NOTE: LLeaP lecturers and participants will be required to follow whatever public health protocols are in place at Carleton University. To safeguard the well-being of other participants, workshop leaders and staff, the program strongly encourages mask-wearing, respecting other workshop members’ personal space, and staying home if feeling sick.

Days: Mondays, October 31, November 7, 14, 21, 28, and December 5
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Format: In-person
Location: Nicol Building, Carleton University, Main Campus
Fee: $195 (HST included)
Lecture Series Outline
Enrollment capacity: up to 16 participants
Parking: Main Campus paid parking, not included (special parking rates for LLeaP registrants may be announced here soon)
Registration is closed (series is full)

LLeaP lecturer Amanda Chafee LLeaP lecturer Kirsten Nelson Lecturer biographies: Amanda Chafee is a PhD student in discrete mathematics at Carleton University and is looking forward to introducing you to some cool puzzles and games, and the underlying structures that drive them. Kirsten Nelson is taking a break from her PhD in discrete mathematics at Carleton University but continues her research in the area of covering arrays. Amanda and Kirsten are both passionate about their work, and love to share what they do with others.

Lecture Series 3 (IN-PERSON)
My Life as a Museum: A Springboard for Memoir (SERIES IS NOW FULL)
Lecturer: Dr. Anna Rumin

Series description: We all have a story to tell, though knowing where to begin can become so overwhelming that we may put off writing the story at all. However, very often the stuff/things/artifacts that surround us are the very seeds of writing and curating our life stories. These include the things we take for granted: the drawer full of photographs, the stained carpet, the books on our shelves, forgotten stamp collections, old cutlery, our aunt’s moth-eaten teddy bear, your neighbour’s dog leash, a book collection, or old recipes. Whether you are a pack-rat or a neat-freak, this workshop will equip you with a safe space in which to begin writing these stories, as well as weekly prompts to encourage you to continue writing on your own between classes.

Days: Tuesdays, November 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 and December 6
Time: 10:00 a.m. -12:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Format: In-person
Location: Nicol Building, Carleton University, Main Campus
Fee: $220 (HST included)
Enrollment capacity: up to 12 participants
Lecture Series Outline: Registrants will receive outline when series begins
Parking: Main Campus paid parking, not included (special parking rates for LLeaP registrants may be announced here soon)
Registration is closed

Lecturer biography: Dr. Anna Rumin is a native Montrealer whose identity has been shaped by the political landscape of her home province, her Russian roots, a passion for life-long learning that has been woven both formally in academia and informally through travel, voracious reading and writing, and a love for the stories hidden in our natural world. Her interest in narrative inquiry stems from her belief that not only do we all have a story to tell but that our stories help us to better understand who we were, who we are and who we are becoming. She has now designed nine memoir-based writing workshops that invite participants to think of themselves as the narrators of their lives, as seen and written through a particular lens. Anna is committed to supporting those with whom she works by providing them with opportunities to set and meet their goals. In her spare time, Anna writes short fiction and has been the recipient of numerous awards. Read what LLeaP participants have said about Anna’s writing workshops.

Lecture Series 4 (IN-PERSON)
Writing the Stories of My Life: Remembering My Mother (SERIES IS NOW FULL)
Lecturer: Dr. Anna Rumin

Series description: We all have a story to tell, though knowing where to begin can become so overwhelming that we may put off writing the story at all. In these workshops you are invited to re-collect, record and share the stories from your life through a specific lens. What are the stories you want to remember, share and honour about your mother? We will work at isolating the small, rare and authentic stories that most effectively show who she was/is. How might writing about our mothers give us a glimpse into who we are, who we were and who we have become? Please prepare by collecting photographs and ‘artifacts’ that you associate with your mother. This workshop will equip you with a safe space in which to begin writing these stories, as well as weekly prompts to encourage you to continue writing on your own between classes.

Days: Tuesdays, November 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, and December 6
Time: 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Format: In-person
Location: Nicol Building, Carleton University, Main Campus
Fee: $220 (HST included)
Enrollment capacity: up to 12 participants
Lecture Series Outline: Registrants will receive outline when series begins
Parking: Main Campus paid parking, not included (special parking rates for LLeaP registrants may be announced here soon)
Registration is closed

Lecturer biography: Dr. Anna Rumin is a native Montrealer whose identity has been shaped by the political landscape of her home province, her Russian roots, a passion for life-long learning that has been woven both formally in academia and informally through travel, voracious reading and writing, and a love for the stories hidden in our natural world. Her interest in narrative inquiry stems from her belief that not only do we all have a story to tell but that our stories help us to better understand who we were, who we are and who we are becoming. She has now designed nine memoir-based writing workshops that invite participants to think of themselves as the narrators of their lives, as seen and written through a particular lens. Anna is committed to supporting those with whom she works by providing them with opportunities to set and meet their goals. In her spare time, Anna writes short fiction and has been the recipient of numerous awards. Read what LLeaP participants have said about Anna’s writing workshops.

Workshop Series 7 (GALLERY)
People, Places, Myths and Symbols: Viewing Art at the National Gallery (SERIES IS NOW FULL)
Lecturer: Maria Martin

Series description: This small-group series led by LLeaP lecturer Maria Martin will help you to develop your knowledge, appreciation and comfort level when viewing and discussing art. Each week you will gather together at the National Gallery of Canada to view artworks from the collection, with a light-hearted approach. There will be a different theme every week, including landscape art, portraiture, representations of history and historical figures, still-lives and symbolism, abstract and contemporary art. Lectures and discussions will take place in front of selected works in the Gallery’s collection.

NOTE: All gallery entrances are open again. Gallery entrance fees are required (note that buying a membership is more economical than paying each week). Participants should leave themselves time to put their coats and bags in the free Coat Check room, and to purchase tickets or memberships. These can be purchased from the box office, which is now located in the Great Hall, at the top of the ramp. Folding stools are also available in the Great Hall.

NOTE: LLeaP lecturers and participants will be required to follow whatever public health protocols are in place at the Gallery during the series. To safeguard the well-being of other participants, workshop leaders and staff, the program strongly encourages mask-wearing, respecting other workshop members’ personal space, and staying home if feeling sick.

Days: Thursdays, November 3, 10, 17, 24, and December 1, 8
Time: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time
Format: In-person
Location: National Gallery of Canada
Fee: $195 (HST included)
Lecture Series Outline
Enrollment capacity: up to 17 participants
Parking: Paid parking at the Gallery (not included)
Registration is closed

Lecturer biography: Maria Martin has studied and worked in the Arts for many years. She holds a Master’s Degree in the History of Art from Queen’s University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Art History from Carleton University. Maria has recently retired as a Manager with the federal government. She previously worked at the Canada Council for the Arts as an Art Consultant at the Council’s Art Bank, and as an Education Officer and Guide at the National Gallery of Canada. Read what participants have said about Maria Martin’s lecture series.