Our engaging lectures 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 May and June, in addition to three fascinating online series (see for yourself why participants love our fully supported online events), we are offering two in-person writing workshops in an exciting new location: CU@Kanata (350 Legget Drive).
Below are details for our Late Spring 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!
Lecture Series:
ONLINE SERIES:
What Does it Mean to Live a Good Life? Six Philosophical Approaches
More Physics Around Us
Behind the Headlines: Current News and World Events
New Mini-Series! The Cover Song: From Controversy and Theft to Creating New Genres
IN-PERSON SERIES:
My Life as a Museum: A Springboard for Memoir
Poetry: Poem of the Heart, Poem of the Mind
ONLINE SERIES
Lecture Series 1 (ONLINE)
What Does it Mean to Live a Good Life? Six Philosophical Approaches
Lecturer: Dr. Kyla Bruff
Series description: What does it mean to live well? How can we live a good life and be happy? What makes life meaningful? In this lecture series, join philosophy lecturer Kyla Bruff to examine the different approaches six philosophers have taken to answering the question of the good life: Plato, Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, Friedrich Nietzsche, Martha C. Nussbaum, and Jan Patočka. Each philosopher’s particular take on living the good life will be described and then related to our contemporary situation. We will end the series by evaluating which conceptions of the good life (along with their corresponding demands) could be most relevant and helpful to us today.
- Days: Mondays, May 2, 9, 16, 30, June 6, 13 (note, no lecture May 23)
- Time: 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.)
- Fee: $160 (HST included)
- Lecture Series Outline
- Registration is now closed, please contact us to register.
Lecturer biography: Kyla Bruff is an Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Carleton University. Her research is primarily in 19th and 20th century German and French social and political philosophy. Her current work investigates the roots of different ideological orientations in the history of philosophy. She is also a passionate educator, having completed her teacher training in England. Kyla is committed to innovative, practical approaches to carrying out philosophy in public. She is the Co-Director of the ecological NPO For A New Earth (FANE). Finally, Kyla is an active translator, primarily of philosophical texts from French and German into English. She was recently featured in a Philosophy Department Spotlight article.
Lecture Series 2 (ONLINE)
More Physics Around Us
Lecturer: Dr. Andrew Robinson
Series description: Physics is an experimental science based on observation of the world around us. In this all-new series by award-winning educator Dr. Andrew Robinson, familiar everyday examples will illustrate principles of physics in a descriptive and non-mathematical way. This series will cover fluids and gases, heat transfer and wind chill, ocean waves and light waves, gravity, splitting the atom, and ‘weird’ optics. The lectures will be highly interactive, with many opportunities for discussion and questions on topics of interest to those attending. An interest in science is recommended, but no scientific knowledge is needed.
PLEASE NOTE: This series is a good companion to but is distinct from, the Physics Around Us lecture series. This series has no prerequisites, and no background knowledge of physics is needed.
- Days: Tuesdays, May 10, 17, 24, 31, and June 7, 14 (Note: date change)*
- Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 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.)
- Fee: $160 (HST included)
- Lecture Series Outline
- Registration is now closed, please contact us to register.
Lecturer biography: Dr. Andrew Robinson is a Contract Instructor in the Physics Department at Carleton University. He has degrees in Chemical Physics and Physical Chemistry from Bristol University and Bath University. He has worked as a professional scientist in Germany and the UK, and moved to Canada in 2000. After working at the University of Saskatchewan, he moved to Ottawa in 2010. His current research interest is the teaching of Physics at the post-secondary level, and he uses innovative technology and pedagogical methods in his classes. He has won the Faculty of Science Teaching Awards in 2012, 2014, 2017, and 2020. Read what LLeaP participants have said about Dr. Andrew Robinson.
*Dates updated to reflect an unforeseen change in schedule. Participants registered before April 25th will have received an email explaining further.
Lecture Series 3 (ONLINE)
Behind the Headlines: Current News and World Events
Lecturer: Dr. Elliot Tepper
Series description: In this World Affairs lecture series, we will discuss current events making the news, affecting our lives and our world. Hot topics of the week will be explored in-depth, providing context and background for stories in the headlines. We will also be exploring some topics that did not make the headlines, but should have. The content will be determined weekly by emerging issues of importance to Canadians. Come for lively discussions of the news that matters, led by a veteran Carleton University political scientist and media commentator. Perspective and analysis will be provided by the lecturer, followed by a discussion with participants.
- Days: Wednesdays, May 4, 11, 18, 25, June 1, 8
- Time: 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.)
- Fee: $160 (HST included)
- Registration is now closed, please contact us to register.
Lecturer biography: Dr. Tepper is a veteran professor of comparative politics and international relations at Carleton University. He regularly provides media commentary at home and abroad on a wide range of topics, providing context and deep background to the news stories of the day. Dr. Tepper’s career in academia and public policy provides the basis for thoughtful analysis on current events, and his lifetime of teaching on-campus and through the public media provides the basis for an engaging, interactive classroom experience. An internationally recognized scholar, Dr. Tepper provides analysis and policy advice to national and international organizations. Read what participants have said about Dr. Tepper and the Behind the Headline series
NEW! Lecture Mini-Series 6 (ONLINE)
The Cover Song: From Controversy and Theft to Creating New Genres
Lecturer: Keith McCuaig
Series description: When a musician plays or records someone else’s song, that’s referred to as a cover version. Cover songs are ubiquitous in the world of music, played by young musicians learning their first song and by professionals performing for thousands. Some covers become better known than the original, while others are so different they seem like a new song, or make us cringe and ask “why?!”
Join LLeaP lecturer Keith McCuaig to explore musical theft, mashups, controversial examples, and whether some songs are “uncoverable.” You will also learn about songs that get played and recorded so often that they become “standards” (e.g., in jazz or rock), and discover how cover songs have helped create new genres. In this special mini-series, you’ll hear fascinating examples and analysis to help you better understand and enjoy the world of the cover song in rock, blues, jazz, soul, country, reggae, hip hop, and more.
- Days: Fridays, May 20, 27
- Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 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.)
- Fee: $55 (HST included)
- Registration opens now, please register here.
Lecturer biography: With an M.A. in Music and Culture, and over 25 years experience as a musician, Keith McCuaig is dedicated to all things music and art. Keith has taught a dozen different courses through Carleton University’s Lifelong Learning Program; is a part-time professor at the University of Ottawa; and has presented at international musicology conferences. From performing, writing, and recording, to giving music lessons, lecturing, and working with community music programs, Keith’s life and passion is music. (Photo Credit: Anita Grace) Read what participants have said about Keith McCuaig’s lecture series.
IN-PERSON SERIES
Workshop Series 4 (IN-PERSON)
My Life as a Museum: A Springboard for Memoir
Lecturer: Dr. Anna Rumin
Series description: We all have a story to tell and 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, 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: Wednesdays, May 4, 11, 18, 25, June 1, 8
- Time: 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time
- Format: In-person
- Location: CU@Kanata (350 Legget Dr.)
- Fee: $220 (HST included)
- Workshop Series Outline: Enrolled participants will receive a detailed outline with resources before the lectures begin.
- Enrollment capacity: up to 12 participants
- Parking: Free nearby parking
- Registration is full, waitlist is now open
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 courses that invite participants to think of themselves as the narrators of their life as seen and written through a particular lens. Regardless of who she is working with, Anna is committed to supporting those she leads, 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.
Workshop Series 5 (IN-PERSON)
Poetry: Poem of the Heart, Poem of the Mind
Lecturer: Nicola Vulpe
Series description: The Welsh poet R.S. Thomas defined poetry as that “which arrives at the intellect/ by way of the heart”. We might also say that poetry reaches the heart by way of the intellect. In this series, we will start by examining some poems by great poets to try to understand how these poems reach both the intellect and the heart. We will then turn to your poems to discuss them in an open and respectful dialogue, using these discussions and in-class poetry writing exercises to develop your skills and help you write the poems you want to write, in whatever style you prefer.
- Days: Fridays, May 6, 13, 20, 27, June 3, 10
- Time: 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time
- Format: In-person
- Location: CU@Kanata (350 Legget Dr.)
- Fee: $220 (HST included)
- Workshop Series Outline
- Workshop Poster
- Enrollment capacity: up to 12 participants
- Parking: Free nearby parking
- Registration is now closed, please contact us to register.
Lecturer biography: Nicola Vulpe has taught literature at the University of Ottawa, and at the Universities of León, La Laguna, and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. His recent work has appeared in journals such as The Antigonish Review, The Manhattan Review, Montréal Serai, and Stand Magazine. He has published a novella, The Extraordinary Event of Pia H., who turned to admire a chicken in the Plaza Mayor, and four collections of poetry, including, most recently, Through the Waspmouth I Drew You, and Insult to the Brain, which received the Fred Cogswell Award for Excellence in Poetry.