*AIL is currently on hiatus until further notice. Thank you for your flexibility. Be on the lookout for more opportunities for lifelong learning in the 2024 new year!
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What we like best about the AIL Semester Series is the friendly people. We enjoy their company each week. It’s also an excellent educational experience, and the presenters are world-class experts.
—AIL Semester Participant
What Is the AIL Semester Series?
Classes, workshops, seminars, and discussion groups provide educational experiences covering a wide range of interests. T’ai chi, world affairs and a health series are ongoing classes. Previous topics have included Literature, History, Music, Creative Arts/Crafts, Travel, Financial and Security Issues, Spirituality, and Computer Skills. Our first AIL semester was conducted in the fall of 1998 and has now grown to over 125 participants each semester. Each semester we offer a rich and varied set of new classes.
Here are just some of our recent classes:
Stories of American Revolutionary Women – Bonnie Fite
Senior Olympics – Karen Jarzynka-Hernandez
History of Reston Predecessors, Before 1964 – Alex Campbell, Executive Director Reston Museum
Common and Uncommon Birds of North America – Jerry Koons, Bird Photographer
The Widow Spy – Marti Peterson
Sorting Fact From Fiction – Larry Lipman
Whale Watching In Baja – Paul Wormeli
Who Can Join?
The Adventures in Learning (AIL) Semester Series offers adults age 50 or older a weekly program that combines a diversity of content with the opportunity to engage with their peers. Participants are welcome to attend one class or stay all day. We normally hold three 8-week semesters each year. Each semester has a somewhat different curriculum, and many participants sign up each semester.
One semester tuition payment entitles you to attend any or all classes during the semester. Create your own schedule – you may stay all day or attend only one class, and you can vary week by week.
Fall 2023 Semester
Registration will run from Sept 21 through Nov 16, 2023.
Please find the schedule and offerings for the Fall 2023 semester below:
Classes will be held on Thursdays: Sept 21 – Nov 16, 9:00am – 12:30pm.
Tuition for the entire 8-week series is $55 – one payment allows you to attend any number of the class sessions during the semester. Register for the semester in one of the following ways: (1) Pay securely online by buying a ticket at the bottom of this page, or (2) call the office (703)260-9568 to register and pay using your credit card.
Each session is hybrid – held both in person and virtually on Zoom. Locations are:
(1) Unitarian Universalist Church (2709 Hunter Mill Rd, Oakton, VA 22124).
(2) By Zoom: once registered and payment received, registrants will receive a Zoom link by email. If you do not receive a link, please contact the office at 703.260.9568.
Classes will be held every Thursday during the semester as follows. Please check the SCNOVA Events Calendar for any time changes.
Inclement weather policy: If Fairfax County Schools are CLOSED due to bad weather, our classes for that day are cancelled. If Fairfax County Schools are on a TWO HOUR delay, we will still have classes, but starting at 10:00 instead of 9:00.
December 3, 2024, we ask you to please keep the Shepherd’s Center of Northern Virginia in mind. As a non-profit we rely solely upon the support of community partners, grants and donations. To put your generosity into perspective, remember this, our funds go to enriching the lives of older adults in the communities we serve.