Course Description: Learn to play Mah Jongg using the National Mah Jongg League rules. This is a 6-week class.

Class Leader Bio(s): Donna Gross taught Mah Jongg for over 10 years at the Adult School in Chatham, NJ. Newly relocated to FWB, she would like to bring this game to the Emerald Coast. Denise Bavarian took the beginner Mah Jongg course in August, 2004. She has become an excellent player and with her help, we will be able to bring the game of Mah Jongg to more people.

Notes: 6-week class meeting January 14, 21, 28 and Feb 4, 11 and 18. Bring an open mind and a pen.

Course Description: Tour all museums in Okaloosa County. All visits except one involve a morning tour so as not to interfere with an afternoon class you might be taking. One visit will include the Air Force Armament Museum so you know the meeting place for our final three museum tours in the north end of the county (scheduled for the last class of the session). We will meet that morning at 9:45 a.m. at the Armament Museum. The last tour day we visit all three museums in the northern part of the county. We meet at the Air Force Armament Museum and carpool to The Bush House in Crestview, Carver-Hill in Crestview the Baker Block Museum. This final session will be an all-day class with us having lunch at a local restaurant. Museums on the south end of the “trail” include Destin History and Fishing, Air Force Armament Museum, Emerald Coast Science Center, Heritage Park and Cultural Center, and Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida. This is a 7-week class.

Class Leader Bio(s): Dr. Barbara Palmgren is a retired educator and author who currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Heritage Museum of Northwest Florida. She thinks it is important that seniors become aware of all the museums in Okaloosa County.

Notes: $30 class fee to be paid to Dr. Palmgren at the first class to cover the museum fees. Although many museum fees have increased, we are receiving a substantial discount. This 7-week class starts on January 14th at UWF. The remaining 6 classes (January 21, 28, February 4, 11, 18, and 25) will be visits to the museums of Okaloosa County. A list of each week’s starting point will be given at the January 14 class. Students are responsible for driving to the museums each week.

Course Description: This is a fun dance fitness workout while safely seated in a chair. There are dance routines that work on each of the major muscle groups in a fun way that does not seem like you’re working out, ending with a 5-minute stretch.

Class Leader Bio(s): Dawn Hamilton has been a Zumba instructor for 11 years. She has Zumba Gold classes in Niceville and FWB. She has loved the joy of dancing and working out with everyone regardless of their fitness level.

Notes: This is and 8-week class, please wear comfortable clothes and bring a bottle of water.

Course Description: The Revolutionary War started in the spring of 1775 at Lexington and Concord. In June 1776 the Second Continental Congress appointed a committee to prepare a declaration of independence. This course will examine the history of British America, the French and Indian War, the rise of the revolutionary resistance, the committees of correspondence, Boston Tea Party, the British Reaction, the First and Second Continental Congress, Paine’s Common Sense and the move toward independence, Richard Henry Lee’s resolution, Jefferson’s drafting of the declaration of independence and the changes made by Congress before its adoption on July 4, 1776.

Class Leader Bio(s): Dr. Marie Hallion is an Adjunct Professor at the Graduate School and the School of Undergraduate Studies of the University of Maryland Global Campus. She worked inside the White House from 1972 to 1978 during the Nixon, Ford and Carter Administrations and experienced two presidential transitions. She then moved to the newly created Energy Department in 1978. Marie specializes in organizational theory and a wide range of courses in government and politics. Awards she has received include the UMUC Teaching Excellence Award, the Graduate School Commitment to Excellence Award and the Professional Achievement Award.

Notes: This is an eight-week course meeting January 14, 21, 28, February 4, 11, 18, 25 and March 4.

Course Description: Do TV cop dramas and true crime podcasts tell you the whole story? They provide drama but often skip the complex reality. We will talk about, with help from practitioners, the REAL criminal justice system. This will sharply contrast with the often misleading portrayals found in popular media.

Class Leader Bio(s): Dr. Kathy Johnson received a BS in 1987 and MS in 1989 in Criminal Justice from Illinois State University. Her PhD in Criminology is from Indiana University in Pennsylvania. She has been a faculty member in Criminology and Criminal Justice at UWF since August 2000.

Course Description: Have you taken an Introduction to Zentangle class and want to learn more about enhancing your Zentangle creations? Then Zentangle Inspired Art (ZIA) is for you! This class requires that you have studied the basics of the Zetangle Method. We will take this meditative art form further as we enhance our original Zentangle drawings with highlighting, color, and creativity. This class will meet on Zoom, and students will be required to purchase their own supplies.

Class Leader Bio(s): Shannon Flynn is a retired classroom teacher who found Zentangle in 2020 and fell in love. She had never before been successful at any visual art form, but the Zentangle Method changed that! In 2020 she attended the international seminar to become a Certified Zentangle Teacher and started teaching small classes locally. Shannon also leads an online group of tanglers called Fabtangling Fun as they participate in guided tangling twice monthly. She has been a guest instructor at two Zenjo Zentangle retreats, 2022 in Wisconsin and 2023 in Wales, UK.

Notes: Zentangle Inspired Art requires that you have studied the Zentangle Method. To participate, you must have access to personal internet plus technology capable of using the Zoom app. Students will be responsible for purchasing their own supplies.

Course Description: Senior Dance Fitness is designed for the active older adult or beginner. A goal of the class is to move a little and have a lot of fun! A variety of rhythms are used for a low-impact cardio workout that will help improve balance, circulation, strength, and flexibility. All moves can be modified to suit your needs and abilities.

Class Leader Bio(s): Sundy Keichel has been teaching fitness classes since 2010. She currently teaches Senior Dance Fitness, Pilates, and Senior Conditioning in FWB.

Notes: Wear comfortable shoes/clothing and bring water. Classes meet in the gymnasium at Fort Walton Beach Rec Center, 132 Jet Dr, FWB.

Course Description: With help from the instructor, you will create several acrylic paintings of landscapes and seascapes. No experience is necessary. This is a 4-week double session class. There is a $40 non-refundable fee.

Class Leader Bio(s): Pat Roberts is a local artist. She is an active member of the Arts and Design Society and Okaloosa Public Arts. Pat exhibits as well as teaches at ADSO and HH Arts.

Notes: This is a double session 4-week course meeting January 15, 22, 29 and February 5. There is a $40 non-refundable supply fee due at the first class