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2009 season of enriching one-day getaways for adults opens June 18
Contacts: Rachel Wright, College of Continuing Education, (612) 624-7770, wrigh474@umn.edu
Ryan Maus, University News Service, (612) 624-1690, maus@umn.edu
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (06/10/2009) — What’s more exciting for school kids than hearing the best two words in the English language: “field trip?" Adults are invited to recapture that excitement with the University of Minnesota Curiosity Camp program, which offers enriching one-day summer getaways for adults. The 2009 season opens June 18 with "Northeast Minneapolis: A Skyline of Steeples and Spires."
This summer, Curiosity Camp will offer one-day programs on topics that include Islam, Minnesota wine-making, baseball and even ancient Egypt. Most camps begin with lively lectures and discussions with University of Minnesota faculty and community experts. These discussions set the stage for an enriching local field trip.
A complete list of the 2009 camps is below. More information and registration is available at cce.umn.edu/curiosity or by calling (612) 624-4000.
Thursday, June 18: Northeast Minneapolis: A Skyline of Steeples and Spires
Explore the unique history of Northeast Minneapolis through its iconic religious structures. Learn about the history of the neighborhood, the people who have lived there and how the community's built landscape reveals a diverse and fascinating history.
Monday, June 22: Book Lovers' Retreat: Leafing Through the Pages at the Arboretum
Take a "literary tour" amidst the lush natural beauty of the Arboretum, pausing at sites that reflect or illustrate excerpts from favorite pieces of literature selected by award-winning writer Toni McNaron. Learn to prepare a dinner based on favorite recipes of literary greats, from Emily Dickinson's rye bread – which is reputed to have made her more famous in Amherst than her poetry—to Margaret Atwood's baked lemon custard. Continue the discussion of literature with former Star Tribune books editor Sarah Williams and Jim Heynen, author of Sunday Afternoon on the Porch: Reflections of a Small Town in Iowa, 1939-1942, among other works.
Tuesday, June 23: Insight Into Islam
Islam is the predominant religion in much of Africa and the Middle East, as well as in major parts of Asia and eastern Europe, with more than one billion adherents worldwide. However, misperceptions about Islamic religious, cultural, and social practices abound. During this Camp, offered in partnership with the Islamic Center of Minnesota, you will spend time at the Center and learn about Islam from a variety of perspectives.
Monday, June 29: A Geology Tour of the Twin Cities
The geology of the Twin Cities preserves a record of startling contrasts. During this Camp you will discover how and why the land looks the way it does. Learn to recognize common rocks, enjoy a bit of fossil hunting and discover clues to Minnesota's glacial past.
Monday, July 13: Blown, Painted, Slumped, and More: The Living Color of American Art Glass
Explore the history of American art glass, learn about the contemporary art glass movement and visit a working glass artist's studio for in-person demonstrations.
Tuesday, July 14: The Art of Collecting and the Art of Letting Go
Learn about preserving your treasures, keeping good records, tax issues and the future of your collections.
Thursday, July 16: Moliere: From Royal Court to Centennial Showboat
Revel in the life and times of Moliere with a leading musicologist and discover why his plays continue to be staged and adapted to great acclaim today. Delve into a discussion and performance of "Is There a Doctor in the House?" – an adaptation of "The Imaginary Invalid" – at the Centennial Showboat.
Tuesday, July 21: A Culture of Clay: Three Aesthetic Practices in the Twin Cities
From the early days of production ceramics epitomized by companies like Red Wing Pottery to the explosion of a contemporary pottery community encouraged by University of Minnesota ceramics professor Warren MacKenzie, Minnesota has long been a hotbed for the ceramic arts. Explore the dynamic clay culture of Minnesota and meet leading ceramic artists working in the area.
Wednesday, July 22: Tall Grass Prairie: From Origins to Backyard
Prairies once extended from the northwestern to the southeastern corners of Minnesota, part of vast grassland that occupied some 18 million acres. Learn about the tall grass prairie and then visit remnants of it near the Twin Cities to encounter firsthand this vanishing and precious landscape.
Monday, July 27: Florence: Birthplace of the Renaissance
Discover why Florence is considered the birthplace of the Renaissance, one of the most brilliant periods in the history of Western civilization, and delve into Italian food, wine and language.
Wednesday, July 29: Wine That's Found Its Time: Minnesota Vineyards
Learn about new grapes developed expressly for Minnesota's climate and taste the new wines that they produce during a field trip to area vineyards.
Tuesday, August 4: Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Delve into baseball's enduring magic during an afternoon and evening at which you will circle the bases from the sport's mythmakers (Fitzgerald, Hemingway and Malamud), to the secret behind what makes a ballpark hot dog taste so good, to why we rise and stretch in the middle of the seventh inning. End the day with an evening of baseball magic, at a St. Paul Saints game.
Wednesday, August 5: See the Pyramids Along the Nile
Learn what life was like during the early centuries of ancient Egypt, a civilization that endured for thousands of years. During an afternoon and evening in the midst of the green surroundings of the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, you will explore the sights, sounds and flavors of Egypt.
Each Curiosity Camp costs $125. There is a reduced rate of $100 for Circle of Scholars members, University of Minnesota Alumni Association members, and University faculty, staff and full-time students. Costs include meals and refreshments, and transportation to and from most camp destinations.
Curiosity Camp is a program of the University of Minnesota College of Continuing Education. Through the College of Continuing Education, motivated adults enrich their personal and professional lives through learning opportunities ranging from courses, workshops and retreats to credit certificates and bachelor’s and master’s degrees.