| Hundreds of lectures. Knowledgeable instructors. Join us in-person at one of our 20 locations or participate online.  Winter / Spring January – May 2025 PROGRAM REGISTRATION IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE OR VIA PHONE Keep your mind active and engaged! Register for a lecture or special event with FGCU Academy! FGCU Academy will be open Thursday, January 2, 2025, 8am – 5pm. You can register online HERE or by sending in your registration via mail. Here’s to a fantastic 2025, full of new adventures and opportunities to learn and grow together! At FGCU Academy, we’re ushering in 2025 with a renewed com- mitment to lifelong learning and community engagement. This year promises to be filled with enriching programs, exciting day trips, and innovative classes. – Sunday Afternoon Movies: Enjoy a relaxing Sunday afternoon with our curated selection of international films. Perfect for unwinding and spending quality time with friends and family. – Writing Workshops: Join our creative writing workshops to hone your skills and connect with fellow writers. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced writer, our workshops offer valuable feedback and inspiration. – Mah Jongg: Dive into the world of Mah Jongg, a traditional Chinese game that’s both fun and challenging. Learn the rules, play with friends, and enjoy this engaging pastime. Scroll below to discover our current offerings, and be sure to check out our 2025 Winter/Spring Program Guides, now available online and for pick-up at the Naples Center and local libraries. Stop by any time to grab your copy and start planning your journey of discovery with us! Naples Center – 704 Goodlette Frank Rd. N / Suite 330 / Naples VIEW WINTER/SPRING PROGRAM GUIDE HERE REGISTER FOR COURSES HERE Call our office for assistance with your registrations at 239.434.4737.  View 2025 Winter / Spring Program Guide View Here Feel free to print catalog at home, or just print the specific pages that interest you. View our Chronological Calendar by date beginning on page 8. Just look for your available dates and see everything being offered that day. View our LATE EDITIONS page at back of catalog on page 67. Lectures at – Moorings Park Grand Lake – 7410 Little Lane, Naples – Moran Wealth Management Education Center – 5801 Pelican Bay Blvd, Suite 110, Naples Featured Fun Beginning in January at FGCU Academy  International Film and Documentary Discussion Series (9 Films) January 12 – May 4 | Twice Monthly 2 – 4pm | Sundays Naples Center Speaker: John Guerra Pre-registration is strongly advised. Participants may register for the series (NC6390) or for any of the individual films below. Join fellow film lovers as we watch and discuss films from around the world. Award winning, thought provoking, heart pounding and life changing cinema that will stay with you long after the credits roll. January 12, at 2 pm – As It is In Heaven A famous international conductor returns to his small childhood town in Sweden for early retirement. He’s asked to help with the church choir after which everyone’s lives will be forever changed. January 26, at 2 pm – Masaan Along India’s Ganges River, four people face prejudice, a strict moral code and a punish- ing caste system as they confront personal tragedies. February 9, at 2 pm – Departures Soon after buying an expensive cello, Daigo learns that his orchestra is disbanding. He moves back to his hometown with his wife, where he answers an ad for what Daigo thinks is a travel agency but is, in actuality, a mortuary. February 23, at 2pm – 20 Days in Mariupol As the Russian invasion begins, a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting the war’s atrocities. March 9, at 2 pm – The Quiet Girl In rural Ireland, nine-year-old Cait is sent away from her overcrowded, dysfunctional family to live with foster parents for the summer. Quietly struggling at school and at home, she has learn- ed to hide in plain sight from those around her. March 23, at 2 pm – Le Passé An Iranian man returns to France to finalize his divorce and finds that his estranged wife has a new lover. April 13, at 2 pm – American Factory In post-industrial Ohio, a Chinese billionaire opens a new factory in the husk of an abandoned General Motors plant. Early days of hope and optimism give way to setbacks as high-tech China clashes with working-class America. April 27, at 2 pm – From Time to Time Tolly, a 13-year-old teenager staying with his grandmother at the end of World War II, discovers he can travel back in time as a ghost, and helps his ancestors solve a mystery. May 4, at 2pm – The Handmaiden With help from an orphaned pickpocket, a Korean con man devises an elaborate plot to seduce and bilk a Japanese woman out of her inheritance.  Writer’s Collaborative Workshop (4-part monthly series) January 7 – May 27 | Weekly 1:30 – 3:30pm |Tuesdays Naples Center / Online via Zoom Speaker: Kelly Canaday In this hands-on workshop, participants share writing for feedback and engage in discussion of the writing craft and profession at all levels, including the writing process, developing ideas, audience and reader engagement. Each week each participant reads an excerpt of work-in-progress for con- structive critique and collaborative learning. Learn through works-in-progress and discuss the writ- ing process, effective revision techniques, and targeting specific genres and markets. Time and length limit to excerpts are dependent on group size.  Mah Jongg Advanced Mah Jongg Strategies (3-part series) January 27, 29, 31 | Mon, Wed, Fri| 10 – 11:30am Naples Center Mah Jongg for Beginners (3-part series) January 14, 15, 17 | Tue, Wed, Fri | 10 – 11:30am Naples Center Speaker: Gayle Dorio Please bring your 2024 Mah Jongg Rule Card to the January and February classes. For the April classes, please bring the new 2025 card (cards are available from the National Mah Jongg League; 212-246-3052). Also, please bring your own Mah Jongg set. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced player, you can always learn something new. From lerning the fundamentals of Mah Jongg to playing high levels of strategies and how to put your tiles together to make a hand, this game makes you think every minute. Be prepared to play hands with defensive strategies and faster decision making in the advanced class. Learn when to call and when to wait. Why is this game more about looking and listening than just studying your hand? Day Trips and Special Events These day trips and Special Events are a fantastic way to enhance your learning journey with FGCU Academy. Be sure to register early, as spots can fill up quickly! Click Here to View all of Our Upcoming Day Trips and Special Events If you would like to discuss any of our trips, please feel free to call our office anytime as well as for assistance with your registrations at 239.434.4737.   BECOME A FRIEND OF THE ACADEMY WITH A $100 DONATION AS A NON-CREDIT PROGRAM WE RECEIVE NO FUNDING FROM FGCU. WE NEED YOUR HELP TO CONTINUE OUR IMPORTANT COMMUNITY OUTREACH MISSION. To donate, simply: 1. Visit our website at Academy | Online Giving (fgcu.edu). 2. Send a check payable to FGCU Academy with “Friend of the Academy Donation” in the memo line. 3. Or, contact us at 239-434-4737 to arrange a donation over the phone. Thank you for considering this opportunity to contribute to a program that celebrates lifelong growth. Together, we’re enriching lives, one class at a time. 2025 TRAVEL PROGRAMS Travel with FGCU Academy   Northern Italy: From the Alps to the Adriatic Departure August 20, 2025 View Brochure  Journey Through Central Europe Departure: August 30, 2025 View Brochure  Insider’s Japan Departure September 8, 2025 View Brochure  Paradores and Pousadas: Portugal & Spain Departure: September 15, 2025 View Brochure  Machu Picchu to the Galapagos Departure October 28, 2025 View Brochure  Egypt and the Eternal Nile Departure: November 17, 2025 View Brochure  Moroccan Discovery: From the Imperial Cities to the Sahara Departure November 18, 2025 View Brochure  Portugal and the Douro River Cruise Departure: September 17, 2025 View Brochure View Video Presentation  Gems of Eastern Europe River Cruise Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, Departure September 24, 2025 View Brochure View Video Presentation Travel Abroad with FGCU Academy Call our office 239.434.4737 for assistance with registration or Click to View our Website     FGCU Academy FGCU ACADEMY NAPLES CENTER 704 Goodlette-Frank Rd N Suite 330 Naples, FL 34102 239.434.4737 [email protected] |
