Spring into Savings
All Posts
Next Post ››2024 Walk Like MADD and MADD Dash Fort Myers 5K Kick-Off Reception
| Hundreds of lectures. Knowledgeable instructors. Join us in-person at one of our 19 locations or participate online.  JANUARY – MAY 2024 PROGRAM REGISTRATION IS NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE OR VIA PHONE FGCU Academy – Your place to live, laugh and learn Keep your mind active and engaged this year! Register for a lecture with FGCU Academy! Greetings, If you would like to know more about Florida Gulf Coast University, where they are going and how they are getting there, then you don’t want to miss the lecture from the University President – Dr. Aysegul Timur at Bentley Village on April 11. Maybe you want to learn how Sam Walmart built his empire from a small five and dime store. Of course there is plenty of enlightening history for you to participate in as well. Or maybe you want to learn how to relax in the comfort of your own home via an on- line Yoga class. FGCU Academy remains in the forefront with hot topic selections for you to choose from. See what is being offered below. Visit our Hot Picks & Sneak Peaks section for next week, below. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 2024 WINTER-SPRING PROGRAM GUIDE ONLINE! REGISTRATION AVAILABLE ONLINE BY CLICKING HERE Call our offices anytime for assistance at 239.434.4737 Click on any topic below to learn more. HOT PICKS  A Conversation with Florida Gulf Coast University President Aysegul Timur April 11 | 10 – 11:30 am Thursday Bentley Village Learn about our 26-year-old regional comprehensive University; how the community created it, and how it has become the economic engine of Southwest Florida. Hear about the innovative practices being piloted at the young University, and how the institution is successfully navigating a changed educational landscape. This will be an interactive conversation, so come prepared with your questions for the newly in- stalled first-generation female President of FGCU.  Catherine the Great April 11 | 1:30 – 3 pm Thursday Naples Center / Online via Zoom Bright, ambitious and imbued with ideas of the Enlightenment, Catherine rose from a German princess to Empress of Russia through her wits and wiles, not to mention intrigue and the convenient elimination of her husband. Her correspondence with the greatest minds of the day is legendary. She had grand plans for Russia, and encouraged by her lover Potemkin, set about the expansion, modernization and education of the country. Although her reign also saw the violently dangerous Pugachev rebellion, Catherine’s accomplishments and devotion to Russia have earned her a place among history’s most Enlightened Des- pots.  Medieval Knights, Chivalry and Tournaments April 15 | 10 – 12 pm Monday Naples Center / Online via Zoom The medieval knight as we understand him sprang onto the European scene around the year 1100 CE when the four key characteristics of this warrior figure came together: (i) his signature martial tactic – the mounted shock-combat charge with couched lance; (ii) his elevated social status as a member of the nobility; (iii) the development of a code of chivalry with a particular emphasis on personal honor, bravery and courtesy; and (iv) the evolution of the tournament as a forum in which to practice and dis- play his military skills. This lecture discusses these elements and provides a detailed overview of the armor, weapons and tactics used in medieval tournaments and jousts, as well as the social importance of these spectacles.  Sam Walton and the Making of Walmart April 15 | 1:30 – 3 pm Monday Naples Center / Online via Zoom Sam Walton built a single “five and dime” store into the largest retailer in the world. His passion for low prices and focus on the customer humbled his much larger competitors. But as yesterday’s David became today’s Goliath, critics became as numerous as new Walmart Supercenters. Were low prices worth the cost of low wages, lack of health care and the ruin of America’s small retailers? Was Walmart doing what everyone else was doing but just doing it better? Has Walmart changed in reaction to the criticism? We’ll look at Sam Walton and Walmart’s past, present and future.  Yoga Nidra Meditation: Become Relaxed and Serene (2-part series) April 16, 30 | 9 – 10 am Tuesdays Online via Zoom From the comfort and peace of your own home, calm and reset your body and mind through the practice of Yoga Nidra Meditation. We begin with breathing exercises to relax the body as we ease into a guided meditation. Yoga Nidra is the easiest form of meditation. It is an ancient sleep- based meditation and very relaxing. People feel refreshed and their energy is recharged afterwards. Each session is equivalent to 3-4 hours of deep sleep. Participants can sit in a chair, lie down on a sofa or yoga mat with a blanket.  U.S. POW Camps – World War II Axis Prisoners April 16 | 10 – 11:30 am Tuesday Naples Center / Online via Zoom Nearly 426,000 POWs were held in 700 camps throughout the U.S. Most worked and interacted openly with local American citizens. We discuss camp conditions and locations and address little known aspects such as secret detention and interrogation camps, escapes and baseball. Topics include: prisoners; the first POWs; Allied assistance; Geneva Conventions; Camps Aliceville, Tonkawa, Tracy, Peary, Ruston, Hale, McCoy, Atterbury; Fort Hunt; internment and relocation of Japanese Americans; Dale Maple; The Richie Boys; and Florida camps.  Eli Cohen – Israeli Master Spy April 16 | 1:30 – 3:00 pm Tuesday Naples Center / Online via Zoom Eli Cohen, one of the most successful spies of all time, might have become the Syrian Deputy Defense Minister if he had not been caught and executed. He provided intelligence crucial in the Six Day War. This lecture also examines other Mossad operations (including Adolph Eichmann and U.S. spy Jonathan Pollard) and compares other major intelligence organizations. Sneak Peak for Next Week – see what is coming –iPhone/iPad for Intermediates: All the Things You Never Knew –China Under Xi Jinping –The Free State of Florida: Really? What About Responsibility? –How the Modern Bible Came to Be –iPhone/iPad Apps: Apple Mail and Safari –True American Modern Art TAKE A LECTURE AT ONE OF OUR 19 LOCATIONS The Arlington, Naples (AR) Aston Gardens, North Naples (AG) Bentley Village, North Naples (BV) Bonita Bay Community Assoc., Bonita (BB) Brooks Enrichment Center, Bonita (BR) The Collaboratory, Ft. Myers (CO) Cypress Cove, Ft. Myers (CC) FGCU Main Campus, Ft. Myers (FG) Grey Oaks Country Club, Naples (GR) Hideaway Beach Club, Marco island (HB) The Island Country Club, Marco island (IC) Moorings Park Grande Lake, Naples (GL) Moorings Park at Grey Oaks, Naples (GO) Moorings Park Original Campus, Naples (MP) Naples Center, Naples (NC) Siena Lakes, North Naples (SL) The TwinEagles Club, North Naples (TE) United Church of Marco Island, Marco (UC) Wyndemere Country Club, Naples (WC) (see page 4 of the Winter-Spring 2024 Program Guide for location addresses) FGCU Academy  Click Below to View 2024 Travel Open House Presentation  Classic Safari: Kenya & Tanzania August 13-28, 2024 16 days for $11,196 View Brochure  Exploring Iceland August 15-25, 2024 11 days for $6,692 View Brochure  Southern Italy & Sicily September 4-18, 2024 15 days for $6,674 View Brochure   Scotland: Highlands & Islands September 9-20, 2024 12 days for $5,896 View Brochure  Sensations of Lyon & Provence 2024 River Cruise September 17 – 28, 2024 12 days from $5,469 View Brochure  Jewels of the Rhine 2024 River Cruise September 20 – 30, 2024 11 days from $4,925 View Brochure  Provincial French Countryside September 27-October 11, 2024 15 days for $6,297 View Brochure  New Zealand Adventure October 10-25, 2024 16 days for $8,124 View Brochure  Southeast Asia Odysseys October 31-November 18, 2024 19 days for $7,597 View Brochure Travel Abroad with FGCU Academy Call our office 239.434.4737 for assistance with registration or Click to View our Website DONATE NOW     FGCU Academy FGCU ACADEMY NAPLES CENTER 704 Goodlette-Frank Rd N Suite 330 Naples, FL 34102 239.434.4737 [email protected] |