| 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 Keep your mind active and engaged this year! Register for a lecture with FGCU Academy! Register for a Day Trip with FGCU Academy! Greetings, Can you believe we are halfway through March already? Time flies when you are having fun! Don’t forget to register! Get your classes while they are still available. Visit our Sneak Peaks section for next week, below. Click here to view our list of day trips & special events. 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. WEDNESDAY’S HOT PICKS  Chinese Intelligence March 13 | 10 – 11:30 am Wednesday Naples Center / Online via Zoom China has a large and highly proficient intelligence organization. They are particularly effective in human intelligence, economic espionage and cyber warfare. They are also very aggressive in co-opting students, academics and businessmen. Topics include: structure; mission; effectiveness; operations; Ministry for State Security; People’s Liberation Army; industrial and economic espionage; cyber warfare; and TikTok.  Voyage to Mars March 14 | 10 – 11:30 pm Thursday Naples Center / Online via Zoom In 2020, three missions were launched from Earth with the destination of Mars. All three missions arrived at Mars in February 2021. The first Mission was by United Arab Emirates named the Hope Probe. The second was by China named the Tianwen-1 Mission. The third was by NASA named Perseverance. The Hope Probe will remain in orbit and analyze Mars’ weather patterns. The Tianwen-1 Probe has an orbiter, a lander and a rover. Perseverance has a lander, rover and helicopter drone. We examine the objectives of each mission and provide up- dates on their accomplishments to date. Join us for a fascinating discussion about the forefront of space travel and exploration in the 21st century.  Growing Orchids from Seeds March 14 | 1:30 – 3 pm Thursday Naples Botanical Gardens Visit his You Tube Channel It may surprise you to know that most orchids that are sold in the big box stores and specialty garden shops started their journal in a laboratory. Orchids are either grown from seed or cloned from small shoot tips under sterile conditions, using a process called “flasking.” Students learn how orchids are bred to make seeds and how those seeds are placed in flasks, where they efficiently but slowly grow into small seedlings. Once seedlings are mature, they can be removed from their flask and acclimated to ambient conditions to continue their growth and eventually flower.  Ikebana: The Art of Japanese Floral Arrangement March 18 | 1:30 – 3 pm Monday Naples Botanical Gardens Ikebana represents the elements of heaven, earth and man, working in harmony. This elegant art is achieved by using flowers, branches, rocks and other natural materials to create beauty. It is a way of bringing one’s love of nature into the home. In experiencing the interrelationship between oneself and the outer world, it becomes another avenue of connecting with the beauty of nature, bringing a sense of inner peace, tranquility and serenity. Not merely flower arranging, Ikebana is an art to portray the life of the universe. HOT TOPICS of the Week –Pages Word Processor for the iPhone/iPad/Mac –China – The Mandate of Heaven; Humiliation and Rebirth New Class –A Republic If You Can Keep It: America at a Crossroads Sneak Peak for Next Week – see what is coming –Understanding Your Mirrorless and Digital SLR –iPhone/iPad: Tips, Tricks & Secrets of Apple’s Newest Operating – System iOS 17 –Affordable Housing: Needs and Impacts –Financial Strategies for Estate Planning –The Chicago 8 Conspiracy Trial –Recovering Nazi Plunder – World War II Monuments Men –Military Tribunals in U.S. History Day Trips / Special Events  The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg March 28 | 8 – 6 pm, Thursday St. Petersburg Our private, docent-led tour takes us through the highlights of the permanent collection as well as a brand-new exhibition, The Shape of Dreams. The Shape of Dreams explores 500 years of dream-inspired paintings from the 16th to 20th century, demonstrating how artists throughout time have depicted a profound yet common phenomenon of human experience – the dream. The exhibition examines how Western artists have depicted dreams for different audiences throughout time, exploring the continuity and disconnections between the past and present. Our tour includes round-trip motor coach transportation, driver gratuity, entrance fees, a private docent-led tour and audio guides. Lunch is on your own. Departure information will be emailed 3 days prior to the trip. Itineraries are subject to change. No refunds within 10 business days of departure. 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 Needs Your Support Today to Ensure that Our Critical Mission of Adult Education and Enrichment Continues! FGCU Academy is ready to serve the SWFL community for the Winter-Spring 2024 Season—Learning, Growing, Sharing and Socializing. With nearly 700 programs at more than nineteen locations, there is something for everyone. If we have had the opportunity to meet in person or if you have heard me speak, I hope I was able to share with you my passion about FGCU Academy and its mission to provide lifelong learning and enrichment to the SWFL community. I believe it is critical to our well-being to keep exploring new avenues for growth to keep our minds engaged in our past, present and future. Since we are a non-credit programmatic offering, Florida Gulf Coast University can provide $0.00 of support to the Academy. We must be financially self-sustaining. The fact is that the revenue generated through memberships and program fees provides for only 50% of our annual operating costs. Additionally, our attendance has not yet re- turned to pre-pandemic levels, so revenue is much lower than in the past. As an educator, I find myself slightly uncomfortable talking about the financial needs of the Academy beyond thanking everyone for their participation. But, this year and for the near future, it is important that I find the words to ask for additional support through philanthropic donations. Our passion keeps us moving forward and your donations will do the same. Please take a moment to consider a year-end donation to ensure our continued success. All amounts make a difference in strengthening the work we do in the community. Your gift will allow the Academy to offer more than 1,000 diverse and fascinating programs at more than twenty locations throughout SWFL. Through our mission we promise to enrich the lives, minds and social well-being of more than 10,000 SWFL adults and seniors that participate in our programs each year. CLICK HERE TO DONATE NOW or mail your donation to FGCU Academy 704 Goodlette Frank Road North, Suite 330 Naples, FL 34102 I look forward to seeing you at a FGCU Academy program in 2024. Please contact me directly at [email protected] or 239.434.4838 with questions or to learn more. In gratitude, John J. Guerra Director of FGCU Academy     FGCU Academy FGCU ACADEMY NAPLES CENTER 704 Goodlette-Frank Rd N Suite 330 Naples, FL 34102 239.434.4737 [email protected] |