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| 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 in the new year! Register for a lecture with FGCU Academy! Register for a Day Trip with FGCU Academy! Greetings, We have a stupendous week ahead planned for you. Check it out below and get registered now! CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 2024 WINTER-SPRING PROGRAM GUIDE ONLINE! WINTER-SPRING REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN AVAILABLE ONLINE BY CLICKING HERE Call our offices anytime for assistance at 239.434.4737  Week of February 19 – Feb 23 Click on any topic below to learn more.  Perceptual Illusions: Seeing (Is or Is Not) Believing February 19 | 1:30 – 3pm, Monday Naples Center / Online via Zoom We discuss the perceptual process and look at how our beliefs and imagination influence our understanding of what we see. Our reality is constructed from our interpretation of sensory data (what we see, hear, etc.). However, this “interpretation” is influenced by numerous mental and social processes. We cover several concepts related to perceptual anomalies. This includes a fun sampling of optical illusions and other visual examples revealing how our eyes play tricks on us.  Artemis: Return to the Moon by 2025 February 20 | 10 – 11:30am, Tuesday Naples Center / Online via Zoom NASA’s Artemis Program plans a return to the moon and beyond before the end of 2025 and will include a woman in the crew who would become the first woman to walk on the moon. We discuss NASA’s plans for the Artemis Program. NASA has issued a contract to SpaceX to develop the Human Landing System to be used on Artemis. The long-term plan is to build a base on the moon from which to launch explorations of other planetary bodies. The initial Artemis I un-crewed launch was accomplished in November 2022. The first crew- ed Artemis II mission is scheduled for Spring 2024. Awarded the Presidential Medal of Free- dom for his work saving the astronauts of the Apollo 13 crew, our Speaker will share with us an inside view of the Artemis program and how it differs from the Apollo Program which he worked on while employed at the MIT Draper Laboratory for ten years.  A Different Look at Florida February 21 | 10 – 11:30am, Wednesday FGCU Main Campus – (AB9 Room 106) Florida is a world unto itself. Join us as we go from the glamour and excitement of Miami Beach through the primitive Everglades and follow the beautiful beaches of the Gulf Coast all the way north and west to the Panhandle. We then head inland, where most visitors, and many locals never venture, to visit t he many unique agricultural sites that make Florida fam- ous such as sugar plantations, orange groves, orchid greenhouses and many other remarkably interesting places.  Exploring Your Alter Ego: Reflections on Self-Image and Tapping into Resilience February 21 | 1:30 – 3pm, Wednesday Naples Center / Online via Zoom Rooted in Jungian Archetypes and using activities centered on self-examination and reflection, participants explore the connection between the conscious and unconscious self – the ideal and shadow images we hold of ourselves – and how to harness all aspects of identity to live our full- est lives.  Russian-American Paradox February 22 | 10 – 11:30am, Thursday Naples Center / Online via Zoom The U.S. and Russia have engaged in diplomatic and economic cooperation since the time of the American Revolution. Those ties extended through World War II, the Cold War and beyond. This lecture delves into this paradoxical relationship and implications for current global affairs.  The Wonders of Ancient Cambodia and Tibet February 22 | 1:30 – 3:00pm, Thursday Brooks Enrichment Center Travel from Tibet, the “Roof of the World” and the highest country on earth, to the steaming jungles and swamps of Cambodia, an ancient and exotic land. We journey from the Potala Palace, the home of the Dali Lama to Angkor Wat, the ancient and mysterious temple complex of the Khmer people who ruled all Southeast Asia.  iPhone/iPad Apps: Photos February 23 | 10:30 – 12pm, Friday Brooks Enrichment Center Apple’s Photos App has an immersive, dynamic look that emphasizes your best shots with larger previews and improved organization. Memories finds your best photos and videos and weaves them together into a video complete with music, titles and transitions. Perfect your images with intuitive, built-in, powerful editing tools. Search photos based on who or what is in them. iCloud stores your photos and videos and synchronizes them across all your devices. DAY TRIPS  Miami Design District Art and Food Tour March 12 | 8:30 – 6:30 pm, Tuesday Miami Join us as we experience the cultural, artistic and culinary delights of Miami’s Design district. Embark on a delicious journey into the world of cutting-edge design, monumental art installations, and a diverse selection of cuisine that celebrates the Design District’s fusion of creativity and flavor. Enjoy mouthwater- ing dishes from some of the top restaurants in the neighborhood. Explore a large, modern chef-driven food hall that is considered a culinary mecca and savor a variety of global cuisines, with bites from Vietnam, Israel, the American South and more. Sample the unique fusion of Japanese and Peruvian cuisine at one of Miami’s most celebrated sushi destinations and indulge in Chef Andrew G.’s famous cookie creations. Between food tastings, we make several stops to learn and admire public art installations, including the famous “Fly’s Eye Dome” by Buckminster Fuller. Departure information will be emailed 3 days prior to the trip. Itineraries are subject to change. No refunds within 10 business days of departure.  The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg March 28 | 8 – 6:30 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 ex- perience – the dream. The exhibition examines how Western artists have depicted dreams for different audiences throughout time, exploring the continuity and disconnections be- tween 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. The Week Ahead Monday February 12 –iPhone/iPad Settings: iCloud, Notifications, Apple Pay, Emergency SOS and More –Introduction to Photoshop Elements Tuesday February 13 –The Spanish Armada – A Magnificent Myth! –Becoming More News Literate –Warren Buffett – The Oracle of Omaha Wednesday February 14 –Divided Ireland: A Century of “Troubles” (1918-2018) –Principles of U.S. National Security –Beyond Darwin: Evolution, Ecosystems and Extinction Thursday February 15 –Bridge for Advanced Beginners/Intermediates –Election 2024: Polls, Predictions and the American Voters –Introduction to X (formerly Twitter), WhatsApp, TikTok, YouTube and Telescope –China Under Xi JinpingImmokalee: Fields of Hope Friday February 16 –The Rise and Fall and Reinvention of Globalization –Changing Dynamics in the Middle East 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 returned to pre-pan- demic 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 strength- ening 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] |