In this session, we’ll delve into the traditional foods enjoyed during Chinese New Year. We’ll discuss the significance of these dishes and why they are considered essential to the celebrations.

Lauren is a candidate for a Master of Social Work degree at Columbia University. I invite you to join me at VSC as we explore the rich history and culture of China through a personal lens. This series, China Through My Eyes, is an opportunity to share various aspects of my heritage with you. Together, we’ll uncover the stories of the past that have shaped China into what it is today.

Romantic couples in history Finding genuine, enduring love feels like a challenging endeavor in today's world. Perhaps by looking at some famous couples in history we might find valuable lessons about the nature of love and human connections. Denise worked in a variety of libraries as a librarian for 35+ years, retiring in 2018. After retiring, she wanted to get more involved with her community, so she now volunteers at her local Senior Center, school lunch program, and various other organizations, including the VSC! When she's not volunteering, Denise spends time with family, reading, crocheting, and cooking.

Join Stephen on this journey through the great songs of the fraternal songwriting team of George and Ira Gershwin. Stephen will play and sing classic Broadway tunes such as “Embraceable You” and “I Got Rhythm,” as well as selections from “Porgy and Bess,” sharing the story of these composers and their songs. Stephen will invite you to “name that tune” after playing a few bars on the keyboard!

Stephen grew up in Western NY and attended the University of Toronto. He loves to play and sing all kinds of music, including classical, jazz, Broadway, and folk. He's retired and has lived in San Diego with his wife, Susan, since 2001. He participates in church music ministry and performs in retirement communities and at jazz jam sessions. For variety, he and Susan play at traditional Irish music sessions around town - Stephen on fiddle

Learn to craft flower designs from paper circles or watch! Materials: Colored construction paper, white card stock, cardboard or doubled printer paper, clear tape (single or double-sided), scissors, and a pencil. Join Tyler in either watching or working along with her to create lovely crafts using simple materials. Join Tyler in watching or working with her to create lovely crafts using simple materials.

Tyler works in marketing by day; however, she loves working with paper and other media to create practical crafts in her spare time. She enjoys researching and finding simple projects for everyone to share and express their own creativity.

Every person has a fantastic life story that needs to be told. In this series of classes, we look at the memories of our lives. We explore the questions, both big and small. All of our lives are so different, and we celebrate how different we each are. Our classes usually have a shorter, more straightforward question and a more involved question afterward. All of us share our stories. There are lots of smiles and laughter.

Ross lives in Sydney, Australia, and enjoys hearing how our lives differ. He has been working with Seniors for some time now. Ross continues working part-time in a nursing home, trying to help people live happier, better lives, and very much looks forward to the VSC weekly sessions.

Join Charles for a lot of musical potpourri and a little of “other”! The musical content will include some basic teaching of how to play a piano, singing as a group, viewing music videos to include songs and teaching about music. Then, if time, Charles takes class requests and will devote some time to discussing or finding interesting things on the internet. Enjoy the Entertainment hour!

Charles has always been a music lover and his earliest memories of loving music are hearing his beloved Mom humming, singing and listening to a transistor radio, challenging as it was to tune in to a radio station. Today he wants to bring joy to you by helping you to build a simple toolbox for playing the piano (a super user friendly and approachable instrument), that will enable them to play a lot of song as well as just enjoy the pleasures of singing and listening to Music!

This game will be based on the TV show "What's My Line?". Everyone will get a chance to ask questions to the person whose job they are trying to guess. The person with the "job" can only answer "yes" or "no" to the questions.

The person asking the question will get to keep asking as long as they get "yes" answers to their questions. They will stop when they get a "No" answer and the next person will ask questions. The group will get up to 10 "no" answers to guess their profession to win the game. This is a chance to give your inquisitive minds a real workout!

Dave was formerly a Radiation Therapy Physicist. He loves a variety of gambling games including Poker & Blackjack, as it incorporates memory, psychology, and logic into an interactive group where everyone is an equal and he's happy to share that with the enliveo group!

Improvisation, or Improv, is spontaneous, entertaining, and fun! The first 8 people entering the class who wish to be an actor that day will be doing 2-person scenes for about 5 minutes. It’s a form of live theatre in which the plot, characters and dialogue of a scene or story are made up in the moment. You will be doing 2-person scenes for about 5 minutes. Kathy will give each pair of “actors” a situation. The actors will each be given a character to pretend to play. After the scene is acted the rest of the class will guess what characters they were portraying. There will be several scenes played out as time allows.

Example of a situation for doing an improv scene: You are preparing for your first ride in a hot air balloon.

Kathy Knox discovered improv when she took an improv class in 2016. Since then she has enjoyed teaching and performing improv at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Furman University in Greenville, SC.

Jim Tardiff is a born and raised New Yorker and has worked at the Intrepid Sea, Air, And Space museum as an educator since 2013. Currently, as a Senior Educator, he is a specialist in space and aeronautics.

Let’s explore what love is in its many forms and how we can be more loving to ourselves, others, and our communities.

Jenny Pigassiou is a NYC-based performance and video artist and entrepreneur. Life-long learner and creator, including personal development workshops, painting, light sculpture, and improvisational theater, among others.

Join Jessica for an alternate week Trivia games series where you will explore different topics each week. From the golden moments of decades past to pop culture, history, and more, each session is designed to spark memories, challenge your knowledge, and create lively discussions. So brew your tea, gather your thoughts, and get ready to enjoy a fun hour of trivia with friends!

Jessica is an MSW student at Silberman School of Social Work, passionate about the field of social work and its potential to make a positive impact. A lifelong trivia enthusiast, she loves watching Jeopardy every night and enjoys playing trivia with her family. Jessica is excited to bring her love of trivia to this engaging and fun series.

The Feldenkrais Method® of somatic education is a powerful and revolutionary approach to improving one's life. It uses gentle, mindful movement to bring new awareness and possibility into every aspect of one's life. Developed by Dr. Moshe Feldenkrais, the Feldenkrais Method has helped millions of people worldwide.

Stacia Gallagher is a skilled teacher of movement with 35+ years of teaching in the movement industry; after a series of car accidents and work-related injuries, she turned her attention to mindful movement practices to help herself cope with the lasting effects of the injuries and to address her physical discomfort to age gracefully with less pain.

She is a Guild Certified Feldenkrais Practitioner, providing Awareness Through Movement classes and Functional Integration® lessons in her private practice in Baltimore County, Maryland. She also maintains a private Pilates practice, training clients of all levels on all equipment.

Take a virtual trip to the casino and try your luck at beating the dealer at blackjack (same as 21). The first 6 players who sign in will get a seat at the table and get a chance to be the big winner! Please read the rules for playing under the "Materials" tab before coming to class. You are more than welcome to come and just watch to get familiar with the rules.

Dave was formerly a Radiation Therapy Physicist. He loves a variety of gambling games, including Poker and blackjack, as they incorporate memory, psychology, and logic into an interactive group where everyone is equal, and he's happy to share that with the VSC group!

This class will explore the US space program in the 1960s. Come prepared to share what you remember!

Steve has been teaching American History with VSC since 2018. He has had a varied career as a lawyer, Peace Corps Volunteer, and educator. He taught high school social studies in New York City and retired in 2023 from working in administration with the NYC Department of Education, working with high schools in the Bronx. Steve is married with two grown sons, two dogs, and three cats!

Currently on view at the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, through 2/2/2025, this slide show presents works by the pioneering artist Hilma af Klint (1862–1944). In these bold and colorful works, af Klint set aside the conventions of academic traditions and established herself as a pioneer in abstract art.

Sharon Vatsky presents this program in association with the Guggenheim Museum. In addition to being a Museum Educator for the Guggenheim Museum, Sharon teaches graduate courses in museum education at NYU & Teacher’s College, Columbia University.

She holds graduate degrees from SUNY at Albany & Hartford Art School. She authorizes 2 books: Museum Gallery Experiences: A Handbook and Interactive Museum Tours. Sharon Vatsky supervised school, youth, teacher, and family programs at the Guggenheim Museum for twenty years, leaving that position in 2021(her last title was Director of Audience Engagement).

The Diabetes Epidemic: Diet and Lifestyle Strategies for Optimal Blood Sugar Regulation In the Kitchen: Learn how to prepare a sheet pan meal packed with nutrition, simple to make, and super delicious!

Join Anna to better understand how the body uses Food as fuel. We will discuss specific macro and micronutrients as they relate to the treatment of chronic diseases. We will experiment with creating healthy, easy, fun, & delicious recipes that you will want to make repeatedly!

Anna DiMaggio is a Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist with over 25 years of experience. She specializes in nutrition for older adults and offers evidence-based, easy-to-understand nutrition and general health information and LIVE cooking workshops. Her true passion lies in understanding the interconnectedness of Food as Fuel and Medicine, & how that relates to Chronic Diseases. Her mission is to empower Older Adults with the knowledge, motivation, & kitchen skills that help them live their happiest and healthiest Life.

Join Melinda and friends for an engaging and interactive session where you’ll step into the role of a judge! Together, we’ll read through real court cases, discuss the facts, and explore the verdicts. Share your thoughts and see if you would rule the same way!

Melinda is a dedicated Case Manager with years of experience working with older adults and a current MSW student and intern. Melinda is passionate about creating safe spaces where individuals can openly share their thoughts and opinions, fostering meaningful discussions and empowering older adults to connect and engage with one another.

Join Rachel to learn about different Chinese teas and their benefits in drinking them. Rachel is an honors sophomore student at Pace University majoring in Health Science. She has aspirations to become a heart surgeon in the future. Her hobbies include reading and exploring different cafes.

Maegan White leads a weekly evening class on Women Leaders of the World. She is an editor and French translator by profession, allowing her to work with writers, artists, nonprofits, and businesses worldwide. Her work combines two passions: helping people build relationships through communication and learning new things.

Maegan moved to NYC in 2011 for the Publishing and Digital Media program at NYU. She was excited to discover an online community center for older adults--something she had longed to see in her home city of Montreal while working for HelpAge Canada.

She has been leading VSC classes ever since and cherishes the bond she shares with the participants over women leaders throughout history and their influence on our lives today. She loves to spend time in nature and has two small dogs, Cindy and Tucker (who sometimes pop in on classes!)

Join Cheryl, Ron, and volunteers as they showcase their furry friends. Enjoy their antics, cuteness, and tricks. They're waiting for you to have a great time! CJ will be hosting calls with her special little dog, Lucy! They are a therapy dog team that loves serving others virtually and in person.

Lucy is an AKC Distinguished Therapy Dog and a trickster! She also has the AKC Performer Elite title (highest level). They are excited to host these virtual pet therapy calls with VSC and look forward to having fun visits with you! Ron will be hosting or co-hosting with his dogs, Snow & Rosie - a sure good time!

Join Josh for early standards, classic folk songs, and other laid-back acoustic music from across the ages, plus some stories that tie them all together. The child of a high school band director, Josh was raised in a musical family, taking up piano and drums before age 5.

A multi-instrumentalist today, he mostly plays guitar and sings, which he often does for his two young children. Josh lives in Los Angeles and volunteers regularly with Musicians On Call. He loves to share music with the world and hopes you'll join him for a fun hour of songs!

Discover the art of chess with Benjamin and fellow students as your guides! Each class begins with a brief introduction, after which you'll move into separate 'breakout rooms,' where individual students will lead you through the intricacies of chess piece movements. Not only is chess a delightful pastime, but it also nurtures memory, logic, and fosters social connections. So, get ready for some fun!

Benjamin and his friends are passionate about chess, often competing in tournaments. Benjamin, in particular, is the driving force behind 'Chess in the Homes,' an intergenerational chess program. He and most of his fellow chess enthusiasts who facilitate VSC classes attend Stuyvesant High School.

Can you share a thing you loved to do as a child? Can you share something about your 1st (Given) name? Every person has a fantastic life story that needs to be told. In this series of classes, we look at the memories of our lives. We explore the questions, both big and small. All of our lives are so different, and we celebrate how different we each are.

Our classes usually have a shorter, more straightforward question and a more involved question afterward. All of us share our stories. There are lots of smiles and laughter.

Ross lives in Sydney, Australia, and he enjoys hearing about the differences in our lives in the US. He has been happily working with Seniors for many years. Ross works part-time in a nursing home, trying to help people live happier, better lives, and looks forward to the VSC weekly sessions very much.

Join Charles for a lot of musical potpourri and a little of “other”! The musical content will include some basic teaching of how to play a piano, singing as a group, viewing music videos to include songs and teaching about music. Then, if time, Charles takes class requests and will devote some time to discussing or finding interesting things on the internet. Enjoy the Entertainment hour!

Charles has always been a music lover and his earliest memories of loving music are hearing his beloved Mom humming, singing and listening to a transistor radio, challenging as it was to tune in to a radio station. Today he wants to bring joy to you by helping you to build a simple toolbox for playing the piano (a super user friendly and approachable instrument), that will enable them to play a lot of song as well as just enjoy the pleasures of singing and listening to Music!

This game will be based on the TV show "What's My Line?". Everyone will get a chance to ask questions to the person whose job they are trying to guess. The person with the "job" can only answer "yes" or "no" to the questions.

The person asking the question will get to keep asking as long as they get "yes" answers to their questions. They will stop when they get a "No" answer and the next person will ask questions. The group will get up to 10 "no" answers to guess their profession to win the game. This is a chance to give your inquisitive minds a real workout!

Dave was formerly a Radiation Therapy Physicist. He loves a variety of gambling games including Poker & Blackjack, as it incorporates memory, psychology, and logic into an interactive group where everyone is an equal and he's happy to share that with the enliveo group!