2026 FALL TERM CLASS SCHEDULE 
                                              see bottom of page for Zoom information 

                        SEPTEMBER CLASSES
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NOTES: 
Weekly in-person class locations:
   PCC CLIMB Center (CLIMB): 1626 SE Water Ave., Portland; pay for parking.                      Neighborhood House (NHH):  8959 SW Barbur Blvd., Portland Class duration noted     if expected to be less than 2 full hours. Please wear your name tag to all in-person
   classes (fill out the medical info on the reverse side).

See Zoom Guidelines on the last page

MORE ACTIVITIES ARE LISTED ON THE LAST PAGE. PLEASE CHECK YOUR WEEKLY EMAIL NEWSLETTER FOR DATES, TIMES AND CONTACT AND/OR PARTICIPATION INFORMATION.
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Week of September 21
 
Monday Sep.21 — 10 – 11 am
Title:  Medicare Basics, Changes for 2027 and How SHIBA Can Help
Presenter:  Carisa Dickson, Aging, Disability and Veterans Services, Multnomah County (In-Person)
Location:  CLIMB & Zoom
Class description:  Join Multnomah County's SHIBA program to prepare for Fall Annual Enrollment. Learn the basics of Medicare, changes coming in 2027, and how SHIBA volunteers can help. Participants will also learn strategies for picking the best plan using Medicare.gov's plan comparison feature. Exact plan details for 2027 will not yet be published as of the presentation. Time allotted for questions throughout the presentation.
 
Bio:  Carisa Dickson, SHIBA and SMP Program Specialist, Community Services Division Aging, Disability and Veterans Services Multnomah County coordinates the SHIBA program for Multnomah County, composed of over 25 volunteers. Previous work for the county included Medicaid and SNAP eligibility, as well as Long Term Care case management. SHIBA volunteers provide free, unbiased Medicare help by calling the ADRC helpline at (503) 988 - 3646.
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Tuesday Sep. 22 — 1 - 3 pm
Title:  Great Decisions Series (1 of 3)
Moderator:  Steve Browning; SSI Member (in person)
Location:  CLIMB Only
Class description:  The Great Decisions discussion group focusing on international affairs resumes this Tuesday discussing Chapter 6 of the Great Decisions Briefing Book, “Multilateral Institutions in a Changing World Order.” Can multilateralism survive amid shifting global power and rising nationalism?  We will discuss the future of global cooperation across trade (World Trade Organization: WTO), health (World Health Organization: WHO) and finance (World Bank: WB; International Monetary Fund: IMF).  We will watch video on multilateral institutions and discuss the readings found in the Briefing Book (https://fpa.org/product/great-decisions-2026/).
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Wednesday Sep. 23 — 10 am – Noon
Title:  Climate Change and What You Can Do About It
Presenter:  Polly Jackson, SSI Member (in person)
Location:  NHH & Zoom
Class description:  Learn about climate change and its causes.  We will also look at the future of climate change. How bad will it get and when? What’s the worst-case scenario? The best-case scenario?  What can we do as individuals to get to the best-case scenario?
 
Bio:  An SSI member since 2017. Polly is a climate change activist. Member of Citizens Climate Lobby and Al Gore’s Climate Reality Organization.  Retired computer programmer. Not an expert in climate change, not a scientist, but a concerned citizen.
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Thursday Sep. 24 —7 – 8 pm (Evening)
Title:  A Sing-along of Golden Oldies
Host:  Diedre Cain, SSI Member
Location:  Zoom only
Class description:  All you need to enjoy this class is a love of songs--especially Golden Oldies. You will sing along with one of our very own singers or a video of a singing performance. Either way, while muted, you will have the lyrics on the screen right in front of you, and you will be invited to sing to your heart's content. Come prepared to enjoy fond memories as you go down memory lane in the comfort of your home.
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Week of September 28

Monday Sep. 28 — 10 – 11 am
Title:  Curiosity Cafe: Learning in the Age of AI: Opportunities, Risks, and Agenda for Action
Presenter:  Warren Karmol, SSI Member
Location:  Zoom only
Class description:  A Mary Burns video presentation that discusses both the transformative potential and the serious risks Artificial Intelligence poses to middle and high school students, and education in general. A framework will be proposed for how schools, families, and education systems can help students prosper, stay prepared, and remain protected in an AI-driven world. A group discussion will follow.
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Tuesday Sep. 29 — 1 - 3 pm
Title:  Shakespeare's Henry IV (1 of 3)
Presenter:  Charlie Holmes, SSI Member (in person)
Location:  CLIMB & Zoom
Class description:  Don’t let the title fool you. It’s a “Coming of Age” play, not a history play. King Henry worries about his son, the Crown Prince Hal, who, instead of learning the ropes of being a king, is spending all his time in seedy taverns drinking with Sir John Falstaff and his cronies. One of Shakespeare’s most popular plays—yes! true! —it introduces Falstaff to the world stage, one of Shakespeare’s most important and beloved characters.
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Wednesday Sep. 30 — 10 – 11:30 am
Title:  "Revisiting Your Life Story" Workshop
Presenter:  Ariana Turner, PhD (in person)
Location:  NHH only
Class description:  Participants will learn what psychological science says about what lies beneath our life stories. The way we tell our stories meaningfully impacts our mental health, well-being, and overall personality. This workshop will also focus on reflecting and sharing the life story. Participants will receive several prompts to encourage them to look back on their lives in a new way, before sharing their stories with their peers.
*May be cancelled if less than 8 members register to participate.
 
Bio:  Ariana Turner, a Portland-based researcher and workshop facilitator, holds a PhD from Northwestern University in narrative psychology: the study of how the stories we tell about ourselves shape our identity and well-being. She has spent years studying and teaching at the intersection of psychology and storytelling, including research published in leading academic journals and workshop facilitation across university and community settings.
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​​Guide to Attend SSI’s Zoom classes....

USE THE CLASS ID AND PASS CODE INSTEAD.
● Log in to your free Zoom app (https://zoom.us/)
● Click on “Join Meeting”
● Use the Class ID and Pass Code from the Zoom invitation in the Newsletter to join the class meeting.
Step 3: About 10-15 minutes before the start of class, click on the participation link in the Newsletter.
Step 4: If you have the Zoom application (app) installed, you will go directly to the Zoom Waiting Room and
wait to be admitted to the class. (Be sure your app is the latest version of Zoom. See the note below.)
​
Notes:
● If you do NOT have the Zoom application (app) already installed you will be asked to download the FREE
Zoom app before joining the class. (It is not necessary to have the Zoom app to participate in an SSI class -
however, you will have better tools to make the most of your class experience if you have the Zoom app.)
● Zoom customers are now required to keep their Zoom software no more than three months behind the
current version. If you are running an older version of Zoom, you will be prompted to perform an update.
This takes a little time--so if you suspect that your Zoom software is out of date, you may wish to log into
an SSI activity a few minutes early to ensure that you are admitted on time.