Drawing for All at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-07-15 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York) | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Back by popular demand! Mary will teach you how to draw using the elements of art: line, shape, form, value, and texture. Graphite pencils, ebony pencils, Sharpies, etc., are your tools. Using these elements, we will create a value scale and simple drawings of still life and landscape. Bring a sketchbook or journal. This will be a “process over product” style of learning.
All participants will be supported in drawing ideas they would like to develop. All materials for this class are provided, and you will leave with a supply list for continuing your art exploration at home.

Nature Center Nights | Salamander Meander at Highlands Nature Center
2025-07-15 20:00 - 21:00, 2025-07-29 20:00 - 21:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd, Highlands, NC, 28741
Join our Naturalists on a nighttime search for our secretive salamander friends.
All ages welcome
FREE | Registration required
(Weather dependent)

Origins of Rock and Roll - The Early 1960s (Part 1) at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-07-16 10:00 - 12:00 | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Focusing on the early 1960s, prior to the British invasion by the Beatles, Rolling Stones, and others, this twopart presentation will look at the slow demise of Rockabilly, whose stars included Ricky Nelson, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, The Everly Brothers, and Jerry Lee Lewis. We will listen to the “safe” performers like Fabian, Bobby Darin, Frankie Avalon, Annette, Paul Anka , Connie Francis, and Neil Sedaka. These performers did not represent the “threat” to our teenage years and ears that Little Richard, Link Wray, and Bo Diddley did with their raucous sounds and questionable lyrics.
We will trace the rise to prominence of Berry Gordy’s Motown sound, “The Sound of Young America”. William Robinson, Mary Wells, The Primettes, The Temptations, Martha and The Vandellas, Marvin Gaye and other Motown acts brought a fresh sound to white America. Rhythm and Blues performers like James Brown, B.B. King, Albert King, Jackie Wilson, Little Richard, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, and the Mar-Keys and Bar-Kays performed on the Chitlin’ Circuit and in major venues around the world. R & B, once known as Race Music, Sepia Songs, and Bronze music made its presence known in homes across the country.

Tinker Time for Tots at The Literacy and Learning Center
2025-07-16 11:00 - 12:00, 2025-07-23 11:00 - 12:00 | The Literacy & Learning Center, 675 S 4th Street, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
The Literacy & Learning Center is excited to bring back another season of engaging workshops tailored for preschoolers and their parents. The aim is to empower parents by demonstrating inventive ways to utilize everyday household items for their children’s educational benefit.
These sessions will showcase practical activities that parents can seamlessly incorporate into their daily routines, fostering a rich learning environment at home.

Roots of Conflict: The History Behind Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-07-16 14:00 - 16:00 | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 created a global shockwave which threatened the stability of Europe and created food and energy security risks globally. This lecture will focus on the twentieth-century history of RussianUkrainian relations with an eye to the deeper historical factors behind the recent conflict. Beginning with an assessment of Russia’s two main justifications for war— ideas about Ukraine in Russian nationalist ideology and the role of NATO in Eastern Europe—the lecture will review Ukraine’s Soviet history from the revolution to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
This more recent history—why the Soviets drew borders the way they did, why Ukraine suffered under Stalin, how Ukraine became an independent country in 1991, and where the West fits in—provides the critical context for the war.

Summer Writing Workshop at Albert Carlton Cashiers Community Library
2025-07-17 13:00, 2025-07-24 13:00 | Albert-Carlton Community Library, 249 Frank Allen Rd, Cashiers, NC, 28741, United States
Beginning on June 5 at 1:00 p.m. and continuing every Thursday until August 28, ACCCL staff member Michael Redman will lead a writing workshop that is free and open to everyone, regardless of previous writing experience.
The workshop will be a place to be introduced to techniques, perspectives, and exercises to help you develop your writing. It will also provide a safe,welcoming environment for you to share your own thoughts, ideas, and questions.

Revolution or Terror? Unpacking the Roots of Political Violence at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-07-17 14:00 - 16:00 | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
“One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom-fighter”– so begins the debate about terrorism as a political concept and legal definition. While terrorism has plagued the modern world since the “long nineteenth century,” it remains deeply misunderstood. Seeking to understand terrorism as a sociopolitical phenomenon, this session investigates the full emergence of terrorism in Europe during the second half of the nineteenth century, when anarchist revolutionaries hoped that “propaganda by the deed” would inspire revolutions and create a new and more equitable and peaceful world.

Kids Zone at Hudson Library
2025-07-17 15:30, 2025-07-24 15:30 | Hudson Library, 554 Main St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Kids Zone features a variety of fun and interesting programs where kids can explore art, nature, science & more! Best for ages 5 and up.

Zahner Conservation Lecture Series | Lesser Known Medicinal Mushrooms of the Southern Appalachians at Highlands Nature Center
2025-07-17 18:00 - 19:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd, Highlands, NC, 28741
Lesser Known Medicinal Mushrooms of the Southern Appalachians
Featured Speaker – Christopher Parker, Mycologist and Co-Owner The Forest Farmacy
Discover the medicinal properties of six lesser known mushrooms native to our eastern woodlands. A few mushrooms being discussed in this class are Schizopyllum, Maitake, and Birch Polypore where participants will learn what species have antibiotic, antioxidative, and anti-inflammatory properties from an experienced mycologist.
Sponsored by Vicki & Donny Ferguson.

Shifting Alliances: Navigating the Future of U.S. Foreign Policy in a Changing World at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-07-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
The global world order is at a potential inflection point, shaped by a new U.S. presidential administration, a rising China, and a surge in global conflicts. What do these developments mean for the future of U.S. foreign policy, peace, and security? This presentation examines the critical issues that lie ahead, drawing insights from within and beyond the U.S. security community. Can the United States sustain its leadership on the world stage, and if so, what strategies will be most effective? Will the U.S. continue to wield its power as it has since the Cold War, or are we on the brink of a new paradigm?
Moving beyond partisan politics, Professor Matthew Auer will offer a forward-looking analysis of emerging flashpoints and areas of concern, providing a nuanced perspective on the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of the U.S. and the global community

CLE | “The Canonic Phenomenon of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring: Primitivism, Myth, and Modernity” at CLE Lecture Hall
2025-07-19 10:00 - 12:00 | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Dr. Ben Arnold serves as the Acting Director of the University of Kentucky School of Music, a position he served in previously from 2003 to 2012. He has written extensively on music in response to war and the composer Franz Liszt. In addition to writing for and editing The Liszt Companion, he is the editor of the Journal of the American Liszt Society. Prior to UK, he taught at Emory University for sixteen years, serving as Director of Graduate Studies in Music and two terms as Chair of the Music Department.

The Canonic Phenomenon of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring: Primitivism, Myth, and Modernity at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-07-19 10:00 - 12:00 | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
This course will explore arguably the most outstanding orchestral work of the twentieth century: Igor Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. Following the enormous success of his earlier ballets, The Firebird (1910) and Petrushka (1911), Stravinsky unleashed a new era of modernism with Le Sacre du Printemps and its primitive subject matter, barbaric dissonances and rhythms, and radical style.
This lecture will discuss the Rite of Spring’s controversial premiere and innovative musical characteristics that influenced generations of composers, choreographers, chroniclers, poets, and artists

CLE |Trump 2.0: A Conversation with Andrew Weissmann and Benjamin Wittes at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-07-21 10:00 - 12:00 | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Andrew Weissmann, a CLE favorite, and Benjamin Wittes, editor in chief of Lawfare, will discuss the Trump 2.0 administration’s impact on the United States Department of Justice, the FBI, the Intelligence Community and national security. Has the threat to liberal democracy and authoritarian capture that many predicted prior to the election materialized? If not, what “guardrails” have held, and can they continue to do so? If so, what strategies remain available to push back given the extraordinary legal powers delegated to the President in the Constitution and by Congress? How successful has Trump been in “reining in” the media and silencing those opposed to him, either by initiating criminal investigations or chilling their speech through civil proceedings? Weissmann and Wittes will assess the response of the courts to Trump’s assertions of executive power and his administration’s attempt at “structural deregulation” of administrative agencies.
Expect a deep dive into the activities of the President, the administrative state and the courts by two of the country’s foremost thinkers about democracy, national security and the rule of law.

College Essay Boot Camp at The Literacy & Learning Center
2025-07-21 14:00 - 16:00 | The Literacy & Learning Center, 675 S 4th Street, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
High School Seniors
College Essay Boot Camp is an intensive, hands-on workshop designed to help students craft standout college application essays. Led by Cameron Alexander, who taught high school English at Wesleyan School for eight years, this camp covers the differences between essay types, analyzes successful examples, and guides students through brainstorming, drafting, peer review, and editing. By the end of the week, students will have a polished, ready-to-submit college essay!

Henry Ossawa Tanner, America’s First Internationally Recognized African-American Artist at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-07-22 14:00 - 16:00 | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
In this lecture Dr. Harvey sketches the career of Henry O. Tanner, from his roots in the AME Church to his studies with Thomas Eakins in Philadelphia and his blossoming career in Paris. Although he is best known for his religious subjects, painted after his arrival in Paris in 1892, Tanner has an important connection to Highlands, where he spent the summer of 1888 during a teaching stint in Atlanta at Clark University. His experiences here influenced two of his widely admired paintings of the African-American community, The Banjo Lesson (1893) and The Thankful Poor (1894), both exhibited to wide acclaim in Europe.
This program is in collaboration with the Highlands Historical Society.
Join us after Dr. Harvey’s presentation from 4:30 – 6:30 for a wine reception at High Country Wine & Provisions!

Nature Center Nights | What Bat is That? at Highlands Nature Center
2025-07-22 20:00 - 21:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd, Highlands, NC, 28741
Stretch your wings and tune into the sounds of the many special bats of the Highlands area! Join our Naturalists on a walk through the Botanical Garden to watch them in flight.
All ages welcome
FREE | Registration required
(Weather dependent)

Tech Time at Hudson Library
2025-07-23 13:00 - 15:00 | Hudson Library, 554 Main St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Have you ever received the gift of a new digital device, like an iPad, smartphone or laptop, but had no idea how to use it? Hudson Library has the perfect solution-
Tech Time sessions offer one-on-one help on any personal digital device. Tech Time is a chance for residents of all ages to bring their devices and ask any questions. Learn how to set up an email account, mute your cell phone, back up and store files, and more.
Tech Times are free. No library card is required and no appointment is necessary. Services are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Unearthing the Past: Geologic Foundations and the Quest for Lithium in the Carolinas at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-07-23 14:00 - 15:00 | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
The geologic history of the Carolinas spans over one billion years. The forces that built the foundation of the Carolinas have shuffled us between super continents and provided us a wealth of mineral resources. Human history is a tiny fraction of geologic history; however, we have learned to exploit geology beginning with favored rocks for stone tools through lithium resources for batteries. Research into lithium in the Carolinas is significantly impacted by local, State, and national politics, as well as the global market. Even over the past few years, there have been significant swings in the enthusiasm surrounding exploration for, and extraction of, lithium in the Carolinas. Presently, the US Geological Survey is taking new stock of historically mined products across the USA searching for resources once cast aside as waste but now valuable.
The talk will summarize the geologic history of the Carolinas and link the formation of economic deposits to their origin story. We will see the role of dating rocks in mineral exploration.

Understanding Generative AI: Demystifying the Technology Shaping Our Future at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-07-24 10:00 - 12:00 | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Generative AI is reshaping industries and redefining what’s possible in technology, creativity, and decision making. In this talk, we will demystify the terms surrounding AI, explain the current AI landscape, and explore its exciting possibilities. From breakthroughs in art and science to its integration into business and healthcare, generative AI is a transformative force. However, with great power comes great responsibility.
This session will also delve into the risks, including over reliance, biased decision-making, and ethical concerns, offering a balanced perspective on what AI might mean for the future.

Useful Apps for Adults at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-07-24 13:00 - 15:00 | NC
Join CLE’s tech expert, Loraine Smith, for an exciting and educational course of useful apps for adults! News, Transportation, Medical/Prescriptions, Fitness, Weather, Delivery, Accessibility, Calendar/Tasks, Travel, Reminders, Entertainment, Payment Systems, Find My Car, Find My Phone, and so much more will be covered!
Please bring a charged iPhone or iPad to class.
All experience levels are welcome!

Password Management at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-07-24 15:30 - 16:30 | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
In this digital day and age, it’s easy to lose track of our passwords. Join this helpful course on password management. Learn about various password management apps, PassKeys, where to record your passwords, what a Legacy Contact is, why it’s important to let trusted loved ones know where your passwords are if needed, and more.
Some familiarity with using your Apple device is recommended.
Please bring a charged iPhone or iPad to class.

Zahner Conservation Lecture Series | Understanding Helene as a Geologic Event in Southern Appalachia at Highlands Nature Center
2025-07-24 18:00 - 19:00 | Highlands Nature Center, 930 Horse Cove Rd, Highlands, NC, 28741
Zahner Conservation Lecture Series Understanding Helene as a Geologic Event in Southern Appalachia…and What is a “Geologic Event” Anyway?
Philip S. Prince, Ph.D., Project Geologist, Appalachian Landslide Consultants, PLLC, Virginia Tech Department of Geosciences

Helene’s impacts on rivers and slopes in the southern Appalachians exceeded all recorded storms, establishing a new benchmark for flooding and landsliding from Haywood County to southwest Virginia. The storm’s severity resulted from a specific combination of weather movement and the unique southern Appalachian topography, whose southeast-facing slopes are perfectly oriented to focus impacts of weather systems from the Gulf. This talk will place the Helene event in a geologic and topographic context, focusing on what the storm actually did to the landscape and river channels from the perspective of fieldwork and remote sensing. LiDAR imagery and the results of past storms will shed some light on just how long the scars of Helene may last and offer some insight into just how important similar storms may have been in shaping the mountains into what we see today.
Sponsored by Ruthie & Berry Edwards.

Weathering the Storm: Understanding Climate's Impact on Our Future at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-07-25 10:00 - 12:00 | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and the raging fires in California, extreme weather is a topic of wide public concern. When someone asks about the weather, the focus is typically on what is going on now. When someone asks about climate, the focus is much broader – the weather over time. The answers to those questions involve a host of variables: pollutants in the atmosphere, volcanic activity, solar winds, and the salinity and temperature of the oceans, etc.
Dr. Shepherd will discuss how these variables shape weather patterns we experience daily and what can be done now to manage and mitigate their most serious consequences over time. It is a discussion that encompasses not only science and technology but political, economic, and social disruption.

Triumph and Tragedy Zionism, the Palestinians, and the Creation of Israel, 1917-1948 at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-07-28 14:00 - 16:00 | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Join Professor Kevin Jones for this session covering the early history of the Israel-Palestine conflict, from the beginning of the British Mandate to the creation of the state of Israel.
We will cover four key thematic questions: (1) Why were the Zionists more successful than the Palestinians in establishing organizations and institutions that could function as the nucleus of an independent state? (2) Why did Palestinians turn from diplomacy to resistance and rebellion against both Britain and the Zionists during the course of the colonial period, and how successful was the strategy of violence? (3) How did the relatively small Israeli army (IDF) so decisively defeat the much larger combined forces of the Palestinians and their Arab state allies? (4) Did the Palestinian refugees “flee” or were they “expelled” from their homes during the 1948 war, and why has the ensuing Palestinian refugee crisis endured for so much longer than other comparable refugee crises?

The Gun and the Olive Branch Palestinian Armed Struggle and the Peace Process, 1967-2025 at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-07-29 10:00 - 12:00 | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
This session covers the history of the Palestinian national movement from the Six-Day War of June 1967 until the present day.
Professor Kevin Jones will cover four key thematic questions: (1) How did the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) justify its use of violence, including attacks on Jewish civilians and airplane hijacking, and how “successful” were these strategies of warfare and terrorism? (2) Given the widespread popular support among both Palestinians and Israelis for the idea of a two-state solution endorsed by the Oslo Accords, why did the Peace Process ultimately fail? (3) Why did Palestinian public opinion gradually shift away from secular political movements like the PLO and toward religious movements like Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the 1990s and 2000s? (4) What did Hamas hope to accomplish with the high-profile attack of October 7th, 2023, and how is the ensuing war in Gaza likely to reshape the future of the conflict?

Introduction to Alcohol Inks at Center for Life Enrichment
2025-07-30 10:00 - 12:00 | Center For Life Enrichment, 348 S 5th St, Highlands, NC, 28741, United States
Designed for beginners, this workshop is an introduction to alcohol inks and their versatility in creating translucent and very fluid artworks. Alcohol inks are highly pigmented and fast drying. We will be using 91% Isopropyl Alcohol, Yupo paper, plus the inks to create beautiful, colorful art. If you have used watercolors, you will enjoy seeing the beautiful effects these inks can achieve!
All materials for this class will be provided, and you will leave with a supply list for continuing your art exploration at home.
