Classes - Fall 2024

Classes at Dory come in many shapes and sizes. Members can organize their own classes or study groups, audit classes at Belfast Area High School, access college classes online, find a local tutor/mentor, or participate in offerings from local organizations like the Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition or Torchlight Media. Keeping in mind that learning happens everywhere, not just “in class,” we find classes to be a valuable ingredient in a well-rounded education.

Courses offered at the community space tend to be hands-on, interdisciplinary and project-based. Below are some offerings for Fall of 2024, continuously updated as they are organized!

Big History — Part 1: The Big Bang to the Origins of Life

This two-part course traces the history of the Universe, Earth, Life and Human Society, from the big bang to the present, drawing on diverse disciplines from astrophysics to anthropology. How do we know what we know? How does human knowledge grow and develop over time? Though the scope of this course is wide, we will ground our inquiry in the landscape and cultures that surround us. Highly recommended as a jumping-off point for exploring various topics and disciplines. Big History — Part 2: Origins of Life to the Present will be offered in the Spring. This course draws on curriculum and multimedia resources from https://bhp-public.oerproject.com/

Games, Puzzles and Play

What are games? Why do we play? This course will explore mathematical, psychological and sociological concepts through the lens of play. We will examine the importance of play to human development and intelligence and draw on the tools of modern game theory to analyze contemporary life. Our approach will be in the spirit of serious play, using games, puzzles, improv and more. 

Dawnland in Three Layers

Explore the history of our region in three layers: Geologic time, Wabanaki history and culture, and the period after European arrival. What stories are written on land? From the markings of glaciers to shell middens to old stone walls buried in the woods. How have humans understood, stewarded and altered their landscape? What lessons do these stories hold for our own relationship to this place? This course seeks to respectfully engage with Wabanaki Studies, using resources created by contemporary Wabanaki scholars. We will also explore and interpret primary sources from archives and digital records at the Belfast Free Library and the Penobscot Marine Museum.

Bookmaking with Melissa Kelly

We will explore a variety of bookmaking techniques such as learning how to bind our own mini books, creating zines and learning how to create a visual journal. Bookmaking holds promise as a therapeutic tool for individuals to explore their identities, share their perspectives and connect with others in a supportive and creative way.

Youth Radio on WBFY

In collaboration with Torchlight Media and WBFY, students will produce a weekly radio show for broadcast on Belfast's own community radio station. Learn the basics of audio production by exploring various forms: music, documentary, interview, and podcasting. Open to Belfast Area High School students. 

Meditation 

Learn simple, practical mindfulness techniques from breath work to walking meditation. This is a beginner class grounded in the experience rather than the theory of meditation, however, we will touch on various historical traditions as well as modern findings from neuroscience and psychology. 

Cooking

Learn to cook! Each week we will choose new recipes to prepare for lunch featuring fresh local ingredients. We will explore various culinary traditions with a focus on how to create delicious, healthy meals on a budget. In the kitchen we will also explore various principles of physics and chemistry as well as botany, history and math. Knife skills, foraging, fermentation, outdoor cooking, food preservation (drying, canning, freezing, etc.), shopping on a budget. This class will also engage with local food systems, food insecurity and movements for food justice including service learning with the Belfast Soup Kitchen and Veggies for All.

In the Works. . .

-Movement Exploration with Shana Blumstein

-Place-based Writing Workshop with Linda Buckmaster

-Media Literacy

-The Art of Living (philosophy)

-Comprehensive Sex-Ed

Interested in offering a class? Get in touch!