Cowles Active Learning Program
Embark on a transformative journey, where learning goes beyond the conventional.
Immerse Yourself in a New Experience
Get ready to participate in interactive and innovative experiences that connect you with a community of like-minded, intellectually curious peers.
In each immersive workshop, you will engage in hands-on activities that make every offering a journey.
This isn’t just a program; it’s a lifestyle. Embrace a culture of curiosity, exploration, and continuous learning. Join us in redefining learning as an active, immersive experience that extends far beyond the workshops themselves. Build your knowledge, skills, and community in ways that will enrich your life for years to come.
Immersive Workshops
Storytelling: Your Story, Well Told
Hone your storytelling skills with by crafting diverse tales and employing strategic editing elements. At the end of this six-week series, showcase your refined narratives with family, friends, and peers at an engaging storytelling event!
Starts March 19.
Current Events and Social Issues
Engage in this profound 4-part series to explore pivotal issues—Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Democracy; Climate Justice; and Creative Strategies for Social Change. Select any or all of these dynamic workshops!
Starts April 4.
Fiction and Memoir:
Writing From the Heart
Discover a supportive community writing community while receiving positive affirmation and diving into creativity. Suitable for all writing levels, from beginners to experienced writers.
Starts May 2.
Meet the Facilitators
Our expert facilitators, leaders in their respective fields, guide you through captivating and thought-provoking content that sparks your intellectual curiosity and encourages lifelong learning.
Meet Phoebe Cowles
Phoebe is a visionary with a passion for learning. Thanks to her generosity, Marin’s older adults have access to the Active Learning Program’s innovative and unique educational experiences at Vivalon.
FAQs
There will be at least three Active Learning offerings approximately every three months, and our next workshops will be in August and September 2024.
Yes, you will receive a full refund or credit, whichever you prefer, if you cancel your registration at least one week before your program begins. Vivalon will also refund or credit your registration in the event of a personal emergency or cancellation by the facilitator.
If you have a personal emergency that prevents you from participating in a workshop, please let us know as soon as possible. This will allow us to offer your spot to someone on the waiting list and to make any necessary adjustments to our program arrangements.
In person, at Guest Services, by phone, (415) 456-9062, or by email, [email protected].
The maximum number of participants is twenty per workshop; for a modular series, each module can accommodate up to twenty participants.
We kindly ask that participants pay for their workshop at the time of registration to reserve a spot.
Yes, we have a waiting list. If a registered participant cancels, we will contact the first person on our waiting list by phone and by email to offer them the spot. If they would like to register, we will ask them to do so within 24 hours; otherwise, we will offer the spot to the next person on the list.
These workshops are part of the Cowles Active Learning Program, which offers new and innovative programming that is unlike Vivalon’s other classes and unlike any other lifelong learning programs in all of Marin County. We would simply not be able to offer these unique opportunities without charging a participant fee.
The fees for the programs vary depending on various factors, including the length of the program, whether you are an All-Access member, and whether you receive a financial aid award from the Cowles Active Learning Program.
Please click here to view the workshops and their pricing.
Yes! We offer a limited number of financial aid awards on a first-come, first-served basis for people who provide proof that they are receiving government assistance. Participants eligible for financial aid pay only a small portion of the program fee.
Participants may receive financial aid one time per quarter. Please note that our first come, first served policy will be a rollover system, so that people who did not receive aid the first time they applied will be first in line to receive aid the following quarter.
To apply for financial aid, please submit Vivalon’s client application and this financial aid application to Guest Services. Please include proof of eligibility for financial aid (any form of government assistance, e.g., Medi-Cal, SNAP, housing assistance, etc.).
At this time, information about the program will be updated in both our monthly online Insider newsletters: Vivalon’s Insider newsletters and our printed Connections membership newsletters: Vivalon’s Connections newsletters. You can also pick up a Connections newsletter at Guest Services.
Online workshops are not available at this time. However, we plan to offer online workshops in the future.
Yes, we ask that participants register one week in advance of the program they plan to attend. For the modular series, participants may register one week in advance of the module or modules they plan to attend.
We kindly ask that you pay for the workshop you are interested in at the time of registration and before you attend the workshop.
You are not required to bring any supplies with you to the workshops. All participants will receive a customized Vivalon notebook and pen. You are welcome to bring any other resources to take notes if you wish.
We strongly recommend that you arrive at Vivalon twenty minutes before the start of the program to allow ample time to check in, as all workshops will begin promptly.
On the day of the program, you can park at one of several conveniently located parking lots, within a few blocks of Vivalon. For more information about parking, including a map and fees, please click here: Vivalon’s new Healthy Aging Campus.
Vivalon is located at 999 Third Street, at the corner of Brooks Street. Workshops will take place on the second floor of the building, where you will check in with one of our Guest Services representatives.
Vivalon will provide both hot and cold beverages and light, healthy snacks during the workshop. There will be a thirty-minute break for lunch. You are welcome to bring your own lunch or to purchase a meal from our Vivalon Café. For more information about the Café, please click here: Vivalon Café.
After the programs, we invite you to join the facilitators for Coffee, Cookies, and Conversation. Please note that most of our programs are followed by Coffee, Cookies, and Conversation, but not all.
Become an Insider
Sign up to receive our bi-weekly Insider newsletter email to stay up to date on the latest offerings.
