CLL: Community Classes

JUNE–AUGUST 2025 CLASSES
All Community classes are open to both CLL members and non-members!

These classes do not require a CLL membership to attend; however, they require registration and may have an additional fee when noted in the listings below.

Mindfulness Meditation
Every Monday and every Friday
11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (Zoom)
Cost: Free

Sign-up through CLL; the Zoom link will be sent from the facilitator, Regan Burke.

Bridge Group
Every other Monday
1:00–4:00 p.m. (In-person)
Cost: Free

This group is currently full. Contact Linda Daly if you are interested in being put on the substitute list.

Monthly Book Group (on Zoom)
Second Tuesday of the month
2:30–3:30 p.m.
Led by Alan Bath
Cost: Free

All are welcome to join us for lively and thought-provoking discussion each month.

June 10
Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo

Men’s “Great Ideas” Discussion Group
Every other Wednesday
10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (In person)
Cost: Free

A discussion group that provides a safe and supportive environment for men to discuss and work through challenges of current topics that are facing the world at large. Before each meeting we will read an article from Foreign Affairs magazine and then discuss as a group.

Spring Meeting Dates:
June 4 and 18

Midweek Meditation
Wednesdays, April 9–June 25
11:00–11:30 a.m. (In-Person)
Cost: Free

Join CLL Director Annette Mileski on Wednesdays for 30 minutes of mindful restoration, meditation, and gentle movement. All are welcome.

Film Series
2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month
2:00–4:00 pm (in-person)
Cost: Free

Join us to enjoy a current film! Register to receive a list of this month’s movie selections.

Dates for Spring:
May 14 and 28
June 11 and 25

Matters of Health
Thursdays, April 10–June 26
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. (Hybrid)
Cost: Free

Matters of Health is a weekly series which provides participants with information and resources about five areas of health. Local experts facilitate lively discussions about physical, mental, social, financial, and spiritual health, as all these areas contribute to healthy aging.

Participants register for the whole series and will receive a weekly email reminder about the topic and speaker for that session. This program is free and open to all, and is offered in hybrid format, meaning you can attend in person or virtually.

Foreign Affairs Perspectives
Every other Tuesday
1:00–2:00 p.m. (On Zoom)
Cost: Free

This is a member-led small group discussion based on articles from the magazine Foreign Affairs. Group members are required to subscribe to the magazine. For each discussion, one group member selects an article from the magazine, develops questions about the article, and moderates the discussion. Each member is expected to moderate one or two discussions during each term.

This group meets every other Tuesday on the following dates:
April 8 and 22
May 6 and 20
June 3 and 17

Hooray for Hooks!
Knitting and Needle Arts
Fridays, 2:00–3:00 p.m. (in person)
Cost: Free

Interested in learning how to knit or crochet? Or do you already know how, but would love to sit and stitch with a group? Have we got a space for you! Heather Groh will be facilitating this group every other week and all skill levels are welcome. She will be able to help you get started with some simple patterns if you are new to the craft and will provide support if you are feeling a bit stuck in your stitching.

This group meets every other week in the 4th-floor lounge of the Gratz Center:

June 13 and 27

JUNE 2025

In the Beginning

Mondays, June 2-16
1:30–3:00 (Hybrid)
Cost: Free for CLL Members and $40 for non-members
Besides being a foundational religious text for millions of people, the book of Genesis is a literary treasure trove. Join Susan Quaintance for this class where we'll explore how it came to be, what its purpose was (and might be today), and how different faith traditions hold and use these wonderful (and often troubling) stories.

Susan Quaintance, OSB, has cherished being a part of the Center for Life and Learning community —whether as Program Coordinator, Director, or friend — since 2014. Still keenly interested in issues affecting older adults, she is currently Director of Heart to Heart Ministry, a program designed to help seniors remain independent in their homes, at St. Gertrude Catholic Parish in Edgewater. She also serves as subprioress for her religious community, the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago. For twenty-three years she taught English and Theology at St. Scholastica Academy in Rogers Park, and she has facilitated retreats, days of reflection, and discernment processes for adults all over the country. She turned 2 in 1965.

Art Day (Make & Take)

Thursday, June 12
1:30–3:00 p.m. (In Person)
Cost: $5 will be collected during class for materials.

Avid creative crafter, paper lover, and CLL director, Annette Mileski facilitates this monthly group in different hands-on artsy endeavors. All crafting experience is welcome so come join the fun while chatting and stretching your creative brain!

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Presentation

Thursday, June 12
2:30–3:30 (In-Person)
Cost: Free for CLL Members and Non-members

The CLL welcomes Thomas Bowling, a docent with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and a former violinist with the Denver Orchestra. This interactive lecture will focus on the upcoming performances conducted by Riccardo Muti and will include an audio-visual presentation with interviews, historical facts, and numerous performance examples. We will also discuss common practices of orchestras, conductors, instrumentation, humorous anecdotes, and, of course, the music itself.

Trip to the Chicago Botanic Garden
Thursday, June 12
10:00–4:00 pm (In-person)
Cost: $40 for CLL Members and $60 for non-members

Join us for a beautiful spring day trip! The Chicago Botanic Garden has 385 acres of nature, beauty, and respite to discover. We will travel by coach bus to the Chicago Botanic Garden. Either bring your own brown bag lunch or purchase lunch in the Garden View Cafe. Then we’ll board their tram for a narrated tour. Learn the history and science of the Garden while viewing highlights including the McDonald Woods, Elizabeth Hubert Malott Japanese Garden, the Regenstein Learning Campus, and others. Enjoy views alongside the Garden’s 81 acres of water. Following the tour, you will have plenty of time on your own to fully experience the gardens!

CSO Dress Rehearsal

Wednesday, June 18
1:30–3:00 (in-person)
Cost: Free for CLL Members and non-members

This rehearsal with Conductor Ricardo Muti will be held at the Chicago Symphony Center. Tickets will be available to be picked up from the CLL Office and we will meet at the CSO (220 S. Michigan Avenue) the day of the concert.

JULY 2025

Mindfulness Meditation

Every Monday and every Friday
11:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (Zoom)
Cost: Free

Sign-up through CLL office; the Zoom link will be sent from the facilitator, Regan Burke.

Bingocize

Tuesdays and Thursdays, July 8- September 11
9:00-10:00 (In-person)
Cost: Free

Mixes Bingo with balance-improving exercises and fall prevention tips and facts. Participants have the opportunity to break a sweat, socialize, and win some prizes along the way.

Improv

Tuesdays, July 8–August 12
1:00-2:30 p.m. (In-person, 6 weeks)
Cost: $50 for CLL Members, $65 for non-members

Are you looking for a way to shake up the brain cells a bit? Well, good news! We are offering an improv class that is designed to get you moving and engaging your neural pathways as you learn to let go of your self-consciousness, communicate in new ways, and create interesting characters with your classmates. No prior experience needed.

Ron Tolisano is a Chicago resident who has been involved in the improv community for the past ten years. He has a BA from Western Ill. Univ. and an MSW from Loyola University, Chicago. He has taken classes at Second City and Annoyance Theatre. He currently teaches improvisation at the Chicago Cultural Center and at the Harold Washington Library Center- Chicago Public Library.

Midweek Meditation

Wednesdays
11:00-11:30 (In-Person)
Cost: Free

Join CLL Director Annette Mileski on Wednesdays for 30 minutes of mindful restoration, meditation, and gentle movement. All are welcome.

Current Events

Wednesdays, July 9-August 20
12:00–1:00 p.m. (In-person)
Cost: Free

Come together for group discussion of the daily headlines and other issues facing us as seniors, Chicagoans and citizens of the world. Our leader brings topics from multiple news sources and opens the group to in-depth conversations from diverse viewpoints. Participants are encouraged to suggest agenda items. All opinions are welcome for lively discussion.

Roger Becker graduated in architecture from Washington University in St. Louis. Most of his professional career was spent in leading owners, architects, and contractors in developing health care design and construction projects. Roger was in charge of facilities services at St. Louis Children's Hospital, led the design and construction program at the University of Chicago Hospitals, and prior to retirement was Senior Vice President of Program Management at Lillibridge Healthcare Services. Roger has been facilitating this class since 2015.

Supreme Court Decisions

Thursdays, July 10 – August 14
10:00-11:30 a.m., (In person, 6 sessions)
Cost: $45 for CLL Members; $60 for non-members

The current Supreme Court has been the subject of either heated criticism or praise by politicians, the press, editorial writers, and in millions of conversations at breakfasts, lunches, coffee breaks, and dinners. Whether they applaud or criticize the Court, almost everyone is convinced that the “conservative” majority makes decisions motivated by political or religious agendas.

This course will not discuss whether these decisions are socially right or wrong, moral or immoral, conservative or liberal, politically good or bad, or motivated by a political or religious doctrine. Rather, it will focus on understanding the logic and reasoning articulated by the Court in reaching its decisions, and whether this logic and reasoning is consistent with the role given to the Court by the Constitution.

Henry Krasnow became interested in the recent rulings of the current Supreme Court by his frustration over how the media, politicians, and opinion writers described the Court’s rulings to emphasize controversy while ignoring the logic articulated by the Court in explaining those rulings. In addition to his 55 yr. career as a Chicago business lawyer, Henry was an adjunct law professor, had a book published, and authored over 20 magazine articles on a wide range of legal subjects. He holds a B.A. (Economics) from the University of Michigan, a C.P.A. from the University of Illinois, and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School.

The “Art” of Conversation

Thursdays, July 10 – August 21
11:00-12:30 p.m. (In-person)
Cost: Free

ArtCon is not a class but a celebration of fellowship and creativity. Surprise yourself. Be free. Have fun! We invite people to make new friends while indulging in lively discussions and making art. Bring a piece you are working on or start a new one! You don’t have to be talented, just interested and interesting. We can provide some basic materials but you can also bring some from home.

Film Series

Twice a month on Wednesdays, 2:00-4:00 pm (in-person)
Cost: FREE
Join us to enjoy a current film! Register to receive a list of this month’s movie selections.

Dates for Summer:
July 16 and 30
August 6 and 20

Beyond the Headlines: Understanding Today’s News

Thursday, July 17
1:00-2:00 p.m. (Hybrid)
Cost: $10 for CLL Members, $15 for Non-CLL Members

Sally Sachar will dig deep into public policy and current events and how they are being covered in today’s media landscape. This fascinating class is sure to produce conversation. Sally spent nearly 30 years in Washington, DC working in public policy and leading nonprofits in education and health. After moving to Chicago, she founded the Ibis Collaborative, which leads public policy and current events discussions with older adults locally and nationally. A former presidential appointee, she held senior roles at the U.S. Department of Labor, including Deputy Chief of Staff and Associate Assistant Secretary for Policy. She also runs a consulting firm focused on strengthening nonprofits and small businesses.

Walk with Ease

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, July 22-August 29
1:00-2:30 p.m. (In-person)
Cost: Free

A structured walking group that also includes health education, stretching and strengthening exercises, and motivational strategies such as peer support and goal setting.

Gustave Caillebotte: Painting His World

Thursday, July 24
1:00-2:00 (Hybrid)
Cost: $10 for CLL Members, $15 for Non-CLL Members

Join Margaret Farr for a presentation exploring the Art Institute’s newest exhibit. Impressionist artist Gustave Caillebotte—known and beloved by many Art Institute visitors for his monumental painting Paris Street; Rainy Day, takes center stage in this major exhibition exploring the very personal interests and relationships that shaped his world.

AUGUST 2025

Dance for Hunger

Monday, August 11
1:00-2:00 p.m. (In-person)

Join Anne Burnell for a fit and fun dance class while helping the Fourth Presbyterian Church Social Services Center! Free for CLL members with the donation of two non-perishable goods.

Anne Pringle Burnell is an award-winning teacher and international presenter. She created programs including: Peyow™ Aqua Pilates, Stronger Seniors™ , Funktional Barre, StretchTension, Plank Challenges, Water Ballet Stretches, Pilates Breathwork for Covid, Ai Chi Unravel, and Seated Adaptations and more. The Rehab Institute of Chicago conducted case studies on her program and published findings in AKWA Magazine 2015. Anne has authored several articles and instructor manuals, as well as being a Continuing education provider for both fitness instructors and therapists. Anne is a professional singer and the current President of Chicago Cabaret Professionals.

Ice Cream Social

Friday, August 15
2:30-3:30 (In-person)
Cost: Free

We had such a great turnout in 2024 that we’re doing it again! Yes, we will be enjoying some cool treats as we chat...and who knows what else we will do? In the case of inclement weather, we will be inside, because August is a great time for ice cream!

Street Safe: Public Safety and Awareness

Thursday, August 21
12:00-1:00 p.m. (In-person)
Cost: Free

Please join the 18th District Community Policing Office to present on the important topic of street safety and overall public safety awareness. They will offer safety tips and strategies to help you stay safe at home and in public.

< Back to CLL main page