The Economics of Public Policy
Fee: $75.00
Dates: 7/8/2025 - 8/12/2025
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 6
Building: Online Classroom
Room: Zoom Classroom
Instructor: Geoff Woglom
Seats Still Available: 97
Economics plays a central role in shaping every aspect of society. This course examines a series of prominent policy issues with economics at their core. We will explore the origins of these issues, the underlying data and evidence, and the policy tools available to address them. Each lecture will be standalone, delivered by a subject matter expert with a Ph.D. in economics. Potential topics include climate change, healthcare economics, economic inequality, and more, with final selections based on the most relevant and timely issues at the start of the course.
Please note that if you do not see the "Add to Cart" button under your course, you must first create a new account or sign in to your current account. If you do not have current membership, once you have signed in, add your membership to the cart in order to register for courses.
Public Health Across the Lifespan
Fee: $75.00
Dates: 7/9/2025 - 8/13/2025
Times: 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 6
Building: Online Classroom
Room: Zoom Classroom
Instructor: Michelle Boyd
Seats Still Available: 99
This course provides a comprehensive overview of key public health topics across the human lifespan, from prenatal health to aging care. We will examine major health challenges, interventions, and policies that impact individuals at each life stage. By focusing on health disparities, preventive care, and the role of public health systems, the course equips us with the knowledge and skills to understand health issues in diverse populations. Through readings and case studies, we will gain insight into the life-course approach to public health, emphasizing the importance of early intervention, continuous care, and aging with dignity.
Please note that if you do not see the "Add to Cart" button under your course, you must first create a new account or sign in to your current account. If you do not have current membership, once you have signed in, add your membership to the cart in order to register for courses.
The Week's News in Review - Palm Desert
Fee: $50.00
Dates: 7/10/2025 - 8/14/2025
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 6
Building: Online Classroom
Room: Zoom Classroom
Instructor: William Maxwell
Seats Still Available: 95
An interactive discussion of events shaping the news each week. Media sources include print, TV, the internet, and social media. This course will discuss politics, the economy, sports, show business, and topics pulled from the "headlines."
Please note that if you do not see the "Add to Cart" button under your course, you must first create a new account or sign in to your current account. If you do not have current membership, once you have signed in, add your membership to the cart in order to register for courses.
Making Contact: Close Encounters with Extraterrestrial Life in Film
Science continues to bring us ever closer to proving the existence of life on other planets. However, in film we have been having such encounters with extraterrestrials with frequent regularity since George Melies’ 1904 silent short film, “A Trip to The Moon”. That said, we will narrow the field to a few notable case studies beginning with the 1950’s and onward as we watch, analyze and intelligently discuss the following science fiction films: “The Day The Earth Stood Still” (1951), “2001, A Space Odyssey” (1967), “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (1977), “Contact” (1997) and “Ad Astra” (2019).
Please note that if you do not see the "Add to Cart" button under your course, you must first create a new account or sign in to your current account. If you do not have current membership, once you have signed in, add your membership to the cart in order to register for courses.
100 Years of Magic: The Disney Legacy & Influence
Fee: $75.00
Dates: 7/10/2025 - 8/14/2025
Times: 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 6
Building: Online Classroom
Room: Zoom Classroom
Instructor: Maria Massad
Seats Still Available: 99
How did Walt Disney’s life and vision shape the creation of an entertainment empire? How did early challenges influence the company’s identity and creative output? And how did Disney grow into a global powerhouse? This course explores these questions and more as we delve into the 100-year history of the Walt Disney Company, tracing its evolution from humble beginnings to a global entertainment giant. Topics include the rise of Disney animation and theme parks, the company’s 1990s revival, and the strategic acquisitions that transformed Disney into a media conglomerate. We will also examine Disney’s future and gain insights into what it’s like to work behind the scenes at the company. Throughout the course, we will consider diverse perspectives—from those who revere the Magic Kingdom to those who critique it and everywhere in between. This course offers a comprehensive look at how Walt Disney’s vision became a cultural force shaping today’s entertainment industry.
Please note that if you do not see the "Add to Cart" button under your course, you must first create a new account or sign in to your current account. If you do not have current membership, once you have signed in, add your membership to the cart in order to register for courses.
Current Events Discussion Group Hybrid Course
This course covers legal, social and political topics of the day based on articles, studies and brief foundational lectures. Articles, on both sides of an issue, will be taken from a variety of publications such as The New York Times , The Washington Post , The Wall Street Journal , The Economist , and more. All thoughtful views are welcomed and will be respected.
Please note that if you do not see the "Add to Cart" button under your course, you must first create a new account or sign in to your current account. If you do not have current membership, once you have signed in, add your membership to the cart in order to register for courses.
Golden Girls: Some Essential California Women Writers
Fee: $50.00
Dates: 7/15/2025 - 8/19/2025
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 6
Building: Online Classroom
Room: Zoom Classroom
Instructor: Robert Weibezahl
Seats Still Available: 94
Many significant women writers, some well-known and some less familiar, were raised in California or chose to make it their home. Some, like Joan Didion and Maxine Hong Kingston, make the landscape and culture of the Golden State central to their narratives, while others, like Ursula K. LeGuin and Octavia Butler tap their California roots in more subtle ways. In our literary discussions via Zoom, we will explore the lives and work of a number of California women writers from diverse backgrounds and cultures. Participants read selections prior to each class meeting, provided by the instructor as electronic handouts or links, then engage in lively dialogues about these women’s work and their connections to the state we call home.
Please note that if you do not see the "Add to Cart" button under your course, you must first create a new account or sign in to your current account. If you do not have current membership, once you have signed in, add your membership to the cart in order to register for courses.
Current Events Discussion Group Online Course
Fee: $50.00
Dates: 8/8/2025 - 8/29/2025
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Days: F
Sessions: 4
Building: Online Classroom
Room: Zoom Classroom
Instructor: Lara Bloomquist
Seats Still Available: 20
This course covers legal, social and political topics of the day based on articles, studies and brief foundational lectures. Articles, on both sides of an issue, will be taken from a variety of publications such as The New York Times , The Washington Post , The Wall Street Journal , The Economist , and more. All thoughtful views are welcomed and will be respected.
Please note that if you do not see the "Add to Cart" button under your course, you must first create a new account or sign in to your current account. If you do not have current membership, once you have signed in, add your membership to the cart in order to register for courses.
The Political Legacy of Lyndon B. Johnson
Fee: $45.00
Dates: 8/11/2025 - 8/25/2025
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 3
Building: EUV Riverside
Room: EUV 1101
Instructor: Robert Ellingsen
Seats Still Available: 42
Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th President of the United States, held political office in Washington, D.C., from 1937 through 1969. An ambitious and skillful politician, his legacy is a complex and controversial one. (Indeed, one of his biographers has called him a “Flawed Giant.”) In this class we will examine his career as a Congressman, Senator, and Vice President, his approach to domestic policy after succeeding President Kennedy in 1963, and his performance as commander-in-chief during the Vietnam War. We will conclude by assessing his impact on the Democratic Party, American politics, and the nation itself.
Please note that if you do not see the "Add to Cart" button under your course, you must first create a new account or sign in to your current account. If you do not have current membership, once you have signed in, add your membership to the cart in order to register for courses.
The UN in the World: Relic or Relevant?
Fee: $45.00
Dates: 8/14/2025 - 8/28/2025
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 3
Building: UCR-Palm Desert Center A
Room: A-113
Instructor: Joseph Manso
Seats Still Available: 27
Created after WWII, the UN remains an imperfect ideal. We will look at the negotiations to create the UN, how it works including the dynamics of the Security Council, and ideas for reform.
Please note that if you do not see the "Add to Cart" button under your course, you must first create a new account or sign in to your current account. If you do not have current membership, once you have signed in, add your membership to the cart in order to register for courses.
Turning Points: The Age of Napoleon
Within this context, we will watch and discuss the following documentary films. First, “The Louvre” focuses on its origins as a Royal Palace and its conversion to a public museum during the French Revolution up to today. Plus, an episode from “Simon Schama’s Power of Art” which puts the spotlight on the works of French painter Jacque-Lous David, an active supporter of the French Revolution, who aligned himself with Napoleon after Robespierre’s fall. We’ll wrap up with a PBS four-hour documentary on “Napoleon” shown in two parts over two weeks which covers his rise from obscurity to becoming Emperor of France, and his eventual downfall. Vive La Revolucion.
Please note that if you do not see the "Add to Cart" button under your course, you must first create a new account or sign in to your current account. If you do not have current membership, once you have signed in, add your membership to the cart in order to register for courses.
PALM DESERT CENTER