This course provides a strategic guide to maximizing Social Security benefits. You'll learn about optimal claiming ages, spousal and survivor benefits, and tailored strategies for single, married, divorced, and widowed individuals to make informed decisions about when and how to file. Presented by Damian Smith of Set Apart Investing.

Are you comfortable with your clay abilities and just looking for a place to work and improve your skills? Join us in the Morse High School Ceramics Studio and start making all those things you have been dreaming up! This is not an instructor lead class, but the instructor will be on site working in case you need something. $75 for materials and studio fee, payable to instructor, must be paid on the first night of class. *Purchasing additional clay: The fee is an additional $75 to cover the firing, glazes and other consumables used during class. Please note: If you miss a class, you cannot make-up the class at another time. The ceramics schedule is very tight and these classes are usually full. Thank you for your understanding! *No Class: 11/26.

Create some lovely winter color in this glass on glass mosaic class! Follow the amaryllis flower pattern provided or design your own in an 8x10” wood frame. We will learn how to score, break, and snip glass down to shape and glue to our glass substrate. On the last day of class we will finish with grout. Tools will be provided for in class use. *A material fee of $35 must be paid to the instructor on the first night of class.

Join us for three weeks of making several styles of paper ornaments for the holidays. We will start with making festive paste papers. Then see how many different ornaments we can make in the rest of our time. Tools & materials provided. A material fee of $20 should be paid to the instructor on the first night. Extra $10 kits will also be available for purchase, to share the handmade fun at home!

Time to get out the sweaters and have some tea! Scones are the perfect accompaniment! In this 3-hour class, we will make: Harvest Pumpkin Scones, Double Ginger Scones, Savoy Hotel Classic Scones, Maple Bacon Scones, and Cranberry Orange Scones. All ingredients provided. No experience needed. Be sure and bring a container to take home samples. You will fall in love with these flavors!

Our community book club is back! Come and have a lively discussion as we share our thoughts on these books! *NOTE: Each session below is one-night.

OCT Session: Come join us for our first meeting in October! The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides is a psychological thriller to get us in the spooky mood for the season. About a woman named Alicia Berenson, a painter who murders her husband, Gabriel, then never speaks another word. Theo Faber, a forensic psychotherapist is obsessed with her case, becomes her therapist to uncover her motive, only for the narrative to reveal that the storylines are not occurring simultaneously, leading to a shocking twist regarding their connection.

NOV Session: We are going to put a spin on November's book selection. For November you will be challenged to read a book of your choice in a genre that you have never/very rarely read. Let's have a thoughtful conversation on the book and genre you chose and why. Was this an eye opener for you? Will you read more books of that genre in the future? Come and let us know! Speaking of the future, The Merrymeeting Adult Ed Center will be putting its Spring/Summer catalog together soon! We will take some time during this meeting to discuss the future of our club, anything you would like to add/subtract? We will also choose future selections and possible locations. Please bring with you at least 2 book titles and a small summary that you would like the club to discuss and we will vote on the top titles!

DEC Session: Home for the holidays? Not so much for the characters in our December book pick! We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer is about a queer couple, Charlie and Eve, who buy a house to flip, only for their lives to unravel after they let a family of former residents tour the home, leading to supernatural events, disappearances, and a breakdown of reality. Originally a viral short story on Reddit. Would you have let the former family in? Let's talk about what you would have done! 

JAN Session: Happy New Year! Lets start the new year off with a great read from Fredrik Backman, the author of the bestselling book "A Man Called Ove." My Friends by Fredrick Backman is about the enduring power of friendship, art, and human connection. Follow an aspiring artist named Louisa as she uncovers the story behind a famous painting of four teenagers from a transformative summer 25 years prior, weaving together past and present narratives of trauma, hope, and healing. Come join us for a great conversation! 

FEB Session: [Wayward] - Unruly, unpredictable or difficult to control. This month we will be reading a book with that very title! Weyward by Emilia Hart is a debut novel that weaves together the stories of three women from different centuries—Altha (1619), Violet (1942), and Kate (present day)—who are connected by a shared legacy of female power, intuition, and a deep bond with nature, often labeled as witchcraft. The book explores themes of resilience, and the struggle of each woman as she confronts abuse and societal constraints, finding strength in their "weyward" spirit and connection to the natural world. Let's talk about the lives of these 3 women and what they taught us. 

MAR Session: We’d love to have you join us for a book to movie discussion. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is a science fiction novel following Ryland Grace, a junior high science teacher turned astronaut who wakes up with amnesia on a spaceship. He discovers he is on a desperate, one-way mission to save Earth from a solar-dimming microorganism. Was the book or movie better? Let's find out together! 

Discover time management strategies that bring more clarity and control to your life. Grounded in FranklinCovey® principles, explore how to focus on what matters most through simple habits that keep you organized and reduce stress. Includes: A framework for prioritizing; practical weekly and daily habits; practical exercises and guided application.

Immerse yourself in an inspiring course along Maine’s coastline. Engage in guided drawing lessons, hands-on culinary workshops, and curated museum visits. Strengthen your artistic skills, deepen observation, and connect with fellow creators in a thoughtful program blending learning, exploration, and the quiet beauty of the sea. Call Chris for lodging: (207) 653-3163. *There is a $70 cancellation fee if you cancel after you register for whatever reason.