Brookline Adult & Community Education (BA&CE), one of the largest non-credit, public education programs in Massachusetts, is offering a special week of virtual learning, enrichment and discovery that is open to the public-at-large and part of a larger fundraising effort.  A Festival of Learning will take place Monday, March 22 through Saturday, March 27, 2021 from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. In addition to a variety of fun, virtual hour-long courses, the festival will spotlight special guest speakers, including Astronaut Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger;  Hollywood Actor Pooch Hall; Sports Journalists Bryan Morry and Steve Krasner, who will discuss Hank Aaron’s legacy; popular children’s book author, David A. Kelly of the Ballpark Mystery Series; and author Gary Wolf who wrote a book the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit was based on.

Early-bird registration is now open. Week-long passes will be offered at a reduced rate of $75. The pass allows participants to drop in on any of the 30+ live virtual classes or speaker sessions, held over Zoom, at their convenience and for less than it would cost to sign up for a typical single class. Participants can look forward to classes such as morning Yoga, where they’ll practice a series of gentle postures to achieve a healthy balance of calm and energy. Warm up the winter with new recipes and innovative culinary ideas, such as how to cook a delicious fish chowder or add Indian dishes to your cooking repertoire. Brush up skills in Microsoft Office, discuss living more sustainably and discover actions that will keep the planet more livable. Participants will improve their memory and have fun with improv games, learn to craft a solid financial plan, and bust out hula hoops for some guided entertainment. Listen along as local musicians play instruments, discover ways to build a community, get out those gardening gloves and plan for the spring flowers, learn to identify trees, or join in on an open mic night. Discover astrology and the role it plays in politics, jumpstart your writing, or mediate and journal. There’s something for everyone.

Highlighted speakers, such as former NASA Astronaut, Dottie Metcalf-Lindenburger, will open our minds to other planets and what space travel is like. Hollywood actor, Pooch Hall, will share insights on a newly released movie he appears in, Cherry, and what it is like to act in a series like Ray Donovan or The Game.  Sports Journalists, Bryan Morry and Steve Krasner will reminisce about legendary baseball player Hank Aaron. Children’s author, David A. Kelly, will share the research he did in writing his latest ballpark mystery novel. Finally, Gary Wolf will give a glimpse into his book and the 1988 movie based on it - Who Framed Roger Rabbit? This story of a rabbit in love, trying to uncover the truth, is now widely regarded as a 'cult classic'. The film won four Academy Awards and the Hugo Award and grossed one billion dollars.