All Presentations are held at the Island Village Clubhouse, 1831 Island Village Way, except where noted.
Owls In My Underwear, a Hobbyist Experience with Bird Watching in Central Florida
Kevin Mckenna has been a hobbyist birder/photographer for over 20 years. Birding is one of his passions and Central Florida is an amazing place for this hobby. Kevin will share his experiences with bird watching and information about perching and waterbirds of our area as well as our snowbird visitors – but not the human kind! Kevin will provide a handout with lists of birds, apps, and recommended places for you to go bird watching.
Lecturer: Kevin Mckenna
Kevin Mckenna has been a hobbyist birder/photographer for over 20 years. Birding has been one of his passions and Central Florida happens to be an amazing place for this hobby.
A Secret War, Mysterious Jars, and Audrey Meadows
Join us for a special interview with Commander Sergeant Major Larry Martin who served in the military for thirty-three years before retiring in 2005. Larry’s experiences led him to Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Bosnia, Kosovo, Albania, and a live television segment with Dan Rather in the ‘90s. His accomplishments include frontline work for a Hague conviction and involvement with the secret war in Laos. Tom Williams will conduct the interview, followed by Q&A.
Lecturer: Thomas Williams
Tom Williams, a federally licensed tax practitioner, holds an undergraduate degree in accounting and an Enrolled Agent license, an elite status reflecting the highest designation awarded to individuals for taxes by the IRS. Fewer than five hundred people in the country, including Tom, are non-attorneys admitted to the United States Tax Court.
Driving Through Northern Portugal
Join Steve Carroll for a scenic and cultural driving tour through the historic heartland of Portugal — from Lisbon through Porto, up to the Spanish border, and on to the Duoro wine river country. Ever wondered about those Duoro River wine cruises you see advertised? We’ll visit medieval towns that grew around castles, explore tiny B&Bs to mid-sized boutique hotels, and enjoy the region’s lovely cuisine and wine. Considering taking a road trip through Portugal? Steve will share about 100 photos illustrating a possible two-week and an alternate one-week route.
Lecturer: Steve Carroll
Steve has lived in many countries, working overseas with the State Department for 20 years and with several corporations for the 20 years before that. He loves to travel and drove a rental car through Northern Portugal for two weeks in October 2023. Steve visited large cities, small towns and villages enjoying their highlights as well as small places off the beaten path.
Science of Ice Cream
Scoop Ice Cream Shop, Island Village
Let’s enjoy a cool introduction to the science of ice cream through demonstration and taste testing at Scoop Celebration! We will discuss how ice cream is made, ingredients used, nutritional information of frozen desserts, food safety, sensory analysis, and the interesting science and physics involved in the manufacturing of ice cream. Join owners Chris and Amy Brevard and their Scoop team as they showcase how they make their outstanding homemade ice cream right here in Celebration. This program will offer a sweet perspective on how this beloved favorite dessert is made.
Note: This presentation will take place onsite at their Scoop location in Island Village. Capacity is limited and reservations will be required, via link in the Lifelong Monday.
Lecturers: Christopher Brevard and Amy Brevard
Christopher and Amy Brevard are the owners of Scoop Ice Cream. They started Scoop 10 years ago in Lake Lure, North Carolina, with a dream and the simple vision of creating a nostalgic place for families to gather over ice cream. Their business grew to more than five locations, and they also custom make ice cream for places such as Chimney Rock State Park, Rumbling Bald Resort and Forest City Owls in beautiful Western North Carolina. Chris and Amy have been snowbirds in Central Florida for the last four years and fell in love with Celebration. At their Scoop Celebration location in Island Village, they make delicious premium homemade ice cream and deliver smiles to their customers with each bite. Chris and Amy are passionate about small business, their community and serving others.
Problem Solving with Delicious Data and Deep Dives
Data is used everywhere! Analyzing data is used in making decisions in business and research, but it is also important in sports (Did you see the movie Moneyball?), entertainment, and even food. It’s all about asking the right questions and defining what you’re trying to accomplish. In this presentation we’ll use M&Ms ® to explore the use of data and how to apply it in everyday situations.
Lecturer: Jane Wahl
Jane Wahl has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from the University of Florida. She has earned a Six Sigma Black Belt, CPCU, CLU, and other designations throughout her career in the insurance industry. In addition to traditional insurance roles, Jane was a Public Affairs Manager, directing legislative, media, and community activities. She also served as a Process Manager, working to streamline operations, enhance quality, and train others to do the same. She is a native Floridian who enjoys tennis and is a big fan of the state’s beautiful weather.
Creating with Text and Colored Pencil Drawings
Join Arlene as she demonstrates how to incorporate text into colored pencil art. She will show you how to color beautiful tulips and add writing between the flowers. You can create journal entries, greeting cards, or bookmarks by adding inspirational words, poems, biblical verses, or even a short story or anecdote. You will come away inspired to create something stunning!
Lecturer: Arlene Sanchez-Busse
Arlene Sánchez-Busse has a BA in Anthropology from the University of Puerto Rico and a JD from the University of Puerto Rico, School of Law. Arlene spent twenty-five years as a practicing attorney in the Courts of Puerto Rico, specializing in family law and children’s rights. She spent ten years teaching English. She studied painting with Andres Bueso, one of the Caribbean’s foremost painters. Arlene has studied the Impressionist Movement for many years and has traveled to museums all over the world to view the masterpieces of Monet, Renoir, Morisot, Degas, Pissarro and Manet. She has also visited many of the sites and towns in France and Europe that inspired their paintings.
Step One--Getting Decluttered and Organized
Getting decluttered and organized can be a true challenge for many of us. Steph Garber, a professional organizer, has spent her life helping people do just that. She started her own business, From Chaos to Order, in Celebration in 2014. Now she wants to give YOU numerous hints and ideas — not only to get started in your own home, but to keep going until it looks like the home of your imagination! Plenty of time will be allocated for questions.
Lecturer: Steph Garber
For many people the job of organizing is truly onerous, but Steph Garber LOVES it. Starting in high school, Steph never visited friends without going into their kitchens and putting their spices in alpha order! After working casually in the business for decades, she started her own business, From Chaos to Order, in 2014. Her BA in Psychology from the University of Miami helps keep her non-judgmental and understanding – helping clients find organizing a joy rather than a chore. In addition, Steph spent nearly 40 years of her career working with nonprofits in fundraising. She continues to enjoy volunteering with various organizations.
The (Not So) Terrific Twenties: What’s Wrong with Young People Today?
Why is becoming an adult so difficult today? This far-ranging talk first looks at how making the transition to full adulthood has dramatically changed over the past 75 years. We then do a deep dive into the special challenges contemporary twentysomethings face, explaining why depression rates are skyrocketing among this generation of American young adults. Based on her 50 years’ experience writing human development textbooks, Janet will conclude with personal prescriptions for helping allay this alarming national malady infecting young people today.
Lecturer: Janet Belsky
Dr. Janet Belsky has been teaching undergraduates and writing textbooks in lifespan development for the past 50 years. Her landmark textbook, Experiencing the Lifespan, now in its sixth edition, is used by students around the world.
Letters from My Father
Meryl Rachlin’s dad was a professional commercial artist, writer, and photographer. He was also the editor and art director of the national BMW magazine and a race car driver and instructor. He was an incredibly clever, witty and funny man with a dynamic personality. When Meryl was in her tooth-losing years, he created Helen, her Tooth Fairy. Helen would leave phonetically written letters under Meryl’s pillow with 50 cents complaining about how “egzpensiv” she was getting “cuz u keep loozing all yur teeth”. Join Meryl as she shares some of the stories of his life along with excerpts from his book, his funny letters to her at camp, and his poems.
Lecturer: Meryl Rachlin
Meryl Rachlin has been an artist for as long as she can remember. Meryl studied Graphic Design at Massachusetts College of Art. She worked in creative technology as part of her corporate career until starting her own mural/decorative painting business in 1995. Meryl creates unique 3D dog portraits on commission, managed the Celebration Art & Wine Strolls, and is a long-standing member of the Celebration Lifelong Steering Committee. Meryl continues to learn new arts and craft mediums to teach at Celebration Lifelong.
Ten-Minute Play Readings
Come, be amazed, and enjoy the plays of the Celebration Lifelong Playwrights, written in the Workshop: Write a Ten-Minute Play Courses! These plays have gone on to be performed in professional theaters and published in anthologies of the best plays of the year.
Lecturers: Don Salvo and Will Newkirk
Don Salvo
Don Salvo is a co-founder of the Playwrights’ Lab at the Pittsburgh Public Theatre and teaches playwriting and courses about Broadway Musicals at Celebration Lifelong. Don is a published playwright and has had multiple plays performed throughout the country. His play, Unraveled, a Heideman Award Finalist for Drama from the Actors Theatre of Louisville, was produced twice off-Broadway and introduced Joe Manganiello to New York audiences. His plays One-Way Mirror and The Florida Highwaymen were finalists for the Verna Safran Prize. A professionally trained dancer/actor, he is a proud member of Actors’ Equity and has performed in over 60 productions with the Kenley Players. Don earned degrees from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, the University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, and was a Fellow in the School of Speech and Drama at Northwestern University.
Will Newkirk
Will Newkirk’s award-winning play [Miss] received the 2017 Charles M. Getchell Prize from the Southeastern Theatre Conference. Other award-winning plays include: East Lansing (Best Play, Tampa Bay Theatre Festival), In Me (Vigoda Award, Best Dramedy), 5 to 4 (Best Play, 4×6 Fest, Tampa, Florida), Suffocation (Grand Prize, Emerald Theatre Company New Play Festival, Memphis, Tennessee), The Nude (Best Play, A Strong Woman Play Festival, Washington, D.C.), and After the Intervention (Judges Choice Award, Festival of Shorts, Edmonds, Washington). William Newkirk has a BA from Harvard and an MD from The Ohio State University.