There is still a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation about Maine's compassionate end-of-life care option. Many providers and patients in Maine are still not familiar with Maine's Death with Dignity Act. In effect since September 2019, the law permits physicians to practice medical aid-in-dying under specific circumstances.

Join this class to get fact-based informationm details you need to know about Maine's law, how to have the conversation with your physician, and how to qualify for the law or support your loved one who may be qualifying.  This is a live, online class using ZOOM.

Val was the grassroots leader and organizer from 2014 through passage of the law she co-authored in 2019. She is the founder and executive director of Maine Death with Dignity. Val believes people need good information to make good decisions. Val has been teaching adults in a variety of military and non-military organizations since 1981.

Soups made  with love can be a nourishing, flavorful and  inexpensive way to feed your family.  In this series, we will share techniques, tools, ingredients and tips learned through years of cooking for family and friends.  You’ll learn techniques about preparing ingredients, bringing them all together and tips on storage and serving.  A focus of the workshops will be the use of affordable and locally available ingredients, and adapting recipes to a variety of tastes and dietary requirements. Handouts, recipes and a small container of soup for your family to try will be provided.

Part II-Brothy Soups

When you want a lighter soup and want to feature key ingredients, this is the choice for you. We will be preparing chicken noodle soup.  This workshop will feature choosing the right broth and ingredients for your family, lifestyle, budget and diet.

Soups made  with love can be a nourishing, flavorful and  inexpensive way to feed your family.  In this series, we will share techniques, tools, ingredients and tips learned through years of cooking for family and friends.  You’ll learn techniques about preparing ingredients, bringing them all together and tips on storage and serving.  A focus of the workshops will be the use of affordable and locally available ingredients, and adapting recipes to a variety of tastes and dietary requirements. Handouts, recipes and a small container of soup for your family to try will be provided.

Part III-Bean Soups

 Every culture has a signature bean soup recipe!  Beans are an inexpensive  healthy protein that bring a nutritional, flavorful and hearty soup to satisfy big appetites. We’ll be making a Brazilian Black Bean soup and sharing lots of bean recipes from near and far. 

Are you curious about growing and using safe medicinal herbs? This 1.5 hour course provides an introduction to growing, preserving, and using common medicinal herbs like calendula, lavender, lemon balm, and chamomile. Join us for a fun and interactive session with plenty of time to ask questions and share ideas! All participants receive a fact sheet on growing and using the herbs covered in class.   This is a live online class using ZOOM.

Makeup date, if needed, 03/27/24.

Nicole Gurreri is a professional horticulturist with a background in public health and nutrition. She enjoys meeting new people and building community within her courses. 

Renata Lahner of The Lahner Group, is a licensed insurance agent with over 18 years’ experience helping individuals find the right Medicare coverage based on one's medical and financial needs. She will explain how Medicare works, what it covers, what it does not cover, details in differences between supplemental and advantage plans, and much more.

The Lahner Group is a Maine-based Medicare and insurance brokerage primarily serving clients in Maine, Florida, Arizona, and California. The goal of The Lahner Group is to bring the best resources and information to those of the Medicare population, taking into consideration each person’s unique situation, including their health and financial needs. The Lahner Group we strive to assist and connect Medicare recipients to the most appropriate benefits provider in their state, and to earn and preserve the trust of their clients and partners.  This is an in-person class.

Soups made  with love can be a nourishing, flavorful and  inexpensive way to feed your family.  In this series, we will share techniques, tools, ingredients and tips learned through years of cooking for family and friends.  You’ll learn techniques about preparing ingredients, bringing them all together and tips on storage and serving.  A focus of the workshops will be the use of affordable and locally available ingredients, and adapting recipes to a variety of tastes and dietary requirements. Handouts, recipes and a small container of soup for your family to try will be provided.

Part II-Chowders

Nothing speaks New England like a creamy chowder.  You can make a seafood chowder for a special event or a corn chowder for a quick weeknight meal that delights.  We'll make a simple fish chowder together. 

Passionate about supporting young children and eager to make a difference?  Would you like to confidently start a job with a local early childhood center?  Ellsworth Adult & Community Education is working with partners to develop an Early Childhoood Education Micro-Credential.  This certificate offers the skills, knowledge and experience to start a job in a center!  

Our micro-credential is a standards-based credential, so you demonstrate skills and knowledge in a variety of ways, including past learning and experience.  You earn three badges that include building a work readiness and communications foundation, early childhood education certificates, and hands-on experience in the classroom. 

Badge 1 Communications for the Early Childhood Professional, Work Readiness for the Early Childhood Professional, Pediatric First Aid & CPR, Mandated Reporting and more to prepare for Badge 2.  Most of Badge 1 is achieved in-person in classes scheduled at Ellsworth Adult & Community Education. 

Badge 2 You’ll earn certificate options documenting your knowledge and skills to work as part of a team to provide professional, safe, healthy, and developmentally appropriate programs in partnership with families.  All of these certificates are available self-paced online.  

Badge 3 offers hands-on experience demonstrating that you can apply the knowledge and skills in a local facility.  These sessions are set up upon completion of Badge 2. 

Give us a call to learn more about the micro-credential and the opportunities. The in-person sessions are on Wednesdays during the day.  

If you need support preparing to use ZOOM, we can assist you with resources (guides and videos) and in-person or online practice sessions.  You will need a device with a camera and microphone (internal or external), and to have ZOOM downloaded on your device.

This session is offered by appointment, live online using ZOOM, or in-person; ongoing enrollment.  Please reach out to us!

If you're interested in learning more about this workshop, register here and we'll call you to schedule a phone or in-person meeting with one of our advisors. 

Vanessa loves working with adult learners. She is really easy to be around and makes people extremely comfortable; she even makes learning math and computers fun! She is committed to helping adults discover their strengths, build their confidence, and realize they can accomplish their goals. In her free time, she loves to travel and explore the outdoors. Vanessa teaches math, science, technology, and provides college and career advising.