Kingsport, Tenn. – The Kingsport Alliance for Continued Learning (KACL), in partnership with East Tennessee State University at Kingsport, will offer a series of informal in-person and virtual class options beginning Tuesday, March 22, focusing on a variety of subjects from science, local history and literature to a Pearl Harbor National Memorial overview.
This six-week series of non-credit courses is open to anyone. Classes will continue
through Thursday, April 28, and will be held at the Kingsport Center for Higher Education
(KCHE), 300 W. Market Street. The cost to participate is $30 and covers all KACL spring
courses. Some events, such as field trips, require additional fees.
The spring series kicks off with retired chemist and former Eastman Chemical Company
employee, David Petke. The focus of the discussion, that begins on March, 22 at 10
a.m., will be “It’s Elementary! Atoms as the Building Blocks of Nature.”
In “Long Island of the Holston: Historical and Personal Perspectives,” on March 24,
John Barrett, East Tennessee native and retired educator, will review the area’s rich
history and reveal facts and memories about this now vanished Kingsport neighborhood.
In another lecture, “History of Appalachia through Railroads and Art,” on March 29,
Ron Flanary, retired executive director of LENOWISCO Planning District, focuses his
presentation on the history of railroading in Appalachia. Flanary’s photographs and
art will be on display during the class.
In “Dr. Brenda White Wright Emerging Leaders Academy” on March 31, participants are
invited to learn about and join the celebration of 10 years of service leadership
development for students participating in the Emerging Leaders Academy (ELA) at ETSU.
The spring series will continue into April as Teresa Greer, director of Surgoinsville
Area Archives and Museum, presents “Creating a Local History Museum in Surgoinsville,
Tennessee.” The presentation, on April 27, will detail how items are curated for the
museum.
In “Pearl Harbor National Memorial Overview: Past and Present” on April 6, Bonnie
Vega, former tour guide, USS Missouri Memorial Association, Inc. The Pearl Harbor
National Memorial, offers a place to connect with national, international and personal
histories of World War II.
The KACL was established in 1993 with ETSU at Kingsport to provide adults, regardless
of educational background or age, opportunities to attend stimulating courses, lectures
and special events.
A complete listing of the spring KACL series is available at kingsportlearning.org. The cost to participate is $30 and covers all courses offered during the six-week
series with the exception of a booklet required for the “Great Decisions” program
offered on Wednesday afternoons from March 23-April 27 through a partnership with
the Friends of the Kingsport Public Library and meals on field trips.
To pay the membership fee and register or for more information, including a full list
of spring 2022 classes, call (423) 354-5200 or visit kingsportlearning.org. Individuals who have never attended KACL before may attend one class free of charge.
For disability accommodations, call the ETSU at Kingsport Downtown office at (423)
354-5200.