ALI announces its March 2026 classes
submitted by Mary Spaan, Adult Learners Institute of Chelsea, Michigan
The Adult Learners Institute (ALI Michigan), a promoter of life-long education, continues its spring 2026 term with six March classes, covering a range of topics: genealogy, fraud, cooking, bagpipes, gardening, and beavers.
Dig down into your family’s roots with Bill O’Reilly, an experienced genealogist, when he presents Uncovering Your Family History—With Fun! This in-person and Zoom class meets on Monday, March 9, at the Chelsea Senior Center. Even if you think you know all about your family’s history, you might find a few surprises by following his methods. Bill will share what he found in his research on some of the attendees’ family trees— plus, show how he did it!
Have you, or someone you know, been victimized by scammers? Nancy Zander, Risk Mitigation Officer at Chelsea State Bank, will offer a repeat of last fall’s popular Financial Fraud Prevention class. Here you will gain the skills to effectively identify, investigate, and prevent fraud, as well as learn the steps to be taken when it occurs. This in-person class will be held on Wednesday, March 11, at the Chelsea State Bank (Downtown Office).
Looking for something new to liven up your meals? Culinary artist Tamara El-Khatib’s Wholesome International Side Dishes may be just the thing to get you out of your rut. Continuing her popular culinary explorations of last fall, Tamara will demonstrate how to make such dishes as Damascus lentils with pomegranate molasses. This in-person class is presented in cooperation with Washtenaw Community College and meets at Heydlauff’s Appliances on three Thursdays: March 12, 19, and 26.
Enjoy a musical history of the bagpipes from ancient times to the present when you come to Bagpiper Tom Kennedy’s Bagpipes—The Music & the Mystique on Monday, March 23, at the Chelsea Senior Center. You’ll learn about the instrument’s evolution; its uses, from battle marches to dance music; and its accoutrements and mechanics as Tom demonstrates on both his great Highland pipes and Irish uilleann pipes. This class is in-person.
Wars were fought, empires were built, and fortunes were made and lost—all because of nature’s engineer, the beaver. On Monday, March 16, at the Chelsea Senior Center, Barbara Schutzgruber, an award-winning storyteller, will present a lively mix of factual information and high-spirited stories in When Beaver Was King. You’ll learn about how beaver tail hats were made, and how the beaver changed the face of Michigan. This class is in-person.
Even if you’re only an indoor gardener with houseplants, you’ll find something useful in Carol Brodbeck’s Garden Myths Debunked. Carol, a Certified Advanced Master Gardener, will discuss myths associated with fertilizing, planting, moisturizing, and other practices in this in-person and Zoom class held on Wednesday, March 25, at the Dexter Senior Center, in cooperation with Washtenaw Community College.
Look for ALI Michigan catalogs in your mail and at various sites in the 5Healthy Towns area. You are also invited to visit ALI Michigan’s table at the Saturday, March 7, Chelsea Expo at the Chelsea Senior Center. More catalogs and class information will be available there, as well as demonstrations of the registration process. Online registration is available through ALI Michigan’s website, www.alimichigan.org. There you will find complete class information, and can register and make payment for classes. For further information, email info@alimichigan.org or write to ALI Michigan, PO Box 134, Chelsea, MI 48118.
Adult Learners Institute of Chelsea, Michigan (ALI Michigan), an affiliate of the 5 Healthy Towns Foundation, supports life-long learning by offering online and in-person enrichment classes for adults in central southern Michigan.
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