Current Programs: Fall 2013

Rich Dufresne, Wellness Corporation

No matter how old you are, it is good to make sure that your level of self esteem is 99 percent positive and balanced. This 90-minute workshop will address the four building blocks of a positive self esteem and provide many strategies that one can use to help build self esteem.

• The definitions of self concept and self esteem
• The four building blocks of a positive self esteem
• The importance of self acceptance in order to have a positive self esteem
• How some long term life patterns can feed a negative self concept and stunt the development of a positive self esteem

Tuesday, March 5, from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
Campus Center 205

Sue Kline Business Communications

You may have an important message to deliver, but how do you know your audience will understand it? The key is to write at a grade level that makes a document easy to read and digest. It may come as no surprise that even your most sophisticated audience responds best to a simple, concise message. That means most writing should achieve grade nine to 11 readability. And news writing should achieve a score of grade eight! In this class you will find out how grade level is determined, assess where your writing stands, and learn the three secrets of readability. It's a fascinating process—a "must" if you want to increase the impact of your workplace writing. (By the way, this paragraph is written at a readability level of grade eight!)

Friday, March 8, from 10 a.m. to noon
Campus Center 205

Katie Averill and Halley Ofner

Join us for an informal hour of sharing information in the way of applications "apps" that help in our daily routine at work or outside the office. You do not need a smart phone or Ipad to participate, this is open to all users, novice or savvy, let's share our knowledge and offer support to get the job done!

Tuesday, March 12, from noon to 1 p.m.
Campus Center 205

Sue Miller, Employers Association of New England

• Gain awareness of the impact of actions upon others, the organization and the individual
• Understand the difference between behaviors that are appropriate, inappropriate and perhaps illegal
• Understand what constitutes cultural competence and cultural incompetence.
• Improve skills in communicating across cultures
• Know the action steps needed to value others in the workplace

Tuesday, April 2, from 9 a.m. to noon
Campus Center 205

Lisa Abend, Firebird Coaching and Consulting

Learning the art and skill of self-motivation is a key to mastering the art of getting things done; additional benefits include enhanced self confidence and self esteem. Lisa will guide you in an enlightening, strategic process for discovering what really motivates you. Bring a notebook or journal. After a short introduction to the concept of motivation participants will be guided through a strategic process to identify and list motivating conditions, thoughts and events; he highest-scoring motivators are identified, with suggestions for application from the group as well as guidelines and suggestions.

Friday, April 5, from 10 a.m. to noon
Campus Center 205

Richard Dufresne

This 90-minute workshop will examine your beliefs, emotions and personal effectiveness keys to selecting a path for greater satisfaction and happiness and provide participants a better understanding of why so many New Year's resolutions fade after four to six weeks and how to develop a plan that moves an individual forward in reaching your goals.

Participants will learn:

• how beliefs and "self talk" affect your behaviors and emotional well being
• techniques to help you grow beyond the limits of your thinking
• how brain chemistry can be changed through natural, simple exercises
• the key components of an Action Plan that brings sustained action and results

Tuesday, March 26, from 9 to 10:30 a.m.
Campus Center Room 205

Erin Moran McCormick, author of Year of Action: How to Stop Waiting and Start Living your BIG Fabulous Life

"One ordinary morning, Erin Moran McCormick tripped over rolled-up posters that had been gathering dust on her floor and her life would never be the same. In that one moment, she decided she wasn't going to live her life on hold – always waiting and not living."

Erin Moran McCormick, author of Year of Action: How to Stop Waiting and Start Living your BIG Fabulous Life, will be with us to discuss her journey from her undergrad days washing dishes at Smith College and scrounging for subway fare in Boston to taking action and following her dreams. She quit her job and bought a one-way ticket to Europe, travelled on her own and had an apartment overlooking the Eiffel Tower. Her journey continues later in life where as the breadwinner and mother of two, she had the courage to quit a toxic job on her 50th birthday in the worst economy in recent history‐and she and her family have never been happier. Her everyday adventures (the good, the bad and the embarrassing), practical advice and Action Steps will show you the secrets of how to see the moments in your life, start believing in the possibilities, and inspire you to take a little step—and then another one—to create your BIG, fabulous life.

Friday, March 22, from noon to 1 p.m.
Campus Center 205

Arden Pierce, structural yoga therapist

Come enjoy a restorative break for your body and mind. Soothe your neck, shoulders and eyes, unlock your hips and back, and release stress. Return to work with more energy, clarity and calm. Clothing change is not necessary, but please do not wear tight clothing or jeans that day. Please drink a glass of water before you come!

Mondays, February 25–April 29, from 12:10 to 1 p.m.
Neilson Browsing Room

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

Stretching is very beneficial and cannot be neglected. But in the case of muscle knots, stretching alone is not enough. When stretching a muscle with knots, you are only stretching the healthy muscle tissue. A well-trained massage therapist can effectively apply pressure to break up and relieve muscle knots, but it may take several treatments, which can be expensive. The most cost effective way to eliminate and prevent muscle knots is the foam roller&mdsah;a firm foam log that is six inches in diameter. Use the roller against the muscle knots with your own body weight to generate the direct pressure. Imagine using a rolling pin to roll out lumps in bread dough. The foam roller is an inexpensive, yet highly effective way to treat and prevent the most common injuries seen in laborers, runners, weekend warriors, or your average desk worker. This program will introduce the foam roller and show you how to properly use it to treat various muscle aches and pains as well as utilizing it for spinal stabilization exercises.

Thursday, February 28, from noon to 1 p.m.
Campus Center 205

Christian McEwan, author of Word Enough and Time

Two out of five Americans do not walk as long as ten continuous minutes at any point in an average week. (Harper's Index, November 2012). And yet taking time to walk (especially outside, in nature) is one of the most restorative things that we can do. It energizes us, cheers us up, and quite literally prolongs our lives. In the course of this mini-retreat, we will explore the history and literature of walking, combining stories with a special emphasis on writing and map-making, walking and drawing. Please bring a favorite notebook or journal, and a pair of comfortable walking shoes.

Friday, March 15, from 10 a.m. to noon
Campus Center 003

Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare

Glucose is sugar which is formed when your body digests carbohydrates. This baseline screening will test participants for high blood glucose levels, which may be indicative of diabetes. When detected and treated properly, diabetes can be controlled, and the risk for disease can be greatly reduced. In addition to receiving individual results, each participant receives educational materials, and nutrition recommendations based on their dietary needs and eating patterns.

Wednesday April 3, from 11 a.m. to noon
Campus Center 205

Join our newly formed Weight Watchers (WW) group to get on track with healthy eating and living. Learn more about why WW works. In addition, you will have access to WW Online to help customize your plan at your pace, on your time. We will meet weekly for 12 weeks at a lunch-time meeting including private weigh in.

Date and location TBD

Laura Biddulph, Center for Eco Technology

This workshop will introduce green practices and forward thinking in a multitude of home renovation projects, ranging from the simple interior paint job to how to get the most out of new windows, siding and even roofs. Come learn how your renovation project can green your home and end up saving you money moving forward.

Friday, March 15, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Campus Center 103/104

Cori Ashworth, EANE

Emotional Intelligence 2.0 delivers a step-by-step program for increasing your emotional intelligence using the four core EQ skills—self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management—to exceed your goals and achieve your fullest potential. Through a personal appraisal test, you will identify your strengths and enjoy consistent performance in pursuit of important life objectives, with proven strategies from a decade-long effort to accurately measure and increase emotional intelligence.

Lunch will be provided

June TBD

Mary Hulbert

These days, we're all under increasing amounts of pressure and stress. In this workshop you'll examine the sources of stress in your lives and how that stress impacts you—how your ability to think and lead is compromised as well as how your cardiovascular system is affected. Sound a little scary? Well, the good news is there are practical ways you can decrease the impact of stress in your lives. These actions and strategies, which we will introduce to you, are ones you can begin implementing right away.

Date and location TBD

Mary Ellen Gordon, CRPC, CEBS, CFS – financial adviser,ING

Join us for an overview of the features of your retirement plan. Topics to be discussed include: how you can contribute to your account on a tax-advantaged basis, loans from your account, withdrawals while working and options on how and when to use your account after you leave.

Tuesday, March 7, from noon to 1 p.m.
Campus Center 102

David K. Carboni, Ph.D., CFP

Although retirement may seem years away, it's never too early to begin planning this workshop is a good opportunity to help you plan for a successful retirement. Participants will receive a comprehensive retirement planning workbook.

This workshop will help you answer questions such as:

• Am I on track to afford to retire?
• What's the best time to take Social Security?
• How to I decide among retirement plan's payout options?
• Do I have necessary legal documents?
• How does Medicare work and shopping for Medicare Supplements?
• How make sure your purchasing power last throughout retirement?
• How to pay your income taxes in retirement?
• How to convert your home's equity to retirement income?
• If I'm thinking of relocating, what are key questions to ask?
• How to develop an investment plan?

Tuesdays, March 12, 19, 26, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Conference Center, Lower Lounge

Ed Estey, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care

Celebrating 65 is a free educational program developed by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. The program consists of a series of seminars designed to provide reliable and comprehensive retirement information. To help you take a proactive approach to retirement and plan for a healthy future. The workshop will cover "Making sense of Social Security, Understanding your Benefits," "Simplifying Medicare, Navigating Medicare to get a clear view on how it all works," and "Retirement and Health Care, Thinking it through, HMO, Indemnity Medigap, Making sense of it all."

Thursday, April 4, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Campus Center 205