Readfield U

Readfield U is a chance for neighbors to get to know one another better while sharing their skills, knowledge and interests.  It consists of a series of classes and presentations held during the month of March when many of us could use a little help getting through the tail end of winter.  This year we had 16 different offerings involving local history and geology, an art class at our local gallery, Iris paper folding, a slide presentation on Maine wildflowers, Canasta instruction, a writing class, genealogy and much more.  The program showcases the knowledge and skills of community members and each session includes time for socializing afterwards.  

Often in our concern to provide for the needs of our older community members we overlook the wealth of knowledge and experience they have to offer. While Readfield U is not limited to older participants they have made up most of the presenters and attendees.  Seventy people registered for the program, most of whom signed up for multiple presentations, and quite a few more attended without registering.  The program has its own email address: readfieldu@gmail.com and a website: readfieldu.org which has details of the year’s offerings, registration form, and a form for presenters to fill out details of what they are offering.  It also has a gallery of photos taken during the program.  All classes and get-togethers are free to attend and everyone involved with organizing and offering classes is a volunteer.  Just for fun, we call it a “Pop-up University” - Readfield University - Readfield U for short.  All classes are held in Readfield but people from neighboring communities are welcome to attend.