Summer 2026 Courses
Summer Term: July 6 — July 31
Registration Opens June 1, 2026
Welcome! This Summer, one flat fee gives you access to any and all courses. Register for as many as you’d like using our secure online registration system.
How to Register Online (Recommended):
Add the Summer Registration Fee: Click “Add to Cart” on the Summer Registration Fee below. This $35 fee is required for all Summer registrations–one per person.
Select Courses: Scroll down to find the courses you’d like to take, and click the "Add to Cart" button for each one.
Checkout: When you’re ready, click the Shopping Cart (🛒) icon in the top-right corner and follow the on-screen steps to complete your secure registration.
Confirmation: You’ll receive an email confirmation with your course details.
Prefer to Pay by Check?
If you prefer to pay by check, it cannot be completed through this website. Please click here to download our printable catalog and registration form. Print the form, complete it, and mail it with your check made payable to LINEC to:
LINEC Registrar, NEC Box 75, 98 Bridge Street, Henniker, NH 03242
Please Note: Your registration is not confirmed until the completed form and check are received by the Registrar. A confirmation will be sent by email once your registration has been processed.
Required for all Summer registrations. One per person. Add this first, then select your courses below.
When: Mondays, 10:00 - noon | July 6 to July 27
Location: NEC Campus [room TBD]
Instructor: Lisa Melander
Each class will begin with math play and then we’ll explore a particular topic more in depth. From “Tricky Tessellations” to “Nature & Spirals” to “Prime Patterns” and to “Iterating Your Vegetables” our time will be spent investigating a playful side of math.
About the Instructor
Lisa Melander, M.Ed., was an educator and a math consultant before retiring and becoming involved in LINEC. She created math enrichment programs for elementary schools, designed math carnivals and provided professional development for the state of WA, teaching teachers how to make math more accessible to students. She fervently believes that math is doable and FUN! Read full bio here.
When: Mondays, 1:30 – 3:30 pm | July 6 to July 27
Location: NEC Campus [ room TBD ]
Instructor: Don Melander
This summer, we will consider the poetry of Kentucky poet Wendell Berry. We will use The Selected Poems of Wendell Berry, which features 100 poems from nine of Berry’s books span 1964 - 1997. These poems evoke rural life in the 19th Century America, which continues to resonate and have relevance today. In addition to being a poet, Berry is an essayist, novelist, activist, and farmer.
Don Melander, Professor of English Emeritus at New England College, taught literature and humanities for over fifty years, including programs at the NH State Prison and in the UK. Read full bio here.
Tuesdays, 4 weeks, Zoom.
Descriptions:
Longer—Smithsonian American Art Museum study group leaders, 3-4 people yet to be determined, are seasoned volunteer videoconference presenters deeply familiar with the Museum’s collections and how to facilitate conversations about artworks. Their professional experiences, paired with Museum-provided training and years of online and in-person tours, have prepared them to be skilled leaders of artwork-based discussions who are responsive to participants’ interests.
Shorter—Smithsonian American Art Museum presenters have been leading conversations about artworks in-person and online for lifelong learning groups since 2013. Read full bio online.
When: Tuesdays, 10:00 – 11:30 am | July 7 to July 28 (4 sessions)
Location: Zoom
Instructor: Various SAAM Volunteers
Artists give us a window on American life, often reflecting the cultural and social climate of the time in which they work. Explore the question, “What does art reveal about America?” as you examine better- and lesser-known aspects of American history to reframe your perspective. Join study group leaders as they facilitate an examination of America through artists’ eyes in four discussion-based sessions: Seeing is Thinking, Early America, 1861-1941: 80 Years of Change, and Contemporary Life.
About the Instructor
Smithsonian American Art Museum presenters are deeply familiar with the Museum’s collections and have been leading conversations about artworks in-person and online for lifelong learning groups since 2013. Read full bio here.
When: Tuesdays, 1:30 - 3:30 pm | July 7 to July 28
Location: NEC Campus [ room TBD ]
Instructor: Glenn Stuart
“To whom should I complain? Who would believe me?” In this course, we will look at the 2015 Shakespeare’s Globe production featuring Jonathan Pryce as Shylock. In addition, we will read a new work entitled Playing Shylock by Mark Leiren-Young, which was performed in Brooklyn by Saul Rubinek in December 2025.
About the Instructor
Glenn Stuart, Professor of Theater Emeritus at NEC, taught for 38 years and designed more than 125 productions. He also founded the Open Door Theater. Read full bio here.
When: Wednesday, 1:00 to 3:30 PM | 1st Wednesday each month
Location: Tucker Free Library, Henniker
Instructor: Don Melander
This class meets monthly at the Tucker Free Library and new members are always welcome. This ongoing series will continue with two short novels by Nathaneal West who was a novelist and a screenwriter. He is perhaps best known for his novels (which were also turned into films), Miss Lonelyhearts (1933) and The Day of the Locust (1939). We will discuss these two novels when we meet on July 1st.
About the Instructor
Don Melander, Professor of English Emeritus at New England College, taught literature and humanities for over fifty years, including programs at the NH State Prison and in the UK. Read full bio here.
Wednesdays, 4 weeks, Henniker Library
2 short novels by Nathaneal West.
Henniker Library
When: Thursday, 12:30 to 2:00 pm | 2nd Thursday each month
Location: Tucker Free Library, Henniker
Instructor: Curtiss Rude
This is a new discussion group that will meet informally, once per month, around a table in the Henniker Library. The group will welcome all. No prior knowledge of any particular topic is necessary. The only requirement is a general interest in a variety of topics in science or technology. All participants may, if they wish, take turns selecting the discussion topics for follow-on months. Material to read or view may be shared by all in advance to provide background and stimulate conversation at each meeting.
About the Instructor
Curtiss Rude is an expert in physics and electrical engineering for an informal, curiosity-driven exploration of science and technology. Read full bio here.
When: Thursday, 5:00 to 6:30 pm | July 9 to July 30 (4 sessions)
Location: Zoom
Instructor: Sarah Traphagen
An Iowa housewife was convicted of murdering her husband. A legendary attorney defended two teenagers to spare them from the death penalty. The lawyer for a Michigan man accused of shooting his wife’s alleged rapist argued his client was insane – and won. A writer on a jury participated in contentious deliberations over a manslaughter case. All of these true events inspired theatrical plays: Trifles by Susan Glaspell, Never the Sinner by John Logan, Anatomy of a Murder by Elihu Winer (adapted from Robert Traver’s novel), and Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Rose. Let’s explore how the American justice system’s intersection with real human nuance translates powerfully to dramatic storytelling.
About the Instructor
Sarah Traphagen, Ph.D., specializes in American literature, history, and Civil War medicine. She has published in multiple journals and has taught at the University of Florida and college prep schools. Read full bio here.