Coastal Senior College’s spring term offers an enticing array of courses for the inquiring mind. A new collaboration between CSC and the Island Institute enables CSC to offer “The Maine Islands: Small Communities, Big Thinking.” This course, led by Institute staff, will examine how Maine’s small, isolated, year-round island communities are sustaining challenges in the areas of marine resources, climate change, education, energy and economic diversification.

In 14 additional courses you can explore with Bill Solomon how the modern documentary shapes the public mind or, with Paul Kando, how nature offers models for dealing with the complex national and global problems we face today. You can read Trollope with Maryanne Ward, poetry with Ellen Goldsmith or Maine writers with Barbara LeGendre.

You can learn with Charmarie Blaisdell why, by 1648, France had become the cultural, intellectual, economic and political power in Europe and, with Byron Stuhlman, why the cathedral is a repository of social and political history.

Perhaps you would like to discuss environmental law with Bruce Rockwood or French Impressionism with Jane Roos, study Jewish mysticism and contemporary spirituality with Rabbi Steve Shaw or the importance of the heart and lungs in human physiology with Dr. John Burris. Alice Dashiell will help you gather the story you have within you and Caroline Janover will help you edit it. John Ward will kick off a celebration of W.B. Yeat’s 150th birthday with a special reading on March 20 followed by a course in May on Yeat’s poetry.

If the exchange of the spoken or written word stimulates your intellect, come to an ongoing group: the CSC Coffee House facilitated by Bill Newman and Peter Muth; the Challenge of Change coordinated by Carmen Lavertu; and the Writers’ Group led by Marilyn Muth. These groups are free to CSC members.

CSC serves seniors age 50 and over in Lincoln and Knox counties. Classes are $30 each and membership for the year is $25. For class venues, times and other information visit www.coastalseniorcollege.org. The first class starts March 23. Call 800-286-1594 to register.