Adult Education classes have been a staple of the Newberry’s programming for decades, offering fascinated learners of all ages the opportunity to dive deeply on topics as diverse as pre-code Hollywood film, guided reads of classic novels, and walking tours of nearly every Chicago neighborhood. In this installment of Meet the Staff, Adult Education Manager Abbie Tarpinian Porto (she/they) talks about their approach to learning and where Adult Education is headed in the coming years
How did you first encounter the Newberry?
I’m originally from Rochester, New York, and moved here to Chicago a few years ago for grad school. My mom came out to visit, and I was looking for stuff for us to do. The exhibition Pop-Up Books through the Ages was open at the time, and we went to check it out and my mom was like, “Okay, this place is totally you. You should work here!”
Can you speak about your journey to the Newberry and your interest in Adult Education?
I’ve always been really into the humanities in general, which is why my mom thought this would be a great place for me to work. A few months after we saw the exhibition, I saw the Adult Education Manager job posting, applied, and now I’ve been working here for over a year.
My undergrad degree is in history and my master’s is in anthropology, and I’m curious about many things. I originally wanted to do a PhD, but after my master’s my priorities changed. I still wanted to be in a community of learning and research. That’s what really attracted me to the Newberry. It wasn’t in academia, but it was still academic. I love that I can sort of help bridge the gap between the academic world and the general public. I think a lot of people are interested in a vast number of topics, but there are so many barriers to access. The Newberry is such a good spot, because it dwells happily in that in-between area.
What does your day-to-day (or season-to-season) look like in this position?
The Adult Education department works in cycles. We have three terms a year: Fall, Winter/Spring, and Summer. At the beginning of the cycle, it’s all about trying to get proposals. Sometimes it’s reaching out to people to propose classes, or just waiting and seeing what people submit. Then we get a committee together to go through all the proposals and ultimately decide on what classes will be offered that term. My job after that is to schedule all the classes, which is just a huge puzzle, because I have to fit all these classes into a 15-week period.
For this upcoming Winter/Spring term, I just finished scheduling 42 classes, 21 in person and 21 virtual. But I do enjoy it, even though sometimes it can be frustrating because of all the moving parts. We really do try to offer a wide range of courses and keep it roughly 50/50 in terms of virtual and in person so more people can take classes and instructors can teach from all around.
What excites you about the future of Adult Education at the Newberry?
This is an exciting time for the department, and we are working on so many new ideas. One of the major things we are working on is making our classes more accessible, especially financially. I run into people all the time who would love to take a class but can’t afford it. So, we are looking at different ways that we can try to make taking a class a reality for more people through scholarships or different types of programs that could be accessed at different price points.
We are also thinking about doing a sort of “on demand” series option for some of our classes. That way, people wouldn’t have to meet at the same time, and that would offer people more flexibility. Of course, we are at the beginning stages of this process, but I believe that these ideas are the start of something really exciting.
Do you have a favorite class that has been offered and what should people keep an eye out for?
As a Newberry employee, I get to take a class for free every term, which is fantastic and a favorite benefit of mine. This Fall term, I took the Storytelling through Palestinian Embroidery class, which was amazing. Each week we learned about a different region of Palestine and the different design motifs it was known for. Then we would embroider ourselves; eventually our work came together to make a mini tapestry. I had never done embroidery before, so it was a really fun way to learn.
I want to offer more and personally do more hands-on workshops, especially when we can tie folk crafting with cultural education. I think people really enjoy it, and it’s a fun and interesting way to embody the things you are learning about.
How can folks learn more about upcoming classes at the Newberry?
Classes for the Winter/Spring Adult Education term are on our website now; registration will open January 22. Donors who are at least at the Literati level ($250 and above) always have access to early registration for Adult Education classes at the Newberry.
This story is part of the Newberry’s Donor Digest, Holiday 2024. In this newsletter, we share with donors exciting stories of the work made possible by their generosity. Learn more about supporting the library and its programs.