Rappahannock Institute for Lifelong Learning

RILL is an exciting program of the Rappahannock Community College Educational Foundation, Inc. (RCC EFI) that is intended to be a life-enriching learning experience for adults and provides personal enrichment, non-credit classes in a variety of subjects and settings. 

We thank Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury for their continued support of the RILL program. Residents pay only $10 per class.

Blue Ridge Bank Golden Advantage members receive a 15% discount on tuition. RCC employees receive a 50% discount.

Register for Spring 2025 Courses

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Writing the Great American Novella ($35)
RCC Warsaw Campus
Instructor: Colin McClung
Mondays, March 3, 10, and 17
10 am to 12 pm 

Always dreamed of writing the great American novel? Start with a novella! This class offers insights into the instructor’s novel-writing process and idea generation for marketing. All skill levels are welcome. Participants will write in class, explore productivity techniques, and examine inspirational sources from writing masters. The focus is on equipping you with the tools to start—and finish—your writing journey. 

Colin M. McClung attended RCC in Warsaw in 1987, earned a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies from Cal Poly Humboldt and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Vermont where he studied Ecological Economics and policy analysis. McClung is a 2003 recipient of an Alaska broadcasting award for writing and producing interview with Howard Zinn.

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Introduction to Windows 11 ($45)--This class may be full. Call 804-333-6707.
RCC Warsaw Campus
Instructor: Martin Bailey
Tuesdays, March 4, 11, 18, and 25
9:30 am to 11:30 am 

This course is designed for those who have some experience using a Microsoft Windows PC and desire to become more comfortable using many of its basic features. Students will develop competency in file and folder organization and management, internet and email usage, and management of various file formats. Students will work along with the instructor. Computers will be available; however, participants are encouraged to bring their own Windows laptops. Class is limited to 10 students. 

Martin Bailey holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the College of William and Mary and a master’s degree in computer science from Virginia Tech. Before his retirement from the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Dahlgren, he was involved in many aspects of computer work, including programming, algorithm development, database management systems, and computer security. 

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Arranging with Spring Flowers ($45, includes some materials)--This class may be full. Call 804-333-6707.
RCC Warsaw Campus
Instructor: Laura Anne Brooks
Wednesday, March 26
1 pm to 3 pm 

This hands-on class will look at exciting ways to create beautiful arrangements using daffodils, tulips, other bulbs and spring branches that welcome the season. There’s more to be done with these simple flowers than meets the eye! Suggested materials list to come after registration. 

Laura Anne Brooks is a floral designer in English and French schools as well as New Creative Design and Modern European design. Brooks has taught at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden and lectures for many garden clubs and botanical groups. Her work is frequently seen at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. She is an award-winning arranger and Daffodil Judge, raising over 1,500 different varieties of spring bulb flowering plants on her farm in Middle Peninsula.

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Military Geography and Warfighting ($35)
RCC Glenns Campus
Instructor: Paul Severance
Mondays, March 31, April 7, and 14
10 am to 12 pm 

This course explores the crucial role of geography in military operations, highlighting their influence on planning and execution. Overview of key geographic principles, followed by in-depth analyses of four case studies: Operation Market- Garden (1944), the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen (1945), and the Ia Drang (1965) and Khe Sanh (1968) campaigns in Vietnam. Topics include climate, weather, hydrography, topography, infrastructure, and human impacts. 

Retired Army Colonel Dr. Paul Severance taught Military Geography at the National Defense University in Washington, DC, from 1998 to 2018, where he analyzed and evaluated the broadest dimensions of physical and human geography on the inception, planning, and execution of major military campaigns, operations, and battles in major wars in which the United States has engaged.

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Wild Men: the Dawn of Rock ‘n’ Roll ($35)
RCC Warsaw Campus
Instructor: Phil McKenney
Thursdays, April 3, 10, and 17
1 pm to 3 pm 

Join us on an engaging and educational journey through the origins and evolution of Rock ‘n’ Roll, a genre that transformed the musical landscape. Starting in the post-WWII era, we’ll explore how R&B, Hillbilly, and Gospel music laid the groundwork for Rock ‘n’ Roll. Discover the explosive rise of legendary figures like Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Elvis Presley, Little Richard, and Jerry Lee Lewis, who sparked a cultural revolution. Captivating stories about these icons and influential artists like Hank Williams, Big Joe Turner, and Sister Rosetta Tharpe and performances by the instructor invite audience participation. 

Phil McKenney, a Montross native, is a versatile professional illustrator with a Communication Arts degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. His diverse career includes roles as an editorial cartoonist, courtroom artist, muralist, and animator. He performs a live show titled “Wild Men: The Dawn of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” blending art, storytelling, music, and humor and hosts “The Friday Night Show” on Facebook. A proud RCC alumnus, Phil also played baseball for the college.

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The Glorious and Influential Reign of Louis XIV of France ($35)
Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury, Irvington
Instructor: Michael Knapp
Tuesdays, April 8, 15, and 22
10 am to 12 pm 

This course will explore The Sun King and his government at the height of absolute monarchy in Europe. We’ll examine the political, military, economic, social, and artistic successes of King Louis XIV’s 72-year reign, as well as the subsequent decline in these areas. The course will cover the three periods of his reign, his complex love life, and France’s tumultuous relations with its neighbors, and the lasting effects of Louis XIV’s reign on his successors, extending to the French Revolution. 

Michael Knapp is a retired civilian U.S. Government intelligence analyst and retired US Army intelligence officer. He developed and taught six popular history courses for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Virginia; was a guest lecturer at multiple educational institutions; and instructor for U.S. Military units deploying to Iraq.

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From Conflict to Clarity: Transforming Difficult Conversations into Opportunities ($20)
RCC Warsaw Campus
Instructor: Dr. Robert Chapman
April 16 *Please note date change*
1 pm to 3 pm 

Join us for an inspiring and uplifting workshop on handling difficult conversations. Discussing our concerns about another person’s behavior can be stressful at best and usually avoided at any cost. Explore effective communication and strategies designed to lessen anxieties. Key highlights include understanding effective conversation, generating more “light than heat,” replacing “interventions” with “intercession,” and listening “to understand” rather than “to respond.” You will leave feeling equipped to look at conducting difficult discussions in a new and different way. 

Dr. Robert Chapman was Associate Clinical Professor and Associate Director of the Behavioral Health Counseling program (retired) at Drexel University’s College of Nursing and Health Professions. He is a professional counselor specializing in substance use disorders. 

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Civil War Prisons and Prison Camps ($35)
Rappahannock Westminster-Canterbury, Irvington
Instructor: Keith Kehlbeck
Tuesdays, May 6, 13, and 20
10 am to 12 pm 

You may be familiar with the notorious Confederate Andersonville Prison Camp; however, you may not be as familiar with other places where Civil War prisoners—North and South—were housed during the conflict. This class will examine the prisoner exchange cartel, treatment of prisoners, and unique places such as Old Capitol Prison—called “the Bastille of the North” for its housing of captured soldiers, spies, and anyone arrested after habeas corpus was suspended during the war. 

Keith Kehlbeck is a writer, historian, and marketing consultant in the hospitality, nonprofit, and publishing sectors. His passion for studying the Civil War led him to write the critically acclaimed Gone to God: A Civil War Family’s Ultimate Sacrifice, a nonfiction story told with diaries and letters written by soldiers and their family members.

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Memoir: Inventing the Truth ($40)--This class may be full. Call 804-333-6707.
RCC Kilmarnock Center
Instructor: Gail Kenna
Thursdays, May 8, 15, 22, and 29
1 pm to 3 pm 

This course will explore the memoir, a literary genre distinct from autobiography and celebrity confessional writing. Students will be exposed to noteworthy memoirs through lectures and discussions. There will be the opportunity for students who are interested in the genre to experiment in writing a memoir with help from the instructor. 

Gail Wilson Kenna has taught literature and writing courses for RILL since 2005. A university and college professor of writing and literature in five countries, she is the author of six books and the recipient of many writing awards. Kenna has an editing service through Crosshill Creek Publications. Her weekly blog on literature is on her website: gailwilsonkenna.com

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Beginner Pickleball ($35)--This class may be full. Call 804-333-6707.
Tennis Courts, RCC Warsaw Campus
Instructor: Paul Shrieves
Mondays/Fridays, June 2, 6, 9, and 13
9 am to 10:30 am 

This course is designed for the first-time adult player and will cover the basics of Pickleball rules, terminology, primary skills, coordination, beginner court time, and more. Paddles and balls are provided. Class is limited to 10 students. 

Paul Shrieves is an avid pickleball player and is excited to promote the sport in the NNK. He has worked in telecommunications for 47 years starting with C&P Telephone and moved to telecommunications manager for a healthcare provider before starting his own company, Communications International. Paul served two years in the military with 13 months overseas.

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Virginia in 1775 ($35)
Historic Christ Church and Museum, Weems
Instructor: Robert Teagle
Wednesdays, June 4, 11, and 18
10 am to 12 pm 

As the commonwealth and nation commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American founding, this course examines Virginia in the pivotal year of 1775. The course begins with an examination of the events that helped push Virginians to rebel against England, including the Parsons’ Cause, the Stamp Act and the Coercive Acts. It explores the Third-Fifth Virginia Conventions, Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death,” the Gunpower Incident, Lord Dunmore’s Proclamation, the Battle of Great Bridge, and other critical moments in 1775 that moved Virginians to declare independence the following year. 

Robert Teagle is the Executive Director at the Foundation for Historic Christ Church in Weems, where he has worked since 2000. He earned his B.A. in History from the College of William and Mary and M.A. in American History from Virginia Tech. His research interests include the architectural history of early Virginia, the role of the Church of England and the rise of religious liberty in colonial Virginia, the Carter family, slavery and emancipation, and the history of Christ Church Parish.

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Intermediate Pickleball ($35)--This class may be full. Call 804-333-6707.
Tennis Courts, RCC Warsaw Campus
Instructor: Will Cox
Mondays/Fridays, June 16, 20, 23, and 27
9 am to 10:30 am 

Designed for the adult player who has completed the Beginner Pickleball course or has been playing pickleball for at least three months. Course emphasis will be on score keeping, improving different strokes with direction to include dink rally, serve/return of serve. Players will work on understanding the fundamentals of the game, proper court positioning, and more. Paddles and balls are provided. Class is limited to 10 students. 

Will Cox is a retired dentist. He has competed in tennis leagues and played racquetball and table tennis all of his adult life. Will was introduced to Pickleball in 2020 and has been playing steadily ever since. He and his pickleball partner, Bill, have competed in several pickleball tournaments. He won a gold medal in the Virginia Classic in Richmond and looks forward to helping others get better at this most enjoyable sport.
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Register Here!