Avenidas

Re-Inventing Aging

Learning & Leisure

Learning & Leisure

Winter 2022 Classes – Register Dec 6

Download Class Schedule

Registration opens Monday, December 6 for Avenidas members and Thursday, December 16 for non-members.

Classes for the winter session are a mix of in-person, on Zoom only, or hybrid. Each class is labeled with an icon to help you see the format at-a-glance. There are more details for the hybrid classes in the “location” information for each class. Log on information for Zoom classes and hybrid classes will be emailed to registered participants.

Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required for in-person classes. Space is limited in some classes. Please register early.

Avenidas will be closed January 17 and February 21.

New at Avenidas!

Haiku Poetry (#8547)

Tuesdays, February 1 to 15, 2 to 3:30pm, $45/$50

  • Instructor: P.A. Moore
  • Location: Avenidas@450 Bryant

Japanese haiku poetry is beautiful in its simplicity, expressing concepts in just 17 syllables.

After a review of the history of this art form, we‘ll analyze the structure using some examples from famous writers, then write our own haiku, using ideas from nature.

Space is limited. Pre-registration required.

A Wise Owls Live Drama: The Women of Lockerbie (#8510)

Class dates: Tuesdays, January 11 to March 15, 2 to 4pm, no fee for volunteers
Performance Dates: Saturday, March 19 and Sunday, March 20, 3 to 5pm

  • Director: Enid Davis
  • Location: Avenidas@450 Bryant

Experienced Avenidas Wise Owl Players have been cast for this dramatic staged reading, but the following volunteers are needed: costume coordinators; stagehands for light-ish items; publicist; usher; and understudy. Volunteers do NOT need to attend each class. If you are interested, please contact Director Enid Davis before registering. Email:

“A mother from New Jersey roams the hills of Lockerbie Scotland, looking for her son’s remains that were lost in the crash of Pan Am 103. She meets the women of Lockerbie, who are fighting the U.S. government to obtain the clothing of the victims found in the plane’s wreckage. The women, determined to convert an act of hatred into an act of love, want to wash the clothes of the dead and return them to the victim’s families. The Women Of Lockerbie, an award-winning play by Deborah Brevoort, is loosely inspired by a true story, although the characters and situations in the play are purely fictional. Written in the structure of a Greek tragedy, it is a poetic drama about the triumph of love over hate.“

DPS website

Fall Session Class Updates

Our current plans are to hold our Fall 2021 classes as they are scheduled in our catalog. However, it seems our motto these days is “Stay Tuned.” We understand with the current increase in COVID cases and the more easily transmissible Delta variant still circulating, people might be less enthusiastic about in person classes than they were six weeks ago. We also know that it might be impractical to hold some classes in person while an indoor mask mandate is still in place for everyone.

We have decided to wait until closer to the session start date (September 20) to make decisions on changing class formats or cancelling classes.

Here are some things we’d like you to know in the meantime.

  • Staff, instructors, and volunteers are required to be fully vaccinated.
  • People registering for in person classes will need to show proof of vaccination on the first day of their class. Only fully vaccinated people will be allowed in the building.
  • Avenidas @450 Bryant will not be open to the public, i.e., walk-ins, for the fall session.
  • Only people registered for a class or with a pre-booked appointment will be allowed to enter.
  • We will follow county orders regarding mask mandates.

We encourage you to go ahead and register for your classes when registration opens. If there are changes to the class format, you will be notified. If a class is cancelled or you would prefer not to attend an online class, you will be issued a full refund.

Thank you for your patience while we navigate these trying times together.

New to Medicare Presentation

What is Medicare?

HICAP’s New to Medicare Presentation is a comprehensive introduction for Santa Clara County residents entering the world of Medicare.

Learn more about Medicare Part A, Part B, Medigap/Supplemental Insurance, Part D and Medicare Advantage plans. Traditional Medicare or Medicare Advantage, learn which option may be best for you.

Medicare alone can be overwhelming – HICAP Counselors do not sell, endorse or affiliated with any insurance companies. Our goal is to inform and educate the community so you can make an informed decision on something as important as Medicare.

About the Presenter

Sourcewise provides residents of Santa Clara County access to one-on-one counseling to assist Medicare beneficiaries, their families, and caregivers understand their Medicare benefits and healthcare options.

Register Now for Summer 2021 Classes

Download Class Schedule

Registration opens Monday, June 7 for members and Thursday, June 17 for non-members.

With limited exceptions, our community centers remain closed to the public for the Summer session. Classes will meet via Zoom. Log on information will be emailed to registered students.

If you do not receive your log on information, please email . Space is limited in some classes. Please register early.

Avenidas will be closed Monday, July 5 and Monday, September 7.

New at Avenidas!

From the Ground Up: I-Wellness Yoga Therapy—Toes to Crown (#8187)

Tuesdays, July 6 to August 24, 11am to 12pm, $64/$80

Instructor: Jido Lee Ferguson, CYT

In this class, you’ll experience a gentle but thorough workout, starting with your toes and moving up to the crown of your head. Key elements of Yoga Therapy will be demonstrated—moving, breathing, and centering— to calm, soothe, and strengthen. You’ll build resilience, deepen breath, sharpen awareness, and harmonize feelings and thoughts. Whether chronic pain, misalignment, inflammation, fatigue, or low energy, shifting your context and building yoga skills can transform your life.

Jido Lee is registered as a 500-hour yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance, and as a Certified Yoga Therapist with IAYT.

Digital Photography—A Beginners Class (#8164)

Wednesdays, August 11 to September 15, 10:30 to 11:30am, $40/$65

Instructor: Chris Shum

Photography is an excellent activity that can help to keep the brain active, improve cognitive power, and boost memory in seniors. Digital photography makes learning a lot easier for beginners. In this beginner’s class, we will teach you some basic principles and techniques of photography. You will learn the different methods to express the subjects through your images. By understanding and critiquing different images, you will have a good first step in photography basics. Students will complete simple assignments with guidance and will share their work in class.

Chris has been a professional photographer for over 15 years. He has been awarded in many international photography contests.

Participants are required to have their own photography device. Smartphones are OK.

Free demo Wednesday, July 21,10:30 to 11am #8165

Register Now for Spring 2021 Classes

Download Class Schedule

Registration opens March 8 for Avenidas members and March 18 for non-members.

Our centers remain closed to the public for our Spring session. All classes will meet via Zoom, unless otherwise indicated. Log on information will be emailed to registered students.

If you do not receive your log on information, please email . Space is limited in some classes. Please register early.

Avenidas will be closed Monday, May 31.

New at Avenidas!

Avenidas Wise Owl Players: Engineering and Acting: Go from Einstein to Brando (#7937)

Wednesday, April 7, 3 to 4pm, Free/$96

Instructor: Enid Davis
Guest Speaker: Sanford Davis, (NASA scientist for 45 years and Wise Owl Player for 3 years)

Men, does your partner long for a more emotive, dramatic type? Would you like to find your inner Robert De Niro? Join the founder and director of Avenidas Wise Owl Players for an interactive discussion via Zoom on how your involvement in one of our staged readings or drama classes can hone your skills with sharing your feelings and turning on your right brain.

Avenidas Wise Owl Players: Great Comic Films Based on Plays: A Watch & Read Aloud Class (#7938)

Tuesdays, April 13 to May 18, 2 to 3:30pm, $120/$130

Instructor: Enid Davis

Participants will watch the three films listed below outside of class and discuss them in class. We will also select the funniest scenes from each film to read aloud. Focusing on the actor’s use of comic material, we will study the variety of ways to present humor from the actor’s point of view. The films are available on Amazon to rent. The scripts will be mailed to you as PDFs.

Barefoot in the Park, original play by Neil Simon. Film starring Robert Redford and Jane Fonda. Released in 1967.

Death Trap, original play by Ira Levin. Film starring Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve. Released in 1982.

The Importance of Being Earnest, original play by Oscar Wilde. Film starring Michael Redgrave. Released in 1952. (Version preferred by instructor over 2002 production).

New Instructor & Format!

Art Appreciation (#7965)

Wednesdays, April 7 – June 23, 3 – 4 pm. Free.

Instructor: Na Omi Judy Shintani

This class focuses on building a deeper understanding and appreciation for the visual arts. Via videos produced by the instructor, students will learn about a different artist each week and gain an understanding of what influenced each artist as well as the artistic process of each. Shintani specializes in presenting a multitude of artists from different cultural backgrounds (Asian, Latin, American, European, African, and more) who work in different media including textile, glass, painting, sculptural, environmental, and kinetic. The artists are traditional to contemporary in nature. Be delighted to learn more about familiar names and astonished to be exposed to new ones.

Lessons for this class are via YouTube. Links are emailed to students for self-study once each week for 11 weeks.

This is a free, non-credit Foothill College class at Avenidas. Registration is required. Register at or with Jackie Lauese (Foothill Admin)

New Improved Online Registration Site

We are very happy to announce that beginning today, our online registration system has a new look and a more customer-friendly interface!

Check It Out!

Highlights and Reminders

  • Sign-in using your same email and password. These have not been reset. You will still need to verify that you are not a robot.
  • Your account options are visible as soon as you sign-in, including your transaction history, memberships, family members, and any credit or balance due on your account.
  • Click “Classes and Activities” to search for your class by number or keyword. If you click on the circular “activities” button under the activity search bar, you can even search by category (and view all of our upcoming lectures, for example) or instructor.
  • Click “enroll now” and choose the participant. 
  • Click “add to cart.”
  • If you are adding more than one activity, go back to the classes and activities search to make your selection. 
  • Enroll, select participants, and add to cart until you have selected all your activities.
    Initial and check the waiver boxes before checkout.
  • For activities with a fee, you will be prompted to enter payment information.
  • Click the green “finish” button to finalize your registration for free classes and activities.

The “My Account” and Activity Registration modules have been updated in the system. We understand from our database company that updates to the Membership, Donations, and Calendar modules are scheduled for this year.

If you have questions or need assistance registering for classes, please email ,  or call (650) 289-5400. 

Please note that we are only available to assist you Monday through Friday between 8:30am and 5pm.