This membership covers June 1st 2023 to May 31st 2024.  SSC Members must have a valid membership entry on your file to enjoy the full benifits of our - Summer-Fall 2023, Winter-Spring 2024 programs. You should select your 2023- 2024 membership as part of registering for your first class in this new year.  If you need to apply for a scholarship to cover your membership fees, this is done using a separate application which is located on the SSC website.  Your request must be reviewed and processed by the Scholarship committee before registering for any classes.

Please make sure that you click "My SSC Membership is Current" when purchasing a membership.   

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is in the news every day.   Governments are wrestling with how to control it. 

Why not join SSC as we explore the “Generative World of AI” in this initial session that will introduce us to this new paradigm in our daily lives.

Wikipedia defines Generative AI as:

“Generative artificial intelligence is artificial intelligence capable of generating text, images, or other media, using generative models. Generative AI models learn the patterns and structure of their input training data and then generate new data that has similar characteristics.”

Okay - so what does this really mean to you?  For years we seen science fiction writers use AI in their stories and now it is here and impacting our daily lives.  Can students really use it to do their homework?  Does it have the potential to revolutionize medical treatments and research?  Will it clean my house and make my meals for me?  Just what can it do for us?  Is it dangerous?  Can it really write its own code - “self-propagation?”  Explore this subject with Maria Villanueva, an experienced AI designer at the Center for Innovation (UMO), as she discusses the vast array of applications that exist in AI - from voice assistants to self-driving cars - and how they are becoming ubiquitous in our daily lives as well as the impact AI will have on us in the coming years. 

Maria will give us a welcoming introduction to the world of AI by giving us a brief, yet solid foundation of the history of AI and its evolution.  Her interactive discussion will encourage all of us all to contribute our concerns and thoughts and to ask questions about AI.  By the end of the course, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of generative AI, its applications and development, and its connection to our everyday life.

For those that find this session interesting and wish to learn more about Generative AI, Maria will be holding a second session in January of 2024 where she will go deeper into the world of Generative AI. 

Instructor:  Maria Villanueva is currently an instructional designer at the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning at the University of Maine at Orono.  She helps faculty development of courses and creates content using various technologies.  She has taught courses in New Media and Professional Practices for Studio Artists and Studio Art Foundations as well as ESL for adults through AmeriCorps.

Class Information:  This is a hybrid class - held in-person in UM@M’s room SCI 102 and via Zoom.

All facilities at the University of Maine at Machias (UM@M) are fully handicap compliant.  The facilities used by Sunrise Senior College (SSC) at the college have ramps, elevators and handicap accessible bathrooms.  Our offsite functions and activities have various limitations and restrictions and may not be fully handicap accessible.  SSC will endeavor to identify limitations at these to you in advance.

                                                      IMPORTANT:  See Below

This class is available to all current Maine Senior College (MSCN) Members. The general public not wishing to join Sunrise Senior College at this time may attend this class for a $15.00 fee.

Sunrise Senior College (SSC) is a membership-based organization. Our SSC members receive special benefits as current members when they register for this course. Any member of another MSCN college is also able to enjoy this course, but may occur some additional charges. If you are a member of the general public, you can take this course but will have to pay additional fees associated with being a non-member. For any attendee that is not a current member of Sunrise Senior College, the materials required for the course are your responsibility. When checking out, please carefully read and answer the questions asked associated with this specific course so that you are charged appropriately for this class. Failure to do this may result in your being cancelled from the course. We hope you enjoy this offering.

Sunrise Senior College wishes to thank you for your tax-exempt donation.  Your generosity enables us to continue providing the programs and activities that are so vital to our community.  In accordance with IRS regulations, we acknowledge that no goods or services were received in exchange for this gift.  Please save this email for your tax records.  

Thank you.

Susan O'Clair 

Treasurer, Sunrise Senior College   

Sunrise Senior College wishes to thank you for your tax-exempt donation.  Your generosity enables us to continue providing the programs and activities that are so vital to our community.  In accordance with IRS regulations, we acknowledge that no goods or services were received in exchange for this gift.  Please save this email for your tax records.  

Thank you.

Susan O'Clair 

Treasurer, Sunrise Senior College

Sunrise Senior College wishes to thank you for your tax-exempt donation.  Your generosity enables us to continue providing the programs and activities that are so vital to our community.  In accordance with IRS regulations, we acknowledge that no goods or services were received in exchange for this gift.  Please save this email for your tax records.  

Thank you.

Susan O'Clair 

Treasurer, Sunrise Senior College

Sunrise Senior College wishes to thank you for your tax-exempt donation.  Your generosity enables us to continue providing the programs and activities that are so vital to our community.  In accordance with IRS regulations, we acknowledge that no goods or services were received in exchange for this gift.  Please save this email for your tax records.  

Thank you.

Susan O'Clair 

Treasurer, Sunrise Senior College

Sunrise Senior College wishes to thank you for your tax-exempt donation.  Your generosity enables us to continue providing the programs and activities that are so vital to our community.  In accordance with IRS regulations, we acknowledge that no goods or services were received in exchange for this gift.  Please save this email for your tax records.  

Thank you.

Susan O'Clair 

Treasurer, Sunrise Senior College