Community members are invited to join College of Central Florida students and faculty on two study abroad trips in 2026. The first trip will be to Costa Rica, March 15-20, and will focus on service learning. The second trip will be to Austria, May 5-12, with experiences centered around music heritage.

The CF Study Abroad program, in partnership with the Study Abroad Association, is dedicated to facilitating education through international experiences that provide diverse and interesting opportunities for experiential learning.

The Costa Rica trip includes a turtle conservation service project, traditional Caribbean cooking lessons, a Cahuita National Park walking tour, visits to a Bribri indigenous community and Playa Negra Black Sand Beach, and local dance and calypso music demonstrations. The Austria trip includes a visit to Mozart’s birthplace, classical concerts and museums, and walking tours of Vienna and Salzburg.

Applications are open now for these educational trips. Being enrolled as a CF student is not required for participation.

Study Abroad trips include accommodations, all ground transportation, full-time local guides, 24/7 ground emergency support, travelers’ health insurance and liability insurance, tips and gratuities, and some meals.

For more information, visit CF.edu/StudyAbroad or contact Jean Scheppers at scheppj@cf.edu.

The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, is excited to announce a brand-new schedule of fall art classes. Designed for all ages and skill levels, these classes invite the community to learn, create and be inspired in a safe, supportive environment. Held on-site in the Appleton’s art studios, each class is led by experienced educators and artists who provide guidance to help participants build and expand their artistic skills.

Fall painting classes for adults include a watercolor workshop on Sept. 20 with Lisa Russo, inspired by the work of Jeff Koons; a two-day abstract painting class with exhibiting artist Seth P. Benzel on Sept. 27–28; and a free online session on Oct. 14 that takes inspiration from the fall season. On Oct. 11, learn gel-plate printmaking with Deborah Horvath, or on Nov. 8, create a barn-quilt–inspired paper art project with E. Marie Fielding. For those interested in clay, options include a six-week wheel-throwing class from Oct. 18–Nov. 22 or a one-day ceramic luminary workshop on Dec. 13.

For pre-K children ages 2-5, the Museum & Me program will be held on Tuesdays, Oct. 7, Nov. 4 and Dec. 2, from 10:30-11:30 a.m. The Museum Happenings program, designed for independent and homeschool students ages 6-9, includes an educator-led gallery visit and hands-on artmaking activity. It is scheduled for Tuesdays, Sept. 30 and Oct. 28, from 10:30 a.m.-noon. Both Museum & Me and Museum Happenings are free for children and Appleton members, and included with admission fee for adult nonmembers.

Multiweek classes for children will focus on developing students’ interest in art while learning new skills and techniques. Art Adventures for ages 5-7 meets on three consecutive Saturdays, Oct. 4-18, from 10:30 a.m.-noon. For ages 8-12, the Art Explorations program offers a six-week clay session on Wednesdays, Oct. 15-Nov. 19, from 3:30-5 p.m. Teens ages 13-17 can join a wheel-throwing and hand-building clay class held on Saturdays, Oct. 18-Nov. 22, from 2-4 p.m.

“Appleton art classes offer exceptional value and reflect the museum’s role as a statewide leader and resource for Florida residents,” said Hollis Mutch, museum educator. “With an entire wing dedicated to arts education and a team of educators whose combined experience spans more than a century, we are proud to provide high-quality classes for all ages.”

Registration is now open. For class descriptions, fees and registration, visit AppletonMuseum.org. For inquiries, please contact AppletonEducation@cf.edu.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and Store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit AppletonMuseum.org.

The College of Central Florida Foundation will host a free estate and retirement planning panel discussion on Wednesday, Sept. 24, from 9:30-11 a.m. at the Appleton Museum of Art, 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. Advanced reservations are required.

Panelists include: Leanne Albury, MBA, CPA, with Purvis Gray; Samantha Shealy Rauba, Esq., with McGraw, Rauba & Mutarelli; and Marc Stalvey, CFP®, AAMS®, with Edward Jones. This informative session will include the latest on estate planning and information on the effects that recent legislation has on charitable donations. There also will be an opportunity for questions and answers.

Email Traci Mason at the CF Foundation at foundation@cf.edu to reserve your seat. To learn more about the CF Foundation, visit CF.edu/foundation.

The College of Central Florida Foundation can provide financial assistance to college students who may not quality for other financial aid, thanks to a $70,000 grant from the Edward K. Roberts Community College Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. The scholarship criteria prioritize students who are parents and are working to better themselves and their families through education.

Roberts’ legacy with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County reflects his values and life story. He established a field of interest fund — the Edward K. Roberts Community College Fund — to support underfunded community colleges in Florida and also created funds to address new and emerging charitable needs and (as a nod to his mother, Kathryn) to help single mothers.

“We are honored to receive this grant for the sixth year in a row from the Community Foundation,” said Chris Knife, vice president for Institutional Advancement and CEO of the CF Foundation. “Since 2020, the Edward K. Roberts Scholarship has helped 183 CF students overcome financial obstacles on their journey to a degree. This is a transformational scholarship – especially for part-time students and student-parents, helping cover both academic costs and essential living expenses that can be the biggest barriers to graduation.”

The CF Foundation, founded in 1959, is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) corporation that enhances the college’s programs and services through the development and management of private contributions and community partnerships. To learn more, visit CF.edu/Foundation.

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of $544 million in more than 1,590 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $56 million dollars last year in the areas of education, the arts, health and human services, civic engagement, animal welfare and the environment. Since its founding, the Community Foundation has been able to grant more than $500 million to area nonprofit organizations in our community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families, and businesses. For more information, visit CFSarasota.org.

The Appleton Museum of Art, College of Central Florida, is pleased to announce “Under the Cover of Knowledge: Betty Ford-Smith’s Pinecone Quilts,” on view September 6, 2025-February 22, 2026. This marks the first major solo exhibition of Ford-Smith’s work. Her quilts have been collected nationwide and by major institutions like the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Ford-Smith’s quilts are striking, contemporary interpretations of the traditional pinecone quilt — a form rooted in African American quilting practices dating back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Created entirely by hand, each piece can take more than six months to complete and can weigh more than 30 pounds. Beginning with a small square at the center, Ford-Smith builds outward in hypnotic spirals using more than 4,000 hand-cut, folded cotton triangles, a process that evokes celestial orbits and the rhythms of nature. Beyond the studio, she continues to deepen her practice by sharing knowledge, mentoring beginners and connecting with fellow quilters across the Southeast and beyond.

“The Appleton is honored to highlight such an amazing Florida artist. Betty is as vibrant and life affirming as the pinecone quilts she creates,” said Jason Steuber, museum director. “The artistic pinecone quilts draw you in while you become spellbound by their colors and fine handmade craft.”

In “Under the Cover of Knowledge,” Ford-Smith’s dazzling quilts will be presented alongside antique examples, Gee’s Bend quilts, and related artworks, celebrating the power of tradition, the complexity of craft and the resilience of stories stitched through time.

Appleton Director’s Circle members will be invited to a private reception on Friday, September 5; additional details will be announced soon.

Regular admission fees apply to visit. Admission is free on the first Saturday of each month as part of the Free First Saturday program.

The Appleton Museum, Artspace and store are open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. A campus of the College of Central Florida, the Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala, east of downtown on SR 40 (exit 352 east off I-75 or exit 268 west off I-95). Parking is free. For more information, call 352-291-4455 or visit AppletonMuseum.org.

Topics and concepts presented at this event are for discussion purposes only and are not intended to espouse, promote, advance, inculcate, or compel individuals to believe the topics or concepts presented therein. Nor do they constitute endorsement of such topics or concepts by the College of Central Florida, its Board of Trustees, or any of their officers, employees, or agents.