Still Learning 20: The Art and Practice of Civil Discourse
This course will take place on the Friday mornings of Oct. 9 and 16, 2026, 10:00-11:30 a.m., with Jane Banning at Frank B. Koller Memorial Library in Manitowish Waters, Wis.
Participants will learn how to ask good questions and offer constructive responses during challenging conversations. We’ll practice these skills in role plays that will be non-threatening and collaborative.
The course will be given in two sessions, each 90 minutes long.
In the first session we’ll talk about what makes difficult conversations difficult and how our brains react when perceived reality is challenged (stories vs. facts and data). The class will cover the fundamental skills needed to cope with our personal reactions and to converse civilly with people who have differing views. Students will learn a couple of strategies for keeping cool, how to ask great questions and how to manage challenging situations.
We’ll practice civil discourse skills in the second session with a variety of role play scenarios.
Requirements: The only requirements for participants in these two classes are to: have an open mind, bring a curious spirit, and be interested in creating a collaborative attitude in life.
Instructor Jane Banning earned her Masters of Science in Social Work from UW-Madison in 1979. She worked in health care for 12 years and then directed the Clinical Teaching and Assessment Center at UW School of Medicine and Public Health for 16 years. Following retirement, she was an adjunct faculty member for Nicolet College, taught at the YMCA of the Northwoods and worked as a contact tracer for Oneida County Health Department.
We recommend signing up at least two weeks ahead of class to ensure class fills and to prevent cancellation.
Instructor: Jane Banning
Online Registration: Scroll down to our Registration form to register online!
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Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-2032 or (715) 476-2881.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.
Course Cancellations: Students are encouraged to register at least 2 weeks before the beginning of any Fe University course. A course with less than 4 students 2 weeks before the start date may be cancelled at instructor/FeU discretion, with students’ registrations refunded. If you’re interested in a class, please sign up early! Thank you.
Student Cancellations: If a registered student cancels, registration can be refunded if requested 4 or more days before the course’s start date. We’re afraid cancellation requests made 3 or fewer days before the course’s start date are unable to be refunded.
This “Still Learning After All These Years” series course is priced at a discount, thanks to a generous grant from Bader Philanthropies Inc.