Beautiful Locations and Comfortable Facilities

For over 35 years, Eckerd College has been offering high quality Road Scholar programs in a variety of settings across the state. Accommodations are in our Continuing Education Conference Center, hotel or golf club housing.

• St. Petersburg - on our waterfront campus. Reside in our adult motel-style Continuing Education Center. The best of all worlds - a stimulating college environment and comfortable living arrangements.  From fall 2012 through end of Spring 2013 housing accommodations will be at the Magunuson Hotel located 2 miles from campus.  Classes and meals will take place at both the hotel and on campus. (Click for Hotel link)

Exciting Programs

A variety of Road Scholar experiences are offered each year. You can study:

• Law and Order: The Drama of the Criminal Justice System
• St. Augustine: 450 Years of History Comes Alive!
• The Italian Experience
• Baseball and Spring Training
• The French Experience
• Exploring the Cities of Tampa Bay
• The American Foreign Service: Representing America Abroad
• Florida Golf Odyssey
• Sailing
• and many, many more

Featured Programs

Jack Lemmon: The Face of Everyman, John Grisham, Stephen Sondheim: Master of the Modern Musical
Program #20054
January 6-11, 2013 and February 3-8, 2013
Jack Lemmon: The Face of Everyman Academy Award Winner Jack Lemmon effortlessly acted in comedies and drama as memorable characters in Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, The Odd Couple, The China Syndrome, etc. Celebrate his prolific life and works with lectures and film clips.

John Grisham The master of the modern legal thriller, Grisham is one of the world's best selling novelists. Appreciate how he weaves powerful stories that keep us all reading and wanting more. Lectures, film clips and recorded interviews with the author.

Stephen Sondheim: Master of the Modern Musical An appreciation of the father of the modern musical, from his early lyrics for Gypsy and West Side Story to his latest shows: Assassins, Passion and Bounce. Performance clips with Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, Elaine Stritch and many others.

Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks, Marge and Gower Champion, Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine
Program #20052
January 13-18, 2013 
Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks First brought together on Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows, Reiner and Brooks created some of the best skits in comedy history. Rediscover the works of these comic geniuses through lectures, stories and performance clips.

Marge and Gower Champion This immensely popular husband-and-wife dance team created some of the most visually stunning and groundbreaking dance scenes in movie musicals of the 1950s. Explore their lives and experience their dance both as a couple and individual performers.

Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine He was the actor/comedian of stage, screen, radio, and TV. She was the architect of his most famous material. They worked together for over four decades creating a series of American classics. Step into their lives and careers.

Signature City St. Petersburg
Program #20429
January 13-18, 2013 and January 27-Feb 1, 2013
Experience the new vibrancy of Florida’s “sunshine city.” Begin with a motor coach excursion highlighting public art and scenic Tampa Bay. Learn about the city’s growth through interactive exhibits at the Museum of History, examine works of art from antiquity to the present at the Museum of Fine Arts, and explore the magnificent new Salvador Dalí Museum, a beacon of the downtown arts scene. Observe a glass-blowing demonstration and be awed by the new Chihuly Collection of glass art. At Sunken Gardens, encounter a botanical paradise in the midst of a bustling city, and discover the theatrical community’s vitality on a behind-the-scenes experience at a professional theater. Gain a new appreciation for St. Pete’s rich history and culture.

The Italian Experience: Che Gioia Vivere!
Program #11154
January 20-25, 2013 and February 24-March 1, 2013  
Experience the passion for living born of Italy’s rich history, culture, architecture, art, foods, wines, peoples, and places. Sample Italian wines as you drink in the glorious ambiance of Rome, Florence, Venice, and more. During a field trip to the Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, explore a palace echoing the grace and grandeur of Florence’s Uffizi Gallery, housing an extraordinary collection of masterpieces including a cast of Michelangelo’s magnificent “David” sculpture. Survey Italian civilization from literature to the science of DaVinci, the philosophy of Machiavelli, all the way to Italian-American pop singers. Special highlights include a live performance of Italian classical music and a traditional Italian meal. Buona salute!

Law and Order: The Drama of the Criminal Justice System
Program #8115
January 27- February 1, 2013  
Begin the week with a crime created especially for you! Follow the case as it moves through the criminal justice system, from securing the crime scene to forensics to trial. Meet and learn from real practitioners in the field. Learn how defense and prosecution attorneys put together their game plans. Understand the process of selecting jurors, what judges tell them and why. It all comes together on the last morning of the program when you deliberate, reach a verdict and discuss the outcome.

The US Foreign Service: Representing America Abroad
Program #8164
February 10-15, 2013
How is the United States represented abroad by its diplomats? Find out from the diplomats themselves! Accept this rare invitation to go behind doors that are usually close to the public as you meet retired Foreign Service officers and discuss the intriguing challenges they faces in pursuing American foreign policy objectives. Learn how our diplomats cooperate with the military in the international arena and communicate with citizens in other countries through “public diplomacy.”

The French Experience
Program #9235
February 17-22, 2013  
Bienvenue! Welcome to France — without the travails of international travel. Explore the great French culture through its art, architecture, music, literature and cuisine. Learn about the great age of French cathedrals, the inventiveness of novelists such as Flaubert and Zola, and the stage works of Molière. Survey the wine regions and then take part in a wine tasting session. End the week with an authentic French meal.

Mysterious China: A Voyage Without Passports
Program #6634
March 3-8, 2013
Travel to the other side of the world and join us in a journey to China, both past and present. Study with our China scholars the customs, lifestyles, myths, legends, history, politics and film. Explore China's place in the modern world and prospects for the future. End the week with a traditional Chinese meal. A genuine Chinese experience without long lines or the need to renew your passport!

Baseball Madness: Spring Training in Tampa Bay with the Yankees and the Rays
Program #5922
March 10-15, 2013  
March is madness in Tampa Bay as the Yankees and the Rays begin their prelude to summer. See the Bronx Bombers and the Rays “line ‘em outta here.” Hear the colorful stories and anecdotes from those who live baseball. Take a historical look at baseball and its impact on generations of Americans by examining the sport's myths, legends and heroes and the changing ethics of professional sports. And of course, weather and game schedule permitting, attend three games.

Baseball Madness: Spring Training in Tampa Bay with the Yankees, Tigers and Rays
Program #11961
March 17-22, 2013  
March is madness in Florida as the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays begin their prelude to summer. Hear colorful stories and anecdotes from those who live baseball — coaches, broadcasters, sports writers and historians. Find out what agents look for when signing players and discuss controversies surrounding ethics in the game.

The Thrill of Flight
Program #16190
March 24-29, 2013
In the Florida city where commercial aircraft first soared skyward in 1914, discover the dreams and realities of flight in a fascinating aviation adventure. Explore the working restoration shop of the world’s largest private collection of vintage aircraft. Go behind the scenes of the award-winning Tampa International Airport. Experience narrated visits to hangars and an observation tower, and hear pilots and flight experts bring to life the triumphs of famous aviators and speculate on the future of flight.

Day Sailing for Beginners
Program #8024
April 7-12, 2013
Have you always wanted to experience the freedom and pleasure of sailing? Then this small-group program is for you. We begin with an overview of sailing fundamentals before going dockside to become familiar with the boats we will be using, 23-foot to 27-foot “ day sailers” known for their stability. Each boat is skippered by a qualified sailing instructor with 4-5 participants serving as crew. Instruction is in easy stages to ensure comprehension of the basics before getting out on the water where you will learn more. Then, with the wind in your sails, enjoy cruising under expert guidance. Come mentally and physically prepared for a delightful adventure.

Fins and Feathers: Exploring the Florida Environment From Sea to Sky
Program #14441
April 14-19, 2013  
Experience Florida's flora and fauna in spectacular settings as lectures, nature walks and field trips introduce you to raptors, pelicans, owls, the Florida alligator and other wildlife “up close.” Explore the mangroves and pine flatwoods where wading birds seek refuge, watch for dolphins from the deck of an eco-boat and observe manatees in the wild and at a rehabilitation facility. Each day, meet with scientists and other experts who share their knowledge of conservation and marine life.