Join GAB instructor Janet Ferguson for an imaginative journey into the kitchens, gardens, and dining tables of memory. Tasting the Past – Flavors of Memory invites experienced and emerging GAB facilitators to explore how food, flavor, and sensory experience can open new pathways into autobiographical writing.
Across five lively two-hour sessions, participants will sample prompts and provocations drawn from Birren’s classic life themes and learn how to adapt them for use in a variety of settings — from established GAB courses to intergenerational storytelling projects and “legacy recipe” books.
Expect a rich blend of creative experimentation and solid Birren-based practice: writing, remembering, and sharing in a small, supportive group. This is storywork at its most human — playful, nourishing, and deeply connective.

Spaces are limited to seven participants.

The fee is $125

Special 20% discount to Community Hub Subscribers.

Dates: November 17, 24, December 1, 8, and 15, 2025

Mondays, 9:00–11:00 AM Pacific Time

This is a six-part online workshop for GAB instructors who want to gain more confidence in marketing Guided Autobiography workshops.

In this workshop, you’ll create a Marketing Action Plan for six months of marketing activities. Each week, you will be guided to add to the provided Action Plan template. Using templates and support from your classmates, you’ll write a Marketing Action Plan, an Elevator Pitch, and create other marketing materials. You’ll never feel “I just don’t know where to start” or “I just don’t know what to say” again.

The workshop meets weekly for 2 hours over 6 weeks via Zoom. The cost is $300. Registration is limited to 10 participants.

The next sessions are scheduled to start on Fridays, January 9 through February 13, 2026, 8:00-10:00 AM Pacific Time. Contact Sarah White to reserve your seat or find out more.

This course is designed to support our instructors in expanding their teaching portfolios and helping participants reflect deeply on their personal journeys. Lily Bengfort and Leigh Morrow, GAB Trainers and Facilitators will be leading this class.

About the Course:
A life portfolio represents the accumulation of your time, energy, and personal experiences. The workshop offers a space for participants to reflect on intangible assets—relationships, skills, and experiences with family, friends, and the community. Through guided exercises and structured reflection, participants will assess how their life investments align with core values and life aspirations. Life transitions are considered as opportunities for realignment and growth, and the course supports participants in creating a personal plan toward greater fulfillment, purpose, and meaning.This course will guide participants through evaluating past and ongoing personal investments, letting go of commitments that no longer serve, and identifying new opportunities for growth and fulfillment—all grounded in experience and personal values.

Course Details:

Title: Life Portfolio: Life Reimagined Certification

Dates: Fridays January 9th-February 13th 2026. (6 weeks) 10:00 AM–12PM Pacific Time

Format: Online certification course

Fee: $450

Who is it for? GAB instructors wishing to teach or incorporate these practices

All student handouts and extra teaching resources are included

A portion of the proceeds from this course will go towards supporting The Birren Center.

Space is limited.

Shaking the Family Tree provides guidance and support for participants and assists them in locating, recalling, and organizing the histories of their families. Participants are encouraged to look for lost family culture and traditions embedded in their histories. Students can then decide what to leave in the past, what to incorporate into the present, and what to leave for future generations.