Mountain Institute for Lifelong Learning at Warren Wilson College is a vessel for community building, exploration, adventure, place-based learning, and the ignition of new passion for lifelong learners. These are non-credit bearing experiences, ranging in length from one to three weeks, that bring learners to our campus in Asheville, NC or send them on global explorations with Warren Wilson faculty. These courses highlight the unique magic of Warren Wilson College, which has been a hub of experiential learning since its founding as the Asheville Farm School in 1894.

Adults of all ages are encouraged to apply (18+). The majority of courses will take place on Warren Wilson’s campus, and others will be Worldwide Courses that depart from Asheville but travel to various corners of the globe.

Making and Selling Natural Products
In this week-long course, we’ll learn what makes natural products natural, formulating and making these products, figuring cost of goods to sell wholesale or retail, buying to maximize profit, branding and marketing and much more!
Week-long Course
Level: Advanced Beginner +
Cost: $650 (+$100 materials fee)

Beginning Loom Weaving: A Week of Cloth
In this week-long course, explore the wonderful world of weaving on a floor loom. Explore a variety of weaving techniques in your Day 1 sampler, then learn how to thread a loom and spend the rest of the week weaving a set of towels, a scarf, or a scroll of art cloth of your choice.
Week-long Course
Level: Beginner-Advanced Beginner
Cost: $650 (+ $40 materials fee)

Landing in Place: Photography Transfer on Handmade Paper
Unite your photographic practice with the materiality of place in the week-long course. We will begin by making meditative images on the Warren Wilson campus and along the Swannanoa River, considering elements of geologic time and cycles of nature. Next, we’ll incorporate materials from the landscape, including soil pigments and found plant fragments, into unique handmade papers. Finally, we will join these two art forms through photographic transfer processes.
Week-long Course
Level: All
Cost: $650 (+ $40 materials fee)

Beginning Music Theory for Adults
If you are an adult who has never studied music theory, and wants to learn, this week-long course for you! Dr. Jason DeCristofaro, who has over 15 years of teaching music theory in higher education, teaches with an experiential and hands-on approach that involves singing, playing and writing music. Whether you sing, play an instrument – or don’t! – this class provides a fun and engaging experience for anyone who wants to learn more about the structure of music.
Week-long Course
Level: Beginner +
Cost: $650

Having a Will – Creating Peace of Mind
We all know we need to figure out what happens to our property and legacy when we’re gone. But, we often postpone because we don’t know where to start. Anyone who has gone through it knows that there is more to having a will than just showing up in the lawyer’s office or going online and filling out a form. In this week-long course, we’ll walk through the decisions that you need to make and collect the information necessary for getting it all done.
Week-long Course
Level: All
Course Cost: $650 (+$85 materials fee)

Sky Power for the People – Portable Renewable Energy
In this week-long workshop, you will learn how to build your own portable solar for use at home or in response to disasters, figure out how many watts you need, how to choose the batteries, inverters, and solar panels, and how to estimate your costs.
Week-long Course
Level: All
Course Cost: $650