A special event celebrating the art of expression by our current featured gallery artists Pamela Fingerhut, Diane J. Huff, and Margit Kagerer.
Is What I'm Experiencing a "Senior Moment" or Is This What Dementia Looks Like? As we age, changes in memory and thinking are common—but how do we know when these changes go beyond what's considered "normal"? This evidence-based presentation explores how age-related changes in brain structure and function affect the major cognitive domains that support independence and successful aging.
Join in for this free session where students will discover the exciting world of geology and learn about the forces that shape our planet! Students will explore volcanoes, earthquakes, rocks, minerals, fossils, and gemstones while learning how Earth has changed over millions of years. Students will gain a deeper understanding of what studying geology could look like as a future career.
This free event connects seniors and their loved ones with trusted local partners offering resources for aging with confidence. Explore support for staying active, fraud prevention, independent living, in-home care, financial planning, caregiver support, health services, and more. Come gather practical information, ask questions, and meet friendly people ready to help.
Discover how chemistry explains the world through hands-on experiments with molecules, states of matter, acids and bases, and chemical reactions. Taught by accomplished STEM students, this free session helps grades 1–5 learners build curiosity and critical-thinking skills while exploring what chemistry can look like as a future career. Each participant will create a colorful fizzing reaction and learn the science behind it.
Discover how cacti survive brutal heat, scarce water, and hungry animals with remarkable adaptations. Dr. Ken Sweat of Arizona State University explores the unique features, survival strategies, diversity, and habitats of this fascinating plant family. Presented by Desert Foothills Land Trust and The Holland Center, this program kicks off this year’s Foothills Speaker Series.
Explore how the Desert Foothills Leadership Academy can strengthen leadership skills, expand your professional network, and deepen your understanding of the issues shaping the Desert Foothills region. Meet Academy alumni, community leaders, and business professionals while learning how the program develops leadership potential through diverse perspectives and community-focused experiences. Free light bites and drinks provided.
Learn why Medicare Supplement premiums have increased, what options you have, and strategies to help manage future rate increases while maintaining needed coverage. Discover when to keep your current plan, when to consider alternatives, and how guaranteed issue rights and medical underwriting may affect your choices. Educational presentation with Q&A, plus complimentary lunch provided by Cynthia.
A special event celebrating the art of expression by our current featured gallery artists Pamela Fingerhut, Diane J. Huff, and Margit Kagerer. Meet the artists and learn about each piece in the exhibit.
Explore two Scottsdale cases from the 1970s and 1990s with local historian Bruce Wall, a former Scottsdale Police Department Crime Prevention Police Aide. Hear the story of a teenager whose disappearance was initially believed to be a runaway case, and a shocking story of two men who were murdered after a road rage incident.
Meet award-winning local authors, talk all things books, and purchase signed copies of your favorites while supporting local writers and our community. Reading is fun—and even better when you meet the people behind the stories! This free community event is open to all.
As the future of the Colorado River hangs in the balance, learn how history, policy, drought, and changing conditions are shaping Arizona’s water supply. Explore the agreement governing Colorado River allocations, why reservoirs are critically low, and how evolving water management decisions could affect communities, economies, and the future of Arizona.
Join Master Gardener and Monarch Tagger, Adiane Hopkins, Director of Education at Butterfly Wonderland, as she shares how small changes in your yard can make a big difference for Arizona butterflies, including monarchs. You will also learn why monarchs are tagged, what we have learned by tracking them, and how each of us can contribute to their protection.
Discover how paleontology reveals the ancient world through fossils, prehistoric life, excavation, and scientific clues. Taught by accomplished STEM students, this free session helps grades 1–5 learners build curiosity and critical-thinking skills while exploring what paleontology can look like as a future career. Each participant will uncover “fossils” and use evidence to reconstruct prehistoric life.
Travel the globe with National Geographic explorer Dan Buettner through all four episodes of the original Blue Zones docuseries, discovering how the world’s longest-living communities create longer, healthier, and more fulfilling lives. Enjoy stretch breaks, mindfulness activities, trivia prizes, and conversation between episodes—or drop in for a single stop on the journey.
Teens ages 14–18 are invited to join the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Cadet Program — a unique opportunity to learn about law enforcement, build leadership skills, and serve the community. Weekly Tuesday afternoon sessions provide hands-on training and real-world insight into public safety. This is a drop-in program—students can start at any time.
Join Dr. Brian Browne and take a tour through the brain's major structures and networks—and define what they are and how they change with age.
Join in for this free session and become a weather scientist for the day where you will discover what makes our atmosphere so exciting! Students will learn how clouds form, why storms happen, and how meteorologists predict the weather. Then students will participate in a fun, hands-on cloud-in-a-container experiment and create a tornado model to explore air movement and pressure.
Come to our haunted desert for the 7th Annual Prickly Pear Festival! This free, family-friendly event features prickly pear treats and products, demonstrations of juicing, jojoba oil pressing and mesquite flour preparation, plus face painting, caricatures, a haunted-desert photo opportunity, and an interactive storytelling performance. Come in costume and kick off Halloween with fun, food, and desert-inspired festivities for all ages!
Discover the fascinating world of Arizona’s bats and their essential role in the desert ecosystem. Hally Cokenias, co-founder of Arizona Bat Rescue, explores the biology, behavior, habitats, and ecological importance of the state’s 29 bat species, including their role in controlling insects and pollinating native plants. Gain a deeper understanding of these often-misunderstood animals and the vital role they play in our desert.
Discover the history, culture, language, and agricultural traditions of the O’odham and Piipaash, members of a thriving community bordering Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, and Fountain Hills. Explore how their ancestors lived along the Gila and Salt Rivers, including innovative approaches to water delivery and crop cultivation. Presented for free in partnership with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.
Whether you know us as Foothills Community Foundation or The Holland Center, we're celebrating 40 years of bringing people together, and we'd love for you to join us! Over four decades, our organization has grown and evolved, bringing people together through programs, events, education, the arts and countless shared experiences. Along the way, we've built lasting friendships and a wonderful community of people who have helped shape who we are today.
Desert Foothills Volunteers are encouraged to attend an interactive and educational workshop designed to help you recognize when a senior may be struggling and understand how you can provide support. Connect with fellow volunteers and be recognized by our local Nonprofits as being trained in Senior Drug, Alcohol and Mental Awareness.
Explore the forces and sounds that shape our world! Taught by accomplished STEM students, this free session helps grades 1–5 learners discover the basic laws of gravity and how sound travels and is processed by the human body. Students will verify Newton’s gravitational laws through an experiment, see a theremin demonstration, and observe sound vibrations through a “dancing rice” activity while exploring physics as a future career.
Bring your family, friends, and four-legged companions for a free community event celebrating pets, RV life, and connections that make a difference. Meet adoptable dogs, explore Newmar RVs, watch mobile grooming demonstrations, discover local pet-care resources, and cool off with ice cream. Hosted by RVOptimizer, this event brings people and pets together while helping deserving dogs find loving homes.
Join us for a leisurely stroll through our local native desert park — led by a Desert Awareness Naturalist — and learn about Sonoran Desert upland plants and how they survive. Walks are the 1st Saturday of the month December through April, begin at 10 a.m., and last for 60-90 minutes. The Nature Trail is relatively flat, and the Saguaro Trail is slightly uphill.
The Sonoran Desert has sustained its own remarkable ecosystem for thousands of years. But the rapid urbanization of Arizona and the broader Southwest has put that balance under serious strain. As Arizona and the surrounding states face large cutbacks of Colorado river water, understanding our role is crucial. Join us for a community conversation about our unique Cave Creek environment.
Teens ages 14–18 are invited to join the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Cadet Program — a unique opportunity to learn about law enforcement, build leadership skills, and serve the community. Weekly Tuesday afternoon sessions provide hands-on training and real-world insight into public safety. This is a drop-in program—students can start at any time.
Join in on an all-ages, interactive live music and storytelling performance that uncovers Arizona’s rich blended heritage through traditional folk music and dance. We will hear revived tunes showing how cultures converged to create a unique sound, reminding us to connect with the beauty of our state’s open skies, deep canyons, and vast forests.
Unplug and join us for a day of fresh air, fun and adventure at the Jewel of the Creek! Our signature program, the Desert Awareness Committee, and the Desert Foothills Land Trust for the 14th annual Desert Discovery Day. Explore the Sonoran Desert, learn about its past and present inhabitants, meet native wildlife, and enjoy hands-on activities for all ages.
34250 N. 60th St., Bldg. B
Scottsdale, AZ 85266
(480) 488-1090
info@hollandcenter.org
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