The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s Second Half Lifelong Learning Institute is migrating east.

With most classes based around Fall River, Mattapoisett resident and longtime Second Half member BJ Nooth, said, “What we’re trying to do is get courses around Greater New Bedford, Marion, Mattapoisett, and Wareham.”

The first class, “Experiencing Poetry as Readers and Writers,” will be a collaboration between Nooth and Mattapoisett Library Director Susan Pizzolato.

“It’s the first time she and I have collaborated on something like this. She has great poetry chops,” said Nooth.

Pizzolato will lead the seminary style course with Nooth coordinating logistics as the “cruise ship director.”

Over eight weeks students will have an opportunity to hear from local poets and pen their own poetry.

“We want it to be participatory and we want the expectations of the students to drive how we operate,” said Nooth.

Pizzolato will incorporate poetry from anthologies, magazines, and other sources while also giving students the chance to write and discuss each other’s work.

“Hopefully it’s a broad enough range that everyone who signs up will find something that speaks to them and encourages them to include poetry in their everyday reading,” said Pizzolato.

Nooth said students won’t receive credit, and there’s no test at the end. “It’s just learning for fun,” she said.

The course is capped at 12 people. Although it starts in March, registration opens on Tuesday, January 15, at Second Half’s kickoff on the Dartmouth campus.

Several people have already shown interest and Nooth expects a packed class.

If all goes well, the poetry class will be the first of many courses in the area.

“Bringing more options to the tri-town, that’s really one of our goals,” said Nooth.

The poetry course is one of 30 in Second Half’s spring catalog.

For more information, contact Second Half at 508-677-4694 or visit www.umassd.edu/secondhalf/.