Fireside Chats, a new series hosted by the Northwest Language Academy, kicks off with “Cultural Values – Cultural Wellness” with Stephan A. Schwartz at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25.

Schwartz will discuss what he sees as the poor national wellness of the United States, and its roots in our ailing communities. His talk, and the discussion to follow, will explore the question: If we accept that the United States is currently in a dispute over cultural values, how will the values under debate contribute to the greatest state of social wellness, beginning with the individual and growing to include the entire society, and why?

Schwartz is a senior fellow at the Samueli Institute for Brain, Mind and Healing, a research associate of the Cognitive Sciences Laboratory at the Laboratories for Fundamental Research, and a Fellow of the BIAL Foundation. He writes for the journal Explore and the Huffington Post, and is the author of four books, of which the most recent is “Opening to the Infinite.”

Doors will open at 6 p.m. for drinks and food provided by Whidbey Rice Catering. Those who wish to eat must reserve by Feb. 23.

Schwartz’s presentation and a question-and-answer session will follow from 7 to 9 p.m.

A donation on a sliding scale from $15-$25 is suggested at the door.  All proceeds benefit Whidbey Island Nourishes and the NWLA Cultural Center scholarship fund.

Call 321-2101 or visit www.nwlanguageacademy.com for details.