From Hands on Art for three-to-five year olds, to beginning American Social Dance for all ages, UVU offers community classes for a variety of ages and interests.
Classes are offered in the fall, winter and spring/summer and are on average six weeks long. Instructors teach classes on weeknights and some on Saturdays at UVU campus, local high schools and a variety of other locations depending on the class. People can sign up online at ce.uvsc.edu/fall or over the phone.
One aspect the community education program is focusing on lately is tailoring the classes toward what the community wants to learn about, said Louis Allen, community education coordinator for UVU. The program's central focus the past couple of years is addressing the needs of the community, said Sally Menefee, community education office manager for UVU. To do this, the program has conducted interest surveys and collected feedback on previously offered classes, Allen said.
"These classes give people in the community a way to exercise their minds and explore new hobbies," he said.
Some of the more popular classes are in photography, which also has some of the widest age ranges in a single class, Allen said. They also offer classes in sports and fitness, arts and crafts, computers, cooking and home improvement, finance, business, languages and other special interests like auto mechanics.
"It's an opportunity for continued learning, to expand and enhance your knowledge without a lot of time or expense involved," Menefee said.
The price of the class depends on the subject; this Fall it starts at $29 for some up to $89 for others. Job certifying classes are more expensive, starting at $175 and going up to $1,195.
The instructors for the classes are people who have an expertise in a certain area, Allen said. Some instructors are recruited by the program, and others are asked by previous instructors.
"This is really members of the community teaching other members of the community," Allen said.
One such instructor, Jonathan Jones and his wife Kylene teach about preparedness. Jones said he had a strong interest in preparedness and decided he needed to share what he had learned.
"All this knowledge you learn is pretty much wasted if you keep it inside," Jones said. "That's the way you advance as a society. We learn together and share knowledge."
Sarah Asay, a Provo resident who teaches baby signing and American Sign Language, has been teaching these community classes for five years and has also taken a Thai cooking class. She said baby sign has always fascinated her, and it is important for young children to feel understood and safe. These types of classes are a great opportunity to learn something new in a non-committal environment, Asay said.
"It is important if I know something to help parents, I should share it," she said.
A student taking baby sign right now and who has previously taken belly dancing, Rachel Connett, from American Fork, said the classes are affordable, not intimidating, casual and have good time schedules.
Another reason why some may take these classes is to renew licenses or to keep a visa current, said Menefee. These particular students can request a Continuing Education Unit certificate (CEU) upon completion of the class, she said.
Copyright Brigham Young University 18 Sep 2008
