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Adult and Teen Community Education coordinator Ben Dugdale has organised a day for people to try out a range of community courses at Mahurangi College on April 18.
Community education courses will start again at Mahurangi College from May 1, with a speed-dating style taster on April 18.Course coordinator Ben Dugdale says they already have a range of topics so there should be something which appeals to everybody.
“So far we have courses in guitar, Mandarin, Te Reo, art history, drawing, up-cycling, cooking, defensive driving, democracy and Photoshop.
“We are still looking for further courses and tutors, and are very open-minded about the kinds of classes we offer.
“Some courses may go for eight weeks, while others may just be one or two sessions.”
The courses will run on Fridays from 5.30pm to 7.30pm and Saturday afternoons from 2pm till 4pm.
“A lot of people found midweek courses difficult to attend and felt they had more time towards the end of the week and weekend.”
The “Speed Date your Course” day will allow people to speak to different tutors about courses in a speed-date style event at the college auditorium on Saturday, April 18, from 2pm to 4pm.
“People can see what courses are on offer and which ones will suit them best.”
Ben says community education can lead people into another career and helps foster a sense of community.
“In this age of smart phones and the internet we are becoming both incredibly connected across the globe, while becoming disconnected from shared community experiences.
“Participating in community education leads to an increase in community participation and people become more involved in other organisations and social activities.”
Research by PricewaterhouseCoopers found people who attended community education improved their confidence and enhanced their communication skills and 82 per cent of learners moved towards further study. It also improved participants’ employability.
