Minnetonka Community Education offers something for residents of all ages to meet the community’s educational, social and recreational needs. Whether it’s personal enrichment through the arts, professional development and career advancement through mastering new technology, or learning how to cook authentic meals from different cultures, Minnetonka Community Education’s fall and winter offerings will help you grow and thrive.
Marketing specialist Elizabeth Hayward says, “The theme of this year’s community ed catalog is 'Create.' We have many offerings for learners to express and enhance their creativity in different areas.”
Learners can express their creativity in the kitchen through cooking classes, from international cuisine to the most traditional American fare, the Thanksgiving dinner. In Pho and More—Vietnamese Cooking, participants will learn how to make pho, fresh shrimp spring rolls, nouc cham (a dipping sauce), banh mi (a sandwich with sliced pork, pâté and pickled veggies on a baguette), noodle stir-fry, and che chuoi xao dua (sautéed bananas in coconut milk). The class will include an authentic Vietnamese dinner.
If you want to master that most traditional American meal, the turkey dinner, Thanksgiving Essentials is the class for you. You’ll learn how to produce a perfectly brined turkey, roux gravy, indulgent mashed potatoes and homemade cranberry sauce. If it’s the ultimate in healthy foods that you’re after, check out How to Make Kombucha at Home. Students will learn to prepare this probiotic-rich beverage in their own kitchen.
For learners who want to express their creativity through writing, Minnetonka Community Education is also offering new classes. In Fundamentals of Fiction Writing, beginning students can learn how to create effective prose. Writers’ Workshop is geared toward writers who are working on, or who are ready to begin, a specific creative writing project, fiction or non-fiction. Writers will have their work critiqued by the instructor and by fellow writers.
“We’re also happy to be able offer online options for learners, like Secrets to Better Photography and Introduction to Digital Scrapbooking,” says Hayward. The digital scrapbooking class uses Photoshop Elements and allows for use of both traditional and digital techniques.
One interesting offering (open to learners age 16 and up) is History and Tea. Military historian Dan Hartman will present four lectures, along with discussions, on the topics of Washington at Valley Forge, the French and Indian War, the Black Death in Europe, and immigration in America. Students can attend all four sessions or choose the subjects that interest them.
“Another new class that we think people will be excited about is Hips, Thighs and Otherwise,” says Hayward. “We know now that prolonged sitting is bad for our health. This class is designed to counteract some of the negative effects of sitting and promote well-being.”
In the realm of money management, Hayward expects Keeping the Cabin/Farm in the Family to be very popular. The course will provide ideas to help people keep what they worked so hard to build, and allow them to pass it on to the next generation.
Be sure to peruse the fall community education catalog (in print or online) to learn about everything Minnetonka Community Education has to offer this season.
To view the catalog or to register, visit the website or call 952.401.6800.
