Is the pandemic leaving you with lots of free time? Are you looking to explore an interest or discover a new hobby? This winter and spring, Needham Community Education is offering a series of courses open to high school students and adults in the community that are the perfect remedy to cure even the worst case of pandemic-induced boredom.
NCE is a branch of the Needham Public Schools whose purpose is to provide additional enrichment opportunities for community-members of all ages. Their current curriculum offers a myriad of courses in the following categories: explore, create and make (fine arts and crafts); exercise and recreate; be a better you (health and wellness); cook, taste, and decorate; develop professional and technology skills; home, garden skills; understand medicare and social security; play a game; speak a foreign language; make music, and more. Many of the classes are just one day or weekend programs so they are easy to access and not major time commitments. As NCE program director Amy Goldman highlights, the small class sizes, expert teachers, and emphasis on interaction allow students to learn some really interesting skills.
In light of the pandemic, the majority of the classes have taken on a virtual format, with certain courses, such as walking tours and the bicycle safety class, happening outside as the weather permits. While Goldman says that adapting to the virtual setting has certainly had its own set of challenges, she has found that “there are some programs that seem to work so well on Zoom that we might stick with it. For example, SAT prep has been better online, as it has been much more personalized and students don’t have to go back to school to attend.”
For high school students in particular, the NCE curriculum offers courses that supplement classes they are currently taking, such as more advanced language courses, but also fills in gaps in the NHS curriculum. For example, while cooking is not something that many NHS students get to explore at the high school, NCE is offering a myriad of different cooking courses, including ones taught by Dave Becker, the owner of Sweet Basil. Additionally, NCE is offering many courses that students could take with their parents, such as walking tours of Boston or bird watching classes. For parents specifically, there is also a series of classes specifically focusing on the stresses of the college admissions process and the NCE Parent University, which is comprised of classes that focus on various aspects of parenting in relation to the values of the Needham community.
If you are interested in exploring any of their offerings, check out the NCE catalogue below to explore the full list of available courses! Or, take this quiz to find out which NCE course is right for you.
