Book Learning: L.A.-area Extension - Continuing - Community Education

Filed under: Play — StyleGuide @ 4:38 pm

An unsung benefit of L.A.’s density is that the place is crawling with extension courses, and all offer cheap instruction, convenient hours and minimal commitment.  Over the years I’ve matriculated at a half a dozen public adult schools — here’s a round-up: 

• The Beverly Hills Adult School at Beverly Hills High School is a central location for a random assortment of courses (like the classes I’ve taken on import/export, skin care, organizing and negotiation). 
• At L.A. City College Community Services Extension at Vermont and Sunset, good times abound in courses ranging from bartending, private investigating and framing/matting to judo and ballet.
• I’ve sampled real estate, Spanish and a great meditation class from Santa Monica College Continuing and Community Education’s massive buffet of programs.
• There was another Spanish class at East L.A. College Extension Courses in Monterey Park, and an enlightening Chinese brush painting class at Rio Hondo College Community Service Classes in Whitter.
• Of course, UCLA Extension is the granddaddy of community education, and while pricey, I’ve found the quality of instruction to be much higher.  After trying writing classes elsewhere on the cheap, the extra money to take the class at UCLA was well worth it.
• For computer training, I’ve had the best luck with online courses that let me go at my own pace.  Otherwise “power users” wait hours for their classmates to figure out how to turn on their computers, and neophytes feel like problem children.  Santa Monica College offers a ton of options.

Three reasons I love community education: 

1. The unexpected.  It’s a real crap-shoot the day you walk into class.  My dad says you’ll always learn something, even if it is just the instructor’s name.  Often that’s true.  Other times you just might find brilliance. 
2. Low commitment.  It is a cheap way to get an introduction to something completely new — whether hobby, career or Ikebana.
3. Interesting people.  The characters of all ages who populate these classes are part of the allure.  On more than one occasion, walking through the door has felt like stumbling into a retirement home.  But no class is more friendly or encouraging than a bunch of seniors. 

When my life gets a little stale, I turn to community education classes.  They always seem to work like steaming cups of brain caffeine.

This is a partial list of community education in L.A., where do you go?  What was your craziest class?  Tell us. 

 Related links  |  dining near schools

Tang’s Donuts near L.A. City College

Bella Pita near UCLA Extension

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