Community at Kalamazoo Valley

Community and Continuing Education

January to May 2018 Class Schedules

Mission

The Community and Continuing Education Department at Kalamazoo Valley Community College provides innovative and relevant lifelong learning opportunities to community members of all ages. These non-credit classes emphasize personal enrichment, professional development and community outreach.

Sustainable Foods, Farms, and Gardens

Bee on flower with 'Find out what the buzz is all about' caption

Beekeeping 102 | $140

Monday, 5:30pm - 8:00pm, May 7 - June 25, 2018

This second course in the 3-part series will provide more in-depth knowledge of a honeybee colony. This class will focus on the biology of the honeybee and the colony. Anatomy and the difference between honeybees and other stinging insects will be introduced. The honeybee’s role in pollination for themselves and the impact on rest the natural world will be discussed. The bee nest and other components of the hive will be surveyed, providing a deeper understanding of the colony and its interrelated components.

At the end of the course, students will understand:

Honey Bees and Other Pollinators

What is the difference between pollinators?
Fundamental differences between other stinging insects: wasps, hornets, bumble bees, carpenter bees, which are often mistaken for honeybees

Honeybee Anatomy
The Bee Nest

Make-up of the bee nest; Roles of the nurse bees
Eggs and Larvae
Why honey and pollen make up part of the bee nest?

Queen Bee

Her role in the hive
How to evaluate her performance?
Managing queens for hive production and longevity

Honey, Wax, & Pollen

The important roles that these components play in the health of a colony

Pollination

The essential work of the honey bee
What are the benefits to the hive, nature, and humans?

Diseases and Pests

An overview of common pests and disease
Controls and treatment options
Integrated Pest Management

Dress Code: Students will need personal protective equipment (PPE) - Minimally a beekeeping veil and closed toe, sturdy shoes, long sleeves, and long pants with socks. Students may desire to obtain and wear additional PPE such as beekeeping jacket or a full suit with gloves.

Course Location: Food Innovation Center, 224 E. Crosstown Parkway, Kalamazoo.

Master Rain Gardener | $45

Wednesdays, 5:30pm - 7:30pm, September 5 - October 3, 2018

Instructors will continue to be available as a resource to students as they begin digging and planting their rain gardens after the course has ended. An optional field trip will be offered during that time to check out established rain gardens throughout the community. As part of our Master *Rain* Gardener community, students will have access to plant sales, exchanges, and other continuing education opportunities.

Course Description: The Kalamazoo area Master Rain Gardener Certification course co-hosted by the Kalamazoo River Watershed Council and Kalamazoo Nature Center in partnership with Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Kalamazoo Valley Museum.

An in-depth and in-person class that will teach you everything needed to create a living rain garden at your home or place of work. A rain garden mimics nature by letting rain water soak into the ground. It’s a garden bed planted in a shallow depression with plants especially adapted for dry and wet conditions.

The class will lead you through all phases, from locating and designing to planting and maintaining a beautiful and functional rain garden.

Week 1: Introduction to Rain Gardens
Week 2: Moving Dirt to Move Water and Site Selection Principles
Week 3: How to: Measuring, Planning, Digging, Sculpting
Week 4: Plant Designs: Rain Garden Plant Palette
Week 5: Present Your Plan
Optional: Rain garden tour (based on growing season)

Course Location: Food Innovation Center, 224 E. Crosstown Parkway, Kalamazoo.

Mushroom Cultivation: Level 1 | $140

Wednesdays, 6:00pm - 8:00pm, March 7- April 25

Come join us in learning about growing your own gourmet mushrooms from locally available materials! We will grow oysters, shiitake, winecaps, portabellos, reishi and more. Students will learn how to procure substrates and create good environments for mushroom growth. Some mushroom identification is practiced and many of your fellow students will be avid foragers. Come ready to learn about the savory mysteries of fungal farming!

Course Location: Food Innovation Center, 224 E. Crosstown Parkway, Kalamazoo.

Youth and Young Adult

Wellness and Fitness

Fitness Center Basics | $75

Monday - Thursday, 6:00am - 8:00pm, May 1 - August 31, 2018

This 15-week program includes full access to Kalamazoo Valley’s Wellness and Fitness Center (WFC) and Free Weight Room during regularly scheduled hours. In addition, weekly clinics will be provided by Fitness Center employees. Each weekly clinic, announced by signage in the WFC center, will provide detailed instruction on equipment in the WFC. Time will be spent trying out the various programs installed by the manufacturer on each type of machine.

Monday through Thursday: 6:00A.M.to 8:00 P.M.
Friday: 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M.
Saturday: 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.

Course Location: KVCC Wellness and Fitness Center 6767 West O Avenue

Zumba | $60

Monday, 5:30pm - 6:30pm, March 12 - April 16, 2018

Zumba is perfect for everybody and everybody! Each Zumba® class is designed to bring people together to sweat it on. We take the "work" out of workout, by mixing low-intensity and high-intensity moves for an interval-style, calorie-burning dance fitness party. Once the Latin and World rhythms take over, you'll see why Zumba® Fitness classes are often called exercise in disguise. Super effective? Check. Super fun? Check and check. A total workout, combining all elements of fitness – cardio, muscle conditioning, balance and flexibility, boosted energy and a serious dose of awesome each time you leave class.

Course Location: Fitness Center Room 6040, 6767 West O Ave, Kalamazoo

Aqua Zumba | $60

Thursday, 5:00pm - 6:00pm, March 15 - April 19, 2018

Aqua Zumba is perfect for those looking to make a splash by adding a low-impact, high-energy aquatic exercise to their fitness routine. Aqua Zumba® blends the Zumba® philosophy with water resistance, for one pool party you shouldn’t miss! There is less impact on your joints during an Aqua Zumba® class so you can really let loose. Water creates natural resistance, which means every step is more challenging and helps tone your muscles.

Course Location: KVCC Pool, 6767 West O Ave, Kalamazoo

Art and New Media

Claymation Workshop | $115

Tuesday - Thursday, 9:00am - 12:00pm, June 19 - 21, 2018

For those who love the magic of stop motion in movies such as Coraline and Kubo and the charm of Wallace and Gromit comes a workshop just for you! Come create characters in clay and bring them to life in the Claymation Creation Workshop. Learn how to build, light, animate, and edit your own claymation movie! Ages 15 and up*.

*If you have a student who is not yet 15, but is mature and really excited about Claymation, please contact instructor Aubrey Rodgers at arodgers@kvcc.edu. An exception may be made at the instructor's discretion.

Course Location: Center for New Media, 100 E. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49007

Room 220 Workshop: Introduction to Digital Painting | $30

1:30pm - 3:30pm, January 14, 2018

Have you ever wanted to learn how to draw and paint in a computer? Or did you get a tablet and want to learn some ways to be creative with it? Well learn at the Center for New Media how to use a drawing tablet and Photoshop to make stunning illustrations. This is your opportunity to see how art and technology relate. During this 2 hour workshop, you will learn how to sketch, draw, ink, and paint digitally. This workshop is for ages 10 and up, so if you’re a young artist or young at heart, this class is for you.