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Stay Active This Winter With District 214 Community Education

District 214 Community Education is offering a large variety of classes online this winter -- including fitness, dance, language classes, culinary and much more.

Registration is now open for classes starting in January that include Belly Dancing for Fitness and Fun, Chair Yoga, Cheerleading/Poms, Sushi Making, Conquering Inflammation, Youth Yoga, Walk Live Fitness Program, Boys Breakdance and much more.

The popular classes such as Yoga and Zumba Gold Toning are returning this winter, but there are also brand new classes to check out -- such as Line Dancing, Introduction to Ohara Ikebana and The Core Google Ecosystem. In Introduction to Ohara Ikebana, students will learn the techniques and the philosophy of the art of Japanese floral arrangement, which has been practiced for more than 600 years.

Registration for Adult Education classes is also open; classes start in January. Programs include English as a Second Language, The Catherine M. Lee Women's and Children's Center, College and Career Ready classes, U.S. Citizenship Test Preparation, Manufacturing Career Pathway, Read to Learn and more.

Pre-pandemic, more than 100 students would sometimes be registered in one day, and the number of students coming to be tested was not limited. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the registration process.

Through the new online pre-registration process, students choose a date and time to register and eight students can register in a room at one time. In order to safely accommodate hundreds of students, there will be an expanded number of opportunities for students to register.

"With the help of some very talented people in our office, a Google Form was created and a link to that form was put on the Adult Education Family Literacy (AEFL) website," said AEFL instructor Nicol Engel, about the online pre-registration process.

Registration and testing take place at Forest View Educational Center and the process takes about three hours. Students must wear a mask in the building, have their temperature checked and are asked health screening questions, explained Agnes Gaszak, data and information services coordinator for D214 Community Education.

"Our adult education program is one of the most successful Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) programs, as far as the number of students registered, tested and enrolled in our hybrid or in-person classes," shared Gaszak.

Engel said many students are involved in multiple programs, such as the High School Equivalency, Reading 101 and Bridge programs to Healthcare and Manufacturing.

Those interested can check out registration and class information for community education classes at ce.d214.org and visit ce.d214.org/adulted for information on the adult education classes and registration.

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