In classes, the best learners are often adult learners because they want to be there. Fortunately, taking classes doesn’t have to mean becoming a full-time student, with classes designed for community members who want to learn a new skill or hobby and meet people with similar interests.
Santa Barbara City College’s School of Extended Learning offers classes year-round, including hundreds of free classes, with options for career training, personal enrichment, health improvement, and more.
Additionally, adults who are 55 and older can find free classes tailored to them in the Older Adults program. The classes are at the top of the list when it comes to the many wonderful things that Santa Barbara has to offer, resident Judith Torres said.
“The SBCC School of Extended Learning has so many great classes with excellent instructors,” she said.
“I enjoy the watercolor, ukulele, and quilting and patchwork sewing classes. If there were more hours in the day, I’d be taking advantage of many of the other wonderful course offerings.”
Torres is a retired speech-language pathologist and a children’s book author. Her work includes the award-winning picture book “An Alphabet Pet Parade in Topsy-Turvy Town, Population 26.”
Originally from New Mexico, she has lived in Santa Barbara since 2014. She started taking classes through the SBCC School of Extended Learning to build on her creative skills and learn new ones.
Additionally, Torres is taking advantage of the opportunity to develop talents she can share with her grandchildren.
“The classes are an opportunity to participate in and be a part of a supportive creative community. Having an encouraging group of people nurture your talents as they share their own is extraordinary and so much fun.”
“There have been other silver linings that I didn’t anticipate from taking these classes,” Torres said.
“I am also using skills I’ve learned in the classes to teach some of my grandchildren to play the ukulele, and we love painting together,” Torres said.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. The Older Adults program offers a variety of topics taught by professionals in their subjects, including art, music, theater, writing, home economics, self-management and more. And classes find ways to help the community.
For example, the quilting and patchwork class that Torres took donated the quilts they made to young people in foster care.
Learning new skills can be intimidating, though, especially for older adults who may be used to doing well in their careers or at home after many years of experience. But that shouldn’t stop them from stepping outside of their comfort zones.
“Part of the process of learning something new is giving yourself permission to do things badly until you can do them well,” Torres said. “Success for me is not mastering a skill; it is stretching myself to try and learn new things, meet new people, and have more fun.”
And, if one class doesn’t resonate, there are many more to try. Regardless of the class, instructors offer a welcoming and engaging environment for students of all levels, and fellow students support each other through the learning process.
Registration for fall classes opens July 8, and classes start Aug. 25. Classes throughout the fall vary in length, from one-day workshops to eight-week courses.
For more information about the Older Adults program or to explore classes in career skills, health, and the many other options on offer, visit sbcc.edu/extendedlearning.
