Youngsters Get No Summer Break at Colleges, Special Classes
Colleges and private adult-education programs around the San Fernando Valley are lowering their age requirements. From magic to Spanish to computers to ballet, traditionally adults-only schools have organized ambitious children’s schedules.
And most classes don’t even require a kindergarten diploma.
Schools that offer a year-round children’s program usually beef up their summer schedule. Here is a sampling of five schools’ offerings.
Pierce College (6201 Winnetka Ave., Woodland Hills, 818-347-0551). Pierce offers year-round, after-school and Saturday classes for kids age 3 to 16 with a “more meaty” schedule in summer, according to Joyce Eade of the college’s Community Services Department.
This summer’s program will have close to 70 different classes and will run from July 6 to Aug. 15. The average cost is $20. Some classes are taught by Pierce instructors, but most are taught by outside experts. Most classes meet once a week for six weeks. Summer brochures will be ready June 1 and early registration is advised.
This summer, Pierce will offer “Discovering Dinosaurs” (age 6-7), “Wonder of Electricity” (age 9-12), “Volcanoes” (age 7-9), beginning French and Spanish (age 8-12), pre-algebra (age 10-14), art, cooking and calligraphy. In the clowning class, children age 8 to 12 will learn make-up skills and how to put on skits.
Extra academic classes are scheduled in summer, and while most classes average about 15 students, some intensive learning ones, such as reading, average 12.
Classes for pre-schoolers include creative dance, toddler theater, tap dance and cooking.
Cartooning is one of the most popular classes at Pierce and is offered year-round with extra sessions added this summer. Pierce has both beginning and intermediate cartooning for 8- to 14-year-olds. Students learn inking techniques, perspective, toning and lettering.
California State University, Northridge (18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, 818-885-3333.) This is the most academically oriented of the programs listed here and is offered only in summer session. CSUN has two summer academic programs, one for grades one through six and another for grades six through 12. Grade six overlaps in both programs because some local junior highs begin at sixth grades, others at seventh. Both programs run July 29 to Aug. 7. Each class meets five days a week. Tuition is $300.
Elementary students select four one-hour classes such as reading, creative writing, how to write a report, math, journalism, arts and crafts, Spanish, creative dramatics, sign language, singing, puppetry, dance, photography and science. Classes are held in Sierra South, Fine Arts and Music buildings and the South Library, which are all adjacent. Adults will make sure students get to classes safely.
The junior and senior high school program features two two-hour classes. Except for clothing construction and driver education, all are academic: American literature, composition, algebra, math skills, developmental reading (for students reading below grade level) and power reading (for students reading above grade level). A special class, “Academic Decathlon,” prepares senior high students for competition.
Valley College (5800 Fulton Ave., Van Nuys, 818-781-1200). The summer schedule here is set up so that children can enroll in several classes, then rendezvous with the school’s summer camp program if they need further care. Classes are geared to age 8 and up, and most meet twice a week for a 1 1/2-hour session. Fees range from $27 to $48.
This summer’s listing includes copper enameling (age 11 and up), stained glass (age 13 and up), drawing (age 8-12), jazz dance (age 8-12), guitar (age 10 and up), magic (ages 10 and up) and more academic subjects such as algebra and remedial math. There are also computer classes that meet four times a week.
New this year are two clown classes taught by professional clown Audrey Ruttan. One focuses on clown costume design and make-up, the other on tricks and circus skits. Both are for children age 8 to 10.
Because of the size of the campus, parents are responsible for seeing that their children are delivered to the classroom door and picked up immediately after class.
Everywoman’s Village (5650 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys, 818-787-5100). Weekly classes last six to nine weeks and cost $40 to $54. Most classes are limited to 10 students. Many children take classes while their parents are in their own classes. The next series of classes begins on May 18, then again on July 20.
Offerings here include piano (age 5-12), tennis (age 5-8), improvisational comedy (all ages), jazz movement (age 7-12), ice skating (age 6-12). Except for tennis and ice skating, classes are given in the classroom.
A class in basic etiquette and social dance skills for age 9 to 14 was suggested by parent Gayle Rosenberg, who has taken several classes at the village.
“Our group of friends wasn’t into cotillion, but my boys, who were 12 and 13 at the time, had to learn how to dance for bar and bat mitzvahs,” she said. “I asked Everywoman’s Village about starting a class and they were very receptive. I pulled together enough kids for a class.
“They learned to waltz, fox trot and also what kids dance today. The instructor was excellent. He started out by lining them up to learn the steps so they wouldn’t have to touch one another. After they were relaxed, he paired them off.” This nine-week class costs $54.
The school’s piano teacher, Kathleen Stokes, feels that group classes are an excellent introduction to the instrument. “The child has a chance to see if he likes piano before his parents buy a piano or sign up for expensive private lessons.” Her classes are usually have four or five students.
The Learning Tree’s Young People’s College (20920 Knapp St., Chatsworth, 818-882-5599). The Learning Tree has been offering weekly classes for children since it opened 13 years ago. New classes begin every eight weeks, with the next session starting July 6. Fees range from $35 to $48.
Current listings include beginning violin (age 8-12), tennis (age 8 and up), sign language (age 9 and up), painting (age 8 and up), acting for commercials for teen-agers, breaking into modeling (age 10 and up) and beginning ballet (age 3 and up).
Suzanne Sincock, who lives in Canoga Park, researched local ballet schools before signing up her two daughters, Nicole, 5, and Jennifer, 3, for ballet classes at the Learning Tree. She like the school’s small class sizes and lack of pressure in classes. “I wanted them to do it for fun, not a career,” she said.
There is no special supervision for children at the Learning Tree and parents are requested to accompany their children to the classroom door rather than dropping them off.
