Gift of education is always welcome

Just in case you haven’t completed your Christmas shopping,


there are dozens of continuing education courses at Vancouver Island University


that make ideal gifts for everyone from budding birdwatchers to Broadway


musical fans.

Courses are priced to fit most budgets -– from the $10 Lazy


Angler Fishing School at the Powell River campus to Renaissance Florence: A


Cultural Tour for $3,295 held in Tuscany in May.

“A gift certificate for a Continuing Studies course is the


gift of learning which is always appropriate for any adult on your Christmas


list,” said Tony Bellavia, acting Dean of Adult and Continuing Education.


“Gift certificates are available in any denomination and can be applied to any


course, so the recipient can choose the course they want when they register.”

Here is a sampling of ideas that should be welcomed during


the holiday season. More than 200 courses are available and can be viewed


online at www.viu.ca/ccs

VIU pastry and baking instructor Martin Barnett will teach a


one-day Artisan Baking course Jan. 16.


The $130 session at the Nanaimo campus covers the techniques of making a


variety of natural-ingredient breads such as focaccia, challah and ciabatta.


There’s a bonus of tasty breads to take home at the end of the day.

The new year is often a time for resolutions and cooks who


resolve to get serious about chocolate desserts can take a four-night course at


the Cowichan campus tasting and cooking with chocolate. Decadent Chocolate


Desserts, taught by Rebecca Hazell, includes creating truffles, baking black


bottom cupcakes, Richmond cake with glaze and chocolate lava cake. The $146


course starts Feb. 10 and will also cover tantalizing topics such as mousse,


puddings, soufflés and sauces.

For those who wonder what the new year will bring, Tea Cup Tales: Reading The Leaf explores


the ancient art of tea-leaf reading. Tanya Lester, of Saltspring Island teaches


the day-long, $58 course Feb. 27. Bring your own tea cup – white


inside – and a saucer to the Feb. 27 session in Nanaimo.

There’s a chance


for some mid-winter escapism with The Best of Broadway Musicals taught by


Eveline O’Rourke. This course starts Jan. 29 and presents three of the most


famous and best productions of all time. This $75 series will explore the


history of Broadway Musicals, the lives and times of the composers, lyricists


and choreographers and the social and economic times which led to the creation


of the shows.

Linda Gilkeson


leads a day-long session at the Cowichan campus on the Year-Round Harvest. The


$76 course on Feb. 27 outlines the different varieties of more than 30


winter-hardy vegetables and when to plant them. Tuition will include a copy of Gilkeson’s


book, Year-Round Harvest: Winter


Gardening on the Coast.

VIU’s Milner


Gardens and Woodlands offers several programs through the Centre for Continuing


Studies. Sheila Williams teaches Herbs for the Home at Milner March 6. The $35


course covers how to grow and propagate a variety of herbs, design a simple and


aesthetic herb garden and use herbs to create a low-maintenance garden. She


will also outline the culinary, medicinal and cosmetic uses of several herbs


and how they can be preserved. Rose Lynn Fleury leads a one-afternoon session


March 24 on Small Space Edible Gardens. The $40 course at the gardens looks at


ways to maximize food production in planters and grow boxes. Milner Garden


members get a $5 discount.

Outdoor Safety:


Bear And Cougar Awareness can prove to be a life-saving gift. John Merriman


will outline recommended ways to respond if you are confronted by a bear or


cougar. Merriman will cover behavioural types, food attractants, body language


and safety measures. More than 1,000 bears are destroyed in BC every year and Merriman


will point out how humans contribute to conflicts between themselves and


animals. The Feb. 10 course in Nanaimo is $25.

The rich tradition


and fine art of Coast Salish wood carving will be covered in an eight-session Introduction


to Native Carving course starting March 9 through the Cowichan campus. Harold


Joe will give students an appreciation of the cultural connections associated


with Coast Salish art. Sessions will include the basic techniques of carving


and learning to finish your work with paint. Supplies are included in the $299 fee.





 


If the holiday season leaves you feeling not as relaxed as you would like,


massage therapist Marilyn Swallow offers a weekend course at the Cowichan


campus. The $91 program March 27 and 28 on Massage and Relaxation Techniques


involves a hands-on approach to healing touch, calming breath and other simple


ways to ease stress.

ElderCollege offers courses and programs for those 55 and


older. For $15, you can give membership in ElderCollege. For $35 more, there


are several special interest programs such as Birding – Backyard and Beyond. Colin


Bartlett teaches that six-session course that starts March 3 in Nanaimo. Bartlett will offer tips on birding,


equipment, books, Internet sites, feeding of birds, and identifying by sight,


song and personality. One or two field trips to local birding areas are


planned.

Gift certificates can also be applied to Job-related courses


such as Foodsafe, cashier training, first aid and safety, computers and marine.

For more information, visit viu.ca/ccs, phone 250-740-6160 (Nanaimo), 250-746-3519 (Cowichan), 250-248-2096 (Parksville/Qualicum) or email ccs@viu.ca/ccs. For Powell River courses, visit pr.viu.ca/ce/ or call 1-877-888-8890.