3 Places to Take an Advanced Learning Class in San Antonio

Our Springs teams in San Antonio often get questions from new residents about where they can take a class or two. While our city is known for its quality K-12 schools and higher education, we also have plenty of opportunities for adults who want to brush up on rusty skills or learn a new one. If that describes you, here are a few places you can check out:

Culinary Institute of America (CIA)

Whether you’re looking for a long-term career in the foodservice industries or if you simply want to explore cooking as a pastime, the CIA is for you. This venerable institution, headquartered in New York State, offers a variety of degree and certificate programs, as well as “food enthusiast courses.” The latter include what the CIA calls ‘boot camps,’ where you can take 2-, 3-, 4- or 5-day courses to learn the basics of hors d’oeuvre, holiday cooking, desserts, entertaining at home and many more. There are also wine tastings for would-be oenophiles.

Alamo Colleges

The Alamo Colleges system has 5 community colleges in its network: Northeast Lakeview, Northwest Vista, Palo Alto, San Antonio and St. Philip’s. They offer both “…traditional and non-traditional educational programs to community organizations, business, industry, military and students.” Some of the options for students include:

• Transfer education: Students can start their education with two years at one of the colleges, a foundation that may or may not result in an associate’s degree but will contribute to study toward a bachelor’s or higher degree at another institution.
• Career & continuing education and industry training: Courses are offered for those who want to continue their education in their field or who want to be trained in a new field. Some of the schools offer first responder training, American Sign Language and similar programs.

Check their individual websites (accessible through the Alamo Colleges site) for courses, requirements, schedules and more.

Southwest School of Art

The list of adult-focused classes at SSA is impressive and includes more than 100 in subcategories under glass & mosaic, painting, drawing, ceramics, culture, printmaking and more. Courses are available to anyone interested in studying the visual arts (some may require some knowledge of a topic, like basic computer skills). The schedule of each course varies, as do their costs and locations. There are also courses available for kids and teens, one of the more popular of which is the Saturday Morning Discovery, a free introductory experience for families. Students work with artist teachers to learn about ceramics, stained glass, painting and other mediums.

There are dozens – if not hundreds – of opportunities in San Antonio for adults and children to learn more about a craft, trade or skill that piques their interests. We’d love to hear from residents about classes they’ve taken from one of our area’s schools and how they’re using what they’ve learned. Do you have a story? If so, please share with us!