Access At CVUHS

Your donation to community education helps sustain, grow and improve our program. We rely solely on the program fees to run our program and pay our instructors. We also have a limited sponsorship fund that supports community members in need. Your kind contribution helps to keep class fees affordable so we can continue to make community education accessible to all. Thank you! If there is an amount you would like to donate, but it is not listed in our options below, please contact us at 802-482-7194 or email access@cvsdvt.org to arrange payment. Checks payable to: Access CVU, 369 CVU Road, Hinesburg, VT., 05461

Looking for the perfect gift for your favorite people? Purchase an Access Gift Certificate and support Community Education! Select the amount and check-out online. Your Gift Certificate will be emailed to you or the recipient; just let us know where to send it during checkout. If you would like a different amount, or you have a special request, please call us at 802-482-7194. Thank you for your support of Access! Note: An Access Gift Certificate never expires and is transferable!

Access Tote Bags by Donation

Are you motivated to learn SIGN language? ASL is the visual gestural language used by the Deaf community. It has its own unique grammar, sentence structure, and facial expressions. This class is for anyone that is new to ASL or looking for a refresher. Don is part of the deaf community and promises this immersive class will be fun and filled with plenty of conversation as well as practical exercises. In the first class, we will have an interpreter to help communicate the class syllabus. In these 10 sessions, you will learn about Deaf culture and how to communicate with basic introductions, numbers, alphabets, colors, food, people, places, restaurants, geography, etc. Handouts and videos will also be introduced weekly to help reinforce your newly learned skills. Some homework will be assigned to help you progress with ease. Recommended minimum age: High School "Don brings real world use of ASL, facial expressions and deaf culture to communicate with deaf individuals that goes beyond simple words in ASL."

Join Sally and learn the art of baking and decorating delicious cookies in this 1-night class. You'll start by mixing and baking "slice and bake" sugar cookies, making delicious icing, and then decorating your treats to bring home and share with friends and family. Each student will bring home a selection of decorated cookies. Students aged 13 and over welcome; younger students should be accompanied by an adult. This class will meet inside CVU.

Come learn the art of baking and decorating the perfect cupcake! Sally, our resident cake decorating instructor, will walk you through baking and decorating cupcakes in a 1-night class. You'll start by baking vanilla cupcakes and making delicious icing, and then you'll decorate your treats to bring home and share with friends and family (or eat them all yourself- we won't tell!). Each student will bring home a half dozen decorated cupcakes. Students aged 13 and over welcome; younger students should be accompanied by an adult. This class will meet inside CVU.

Are you concerned with what goes on your skin and scalp? Are you looking to make your own natural body care products? Join Kelley Robie, from Horsetail Herbs, as we dive into the world of healthy skin & hair care! In this class we will be making a Solid Shampoo Bar and Conditioner Bar for soft and silky locks. For the skin, we will be making an Anti-Aging Lotion with popular vitamins and minerals and a Soothing Face Wash for all skin types. We will discuss the skin microbiome, safe, clean ingredients, and the importance of sustainable packaging. Leave with recipes, products and gift making ideas! This class will meet inside CVU.

If you have completed the Diamond series, and feel ready to learn more then this Hearts series is for you! Phil Sharpsteen will take you through this series with ease, and you will enjoy connecting with other bridge enthusiasts for an evening of fun card playing. Deepen your knowledge of this multifaceted card game and learn the importance of communication and how to make decisions when you are the defender. Learn how to be a better team player, and use guided information to best understand your partners hand, even if you can't see their cards. *The Hearts course comes with a great book to guide you at home and is yours to keep! *Already own the Defense (Hearts) book, choose this discounted option at checkout. Class will meet at the CVU Library.

Terri will guide students through her artistic way of creating compositions through collage. She’ll share how to turn this art into greeting cards for any occasion, though it can be a wonderful framed art piece. Follow your inspiration! This is an art class. If you’d like, bring your pencils or pastels. Ages 15 and older; younger students may attend with a caregiver who is also registered. This class will meet inside CVU.

Join Bob, an experienced educator and woodworker, as he provides a hands-on presentation on how to carve correctly with quality tools. Bring in a pie pumpkin of your choosing and an aluminum tray to carve in. You will carve pumpkins like you never have before, using wood carving tools. The results will be frightening! Carving tools will be available during class, as well as choose from different templates. Minimum age requirement is 13. HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Join Bob, an experienced educator and woodworker, as he provides a hands-on presentation on how to carve correctly with quality tools. Participants will start with a softwood blank, and leave with a perfectly usable Spoon and matching Fork. Great to use as servers! Personalize the handles with a wood burning design or non-toxic paint for your next holiday gathering or for gifting! Wood carving gloves as well as high quality carving knives and chisels available for use in class. Minimum age requirement is 13. Option to bring your own tools or purchase our premium tool set ($40) at registration or after class (check/cash only).

Join long time master-carver and woodworker, Bob Lindemann, as he teaches the principals of safely carving wood, using the tools correctly and efficiently, while creating objects to display or use. Looking to make a heartfelt unique gift, tree ornament, or keepsake for the holidays? Participants will start with a softwood blank and leave with a small hand-carved and painted tree ornament such as a snowman or bird. High quality carving knives and chisels available for use in class. Option to bring your own tools or purchase our premium tool set at registration or after class (check/cash only). $40 per set. Minimum Age Requirement is 13 years old.

In this online 1.5 hour presentation, Alana Stevenson, feline behaviorist and author of The Good Cat Parent's Guide to Feline Behavior Modification shows you how to recognize common feline communication signals so you can better understand and communicate with cats. Learn why cats are often misunderstood and maligned, and why popular training approaches frequently recommended fail to work with cats. When you understand cat psychology, behaviors that were seemingly complex becomes less of a mystery. Photos and video clips of feline body language and inter-cat dynamics will be shared. There will be time after the presentation for Q&A. This class will meet online. Look for an invitation to be sent a day or two before the class starts.

Benvenuti in Italia! “Conversational Italian” is dedicated to your needs and wants in this beautiful language. For this reason, the preliminary assignment for the first class is for you to prepare a realistic list of things you would like to learn given the number of sessions we will have. This is the ideal equation: Beginning of class + End of class = I learned what I wanted to know! If you wish the class to be conducted in Italian or have a hybrid approach (Italian and English) you must all agree to this for obvious reasons. Having a hybrid approach is beneficial and Cinzia will explain her philosophy in this regard. Not sure what level of Italian you are at? No problem! Sign-up and decide after the first class if this will meet your needs. This is an online class. A Zoom or Google Meet invitation will be emailed prior to the start date. All handouts will be emailed directly from the instructor. "I have taken this online Italian conversation course with Cinzia for three years, and it is a great touch-point every week to practice the language and even meet new friends in Vermont who also have an interest in the language. Some of these friendships from the online class have transitioned into real life friendships, as we continue to meet after the class is over to practice Italian together!" "I really enjoy these classes with Cinzia. They provide an opportunity to practice Italian in an informal, friendly and chatty atmosphere. Cinzia sends materials between classes but homework is more or less at the individual's discretion. It helps me keep on my Italian and especially practice my listening and speaking skills with a native speaker. Cinzia is funny, warm, and great at teaching colloquial details."

Join us for a delightful hands-on experience of crafting a uniquely designed geometrical wall art made from beautiful recycled woods taken from pallets. In this hands-on class, you will learn how to layout your design, choose your wood, and cut and prepare each piece for assembly. A wide variety of new and repurposed fine *woods will be available to create a visually stunning piece that can last a lifetime. If you have wood pieces you would like to use, please bring them to the first class. Prepared pallet *woods may include Maple, Ash, Purple Heart, Walnut, Birch, Australian Eucalyptus, Brazilian Cherry, Oak, Coconut Wood, Ipe, and others. All materials are included in the fee for this course. Week 1: Students will decide on the design they wish to use, select woods and start cutting. Various sized large precut backings will be provided as your template. Sizes will vary but at a minimum pieces will be between 2-3 feet wide and tall. Tools used: mitre saw, table saw, planer, and clamps. Week 2: For this class, the students will finish cutting their wood, sanding will commence, and start to assemble the wall art using a brad nailer and glue. Week 3: Students will finish their boards, and may have time to oil or whitewash pieces if desired. Note: The electric tool usage can create a bottleneck in the workshop, so please be patient and use this time to learn and help others during class time. Please bring safety glasses and a dust mask if you have one. We have a small supply on hand if you need one. Long hair will need to be tied back and no open toed shoes.

Join us and learn how to build a functional and attractive bat house.. In this hands-on one-night class, you will choose your wood, and prepare each piece for assembly. While some of the woods will be precut, you will also have the opportunity to cut and customize your bat house to your liking. This class will be in the CVU woodshop and all tools, both *electric and manual will be available for use. All materials are included in the fee for this course. By building a bat house to gift or keep you will also be helping to protect these incredible and very important species whose ecology is threatened by urban sprawl. It's a win-win! Please bring safety glasses and a dust mask if you have one. We have a small supply on hand if you need one. Long hair will need to be tied back and no open toed shoes. Note: The electric tool usage can create a bottleneck so please be patient and use this time to learn and help others during class time.

Join us for a delightful hands-on experience as we delve into the enchanting world of charcuterie board-making. In this hands-on class, you will learn the art of creating visually stunning charcuterie boards that will impress your guests on any occasion. During the workshop, students will choose from a wide variety of new and repurposed fine woods to create a visually stunning piece that can last a lifetime. Prepared woods may include Maple, Ash, Purple Heart, Walnut, Birch, Australian Eucalyptus, Brazilian Cherry, Oak, Coconut Wood, Ipe, and others. All materials are included in the fee for this course. Week 1: Students will decide on the design they wish to use and choose their woods. Since the wood will be of various thicknesses, students will need to plane them to an equal thickness and then glue and clamp the wood to form the board. Tools used: mitre saw, table saw, planer, and clamps. Week 2: For this class, the students will take their glued-up boards and sand or plane them to get a uniform smooth surface. They will then draw and cut their handle design on the board. Tools used: planer, sander, band saw, scroll saw. Week 3: Once cut all sharp edges need to be sanded and rounded. Boards will then be thoroughly cleaned and coated with food-grade oils to penetrate and seal the boards. Extra oil will be given to each student. Tools used: Sander. Note: The electric tool usage can create a bottleneck in the shop, so please be patient and use this time to learn and help others during class time. Please bring safety glasses and a dust mask if you have one. We have a small supply on hand. Long hair will need to be tied back and no open toed shoes. "Tony is a very dedicated, enthusiastic teacher with a clear love of his craft. He was so generous with his time, often starting class early and always willing to stay late to make sure everyone left with a satisfying product. I recommend his class whole-heartedly!"

The goal of this presentation is to provide examples of DIRECT actions each person can take at home, on their phone, computer, farm, institution, and municipal entities. Gerald will review specific climate change adaptations that face cultural resistance, whether in your home, community or the institutions that surround us. A list of specific actions each of us have an opportunity to accomplish in our daily life will be introduced and discussed. Both positive and unintended consequences will be identified in terms of cultural values, as well as economic, environmental and personal adaptation, as well as how positive cultural adaptations affect us at the local and regional level. This class will take place inside CVU.