Byline: Marv Cermak Staff writer
An adult education program has sprouted from a 10-course curriculum to 175 different classes since 1986.
"We offer classes for a wide variety of interests and the program is growing and growing," said Kay Fuller, director of the Schenectady City School District Adult Evening Continuing Education Program.
She said an enrollment of several hundred students three years ago has rocketed to more than 1,200.
There are such entertaining classes as baseball card collecting, juggling, basic dog obedience, belly dancing, making Italian cookies and pastries and model railroading.
And there's loads of heavier intellectual offerings such as investment strategies in the 1980s and 1990s, advanced accounting, owning your own business, speedwriting and shorthand, and creative writing.
"The Schenectady program is second in size to only Shenendehowa Central School District's between Albany and the Canadian border," Fuller said.
"There are many people interested in lifelong learning. If you want to see how many attend the program, go near Linton High School at night and you'll have a hard time trying to find a place to park."
Fuller said that in 1986 only 1,000 brochures detailing class offerings were mailed to city residents, and noted that the most recent mailing went to 10,000 homes.
"The district asks senior citizens and other adults owning property to pay the bill for the school district. This adult learning program enables us to put something back in the community," she said.
Besides Linton, she said the program has recreation classes at Elmer Elementary School, swimming at Van Corlaer Middle School, curling at the Schenectady Curling Club and a number of courses that are conducted at area businesses.
"Adult education develops good will, great community spirit and gives citizens the tools to make a better community," Fuller said. "In some school districts in the nation there are more grownups attending adult education programs than there are children in the regular classroom setting."
Fuller said the courses have a nominal fee, but she felt some classes involving health and basic living information should be free.
She said class teachers receive $26 per night for two hours of instruction.
Fuller said the fall program began in September while a new spring program got under way earlier this month.
"The continuing education curriculum provides adults with the opportunity to meet their needs related to academic growth, vocational development, enrichment and recreation.
"Our program has gained new meaning, a tremendous reception and immeasurable good will," Fuller said.
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