Community Services provides area residents with opportunities for education, enrichment, and adventure. The classes are non-credit and range from fitness classes to interesting daylong excursions.Following are just some of the classes offered:
B.A.R. Smog Update – UT 037—This is a California Bureau of Automotive Repair class that will use help technicians diagnose mechanical problems.
Date: Saturday & Sunday, March 11-12, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Location: Merced College Business Resource Center, Room 120
Cost: $225 perparticipant.
Badminton—Participants will learn to play badminton and understand the basic rules that apply to the game. Come have fun, all levels are welcome!
Date: Wednesdays & Fridays, March 15-April 12, 7-10 p.m.
Location: Merced College Gym
Cost: $40 perparticipant
Beginning Sign Language—In this class you will have fun learning the basics of American Sign Language. Learn how to communicate with others without even saying a word! Students will learn through playing games, signing songs, and telling stories in this fun and interactive class
Date: Tuesdays, March 7-28, 5:30-7 p.m.
Location: Merced College Business Resource Center, Room 121
Cost: $60 perparticipant
Ceramics Open Lab—Explore the tactile qualities of clay and create your own ceramics through practical instruction in a relaxed atmosphere. This open lab will provide one-on-one instruction for beginners to advanced artists. Focusing on pottery as a form of visual art, the classes will cover a number of topics and techniques, from basic wheel thrown pottery to hand built pottery to raku. Your creative ceramic pieces will then be glazed and fired for you to take home or give as a gift. Final pick up date will be May 25 between the hours of 10 a.m. and noon, upon arranged appointment with Ira Jones, (209) 384-6369.
Date: Thursdays, March 16-May 11, or Mondays, March 20-May 15, 6-9 p.m.
Location: Merced College, ART 5
Cost: $80 per participant
California Academy of Sciences—Inside bucolic Golden Gate Park, the California Academy of Sciences holds a fascinating collection of 38,000 natural wonders and the occasional freak of nature. Under the wild flower-covered “living roof,” butterflies flutter through a four-story glass rain forest dome, a rare white alligator stalks a swamp, and Pierre the Penguin paddles his massive new tank in the African Hall. Kids are sure to enjoy Saturday Family Nature Crafts as well as the basement aquarium, where they can duck inside a glass bubble to enter an eel forest, find Nemos in tropical fish tanks, or pet starfish. You’ll be able to access the roof for panoramic views of Golden Gate Park, or glimpse skyward into infinity in the Planetarium. For the ecology-minded, check out the displays throughout the main floor, which show how conservation issues affect California’s ecosystem.
Date: Saturday, March 11, 7 a.m.-6:30 p.m.
Location: Departure- Merced College Business Resource Center
Cost: $139 per participant
Dancing for Birth—Have fun learning how all expectant moms (vaginal/VBAC/Cesarean) can move to music, before, during, and after birth, using special dance techniques to get more comfortable during pregnancy, encourage babies into optimal positions, and promote recovery after birth. So tie a scarf around your hips, and spend an hour of fun, bonding with your baby, as we dance and talk about birthing. Post-partum moms and newborns welcome! Check it out at www.dancingforbirth.com.
Date: Mondays, March 20-April 10, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Location: Merced College, Gym 4
Cost: $20 per participant
Golf for All Ages—Whether you are a beginner or advanced player, your game will improve with this class. This golf lesson course will cover full swing, short game, basic rules, and general golf etiquette. Gary Olson played on the PGA tour for 10 years, participated in 11 national championships as well as 2 major championships, and has been teaching golf for 50 years. Bring your own clubs or borrow one of ours.
Date: Saturdays, March 18--April 8, 9-11 a.m.
Location: Rancho Del Rey Golf Course
Cost: $55 per participant
Introduction to Microsoft Excel 2013—In this hands-on workshop series, you'll discover dozens of shortcuts and tricks for setting up fully-formatted worksheets quickly and efficiently. You'll learn the secrets behind writing powerful formulas, using functions, sorting and analyzing data, designing custom charts and graphs, creating three-dimensional workbooks, building links, and creating macros and custom toolbar buttons.
Date: Fridays, March 24-April 7, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
Location: Merced College Business Resource Center, Room 216
Cost: $145 per participant
Fitness Lab Membership—Want a gym membership without the application fee and yearly contract? Join the Merced College Fitness Lab with memberships available for a one month period. Save $5 per session when you register for two or more sessions at once.
Date: Mondays–Fridays, March 1-31, 5:30-7:30 a.m.
Location: Merced College, Gym 5
Cost: $25 per participant
Flying and Photography with a RC Quadcopter—Flying a remote controlled quadcopter and taking images can be quite a challenge. This class is designed to get your RC Quadcopter off the ground and start taking aerial photos. You will learn safety regulation and precautions, basic flying techniques and skills, and start taking images from the air that can be edited and shared.
Date: Saturdays, March 18-April 1, 9 a.m.-Noon
Location: Merced College, Art 8
Cost: $55 per participant
Jr Blue Devil Splashball—Splashball is a program under the umbrella of USA Water Polo and exists to introduce water polo to the younger generation in the community. This fun, healthy activity promotes fitness, self-esteem, and water safety while teaching the basic components of water polo.
Date: Tuesdays & Thursdays, March 14-May 4, 4-5 p.m.
Location: Merced College Pool
Cost: $80 per participant
Jr Blue Devil Water Polo—This class is for students who are ready to move to the next level beyond Splashball and for students who are ages 10-14 who have never played water polo. Students will transition from using the noodle, the course increases to 25 yards, and the ball is bigger. The class will cover basic fundamentals and prepare students for advanced water polo and playing with the year-round club team.
Date: Tuesdays & Thursdays, March 14-May 4, 4-5 p.m.
Location: Merced College Pool
Cost: $80 per participant
Lap Swim—Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise. Enjoy open lap swim at the Merced College Pool throughout the summer/fall term at any of the three time slots. Please note that on occasion, Lap Swim is cancelled due to other events being held at the Merced College Pool. In the event of such cancellations, Community Services strives to provide adequate notice to all participants so that arrangements can be made to swim at a different time.
Date: Mondays, Wednesdays, & Fridays, March 1-March 31, 5:30-6:30 a.m., Noon to 1 p.m.
Location: Merced College Pool
Cost: $20 per participant
Microsoft Office Specialist Certification—Demonstrate that you have the skills needed to get the most out of Office by earning a Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) Certification in a specific Office program (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, SharePoint, or OneNote). Holding MOS certification can earn an entry-level business employee as much as $16,000 more in annual salary than uncertified peers.
Date: Thursday, March 23, 10-11:30 a.m.
Location: Merced College Business Resource Center
Cost: $50 per participant
Scrapbooking 101—Do you have photos in books or just laying around and don’t know what to do with them? Do you want to create a legacy to pass down to the next generation? Have you ever wanted to scrapbook bust just don’t know where or how to begin? Then this class is for you. You will learn how to organize; why we scrapbook; and some basic tools you will need to get started creating and preserving your precious memories for years to come.
Date: Saturday, March 11, Noon to 2 p.m.
Location: Merced College Business Resource Center
Cost: $25 per participant
ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification—This two-day training session is an exam preparation course. You must attend both dates in the same month. The ServSafe Exam will be proctored directly after the second day of training from 1-3 p.m. You need to pick up your textbook and preparation materials at least one week prior to the 1st day of class. Participants must also register at www.servsafe.com and purchase an exam access code for the online exam. The cost of the online exam access code is $36, and must be purchased prior to the first day of class.
Date: Wednesdays, March 8, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., and March 15, 1-3 p.m.
Location: Merced College Business Resource Center
Cost: $179 per participant
Photography Unplugged—This course is designed to challenge and enhance the photography and composition skills of each photographer. Together we will study famous images as well as the photographic and design principles that were used to create them. Then we will start to photograph and create great images. It is neither necessary to own a high priced camera, nor have extensive Photoshop skills in this class. It is more important to be open and willing to experiment and have a lot of fun.
Date: Thursdays, March 16th – April 20th from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Location: Merced College, Art 8
Cost: $95 per participant
For more information, contact the Merced College Community Services office at (209) 384-6224 or register at www.mercedcommunityservices.com.
Source: Merced College
