Arlington Community Education

Join Officer Bryan White and other members of the Arlington Police Department for a fun and informative course on bike (or scooter) safety. Learn proper hand signals, how to travel on bike lanes and the bike path, and general tips on how to ride safely to school and around town. Please note: While this program is free, pre-registration is required for each child attending as space is limited. All participants must bring their bike (or scooter) and a bike helmet! Please consider making a donation to our scholarship fund.

Maximize your enjoyment and appreciation of birds in their local environment. Weʼll discuss necessary and recommended tools (binoculars, scopes, bird books, and phone applications); how to pick a place and a time for ideal birdwatching; and strategies for identifying birds using their appearance, flight patterns, songs and calls, and the habitats where they live and migrate through.

Put on your designer’s hat and create a board game. You’ll pick the look, the illustrations, and the highlights and pitfalls of the play. Design the movement, reward, and resource management systems and then combine them so that they work together. We’ll take breaks for group trivia, riddles, logic puzzles, and indoor and outdoor games.

Bob Dylan is not just one of the great American songwriters, he’s an eminent storyteller. From the fairy-tale simplicity of “Girl from the North Country” to the surrealist panorama of “Subterranean Homesick Blues” to the autobiographical narrative of “Sara,” Dylan’s songs have transported listeners to worlds real and imagined. In this literature and writing class, we’ll examine the literary forms of surrealist poetry, lyrical ballads, and protest songs and learn how to apply these techniques to our own writing.

Small business owners, does just reading the word bookkeeping make you want to run and hide? Take a break from your workday as you find out how you can DIY your bookkeeping with ease—without needing an accounting degree. Bookkeeping 101: We’ll talk about why proper bookkeeping is essential for the small business owner and explore how accounting software (such as QuickBooks) makes bookkeeping easier and more accurate than a spreadsheet (or shoebox!). Ideal for those without any prior experience in bookkeeping, and/or who have anxiety around the topic. QuickBooks 101: QuickBooks Online is an incredible accounting program, but it can be tricky to set up properly and it’s easy to make a mistake if you don’t have an accounting background. This jargon-free workshop will walk you through the top ten tips to ensure you are using your QuickBooks Online account properly. Intended for small-business owners (sole-prop/LLC) with service-based businesses using QuickBooks Online. Please note that this class will not cover QuickBooks Desktop or QuickBooks Self-Employed, which are different products. P&L 101: This friendly workshop will explain in plain English what a Profit & Loss statement is, how you put it together, how you read it, and how you use it to run a more profitable business. This class is intended for small-business owners (sole-prop/LLC) with service-based businesses.you put it together, how you read it, and how you use it to run a more profitable business. This class is intended for small-business owners (sole-prop/LLC) with service-based businesses.

Boston’s Big Dig rerouted the city’s highway corridors in the 1990s into tunnels extending from Charlestown to South Boston. It also provided archaeologists with a unique opportunity to explore sites associated with the area’s earliest Native American and European inhabitants. This illustrated presentation highlights human adaptations to Boston’s marine and coastal setting over the past 2,000 years, as well as colonial-period sites that were “frozen in time” in 1775 on the day of the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Boys (+) in Motion is a non-competitive program that inspires active lifestyles, friendships, personal growth and the confidence that comes from working toward and achieving goals. We meet twice a week for fun and energizing sessions that build physical and mental endurance and prepare us for an optional 5K road race that we will run as a team on Sunday, May 19 (further details upon registration). Please note: This program is inclusive of individuals identifying as transgender, non-binary, and gender nonconforming. Girls (+) in Motion programs will be offered in the fall.. T-shirts are included. Please note: This is an outdoor class so please dress for the weather and bring a water bottle.

Get a backstage pass to the dazzling world of musical theater. We will explore a variety of Broadway musicals, from The Sound of Music to Hamilton, discussing their storylines and characters. Discover your inner performer and step into the spotlight as you engage in short acting scenes, learn iconic group songs, and showcase individual solos that define each show.

Learn to decorate a cake like a pro in this hands-on workshop. Start by leveling, filling, and frosting your cake. Then practice applying just the right amount of pressure to the decorating bag to pipe flowers, leaves, and other embellishments. Leave with your decorated cake and the skills to make a unique custom confection for your next celebration. Icing and decorating tools are provided. BYO unfrosted cake (details online). Please note: Bring a single-layer cake (6, 7, or 8 inch round) and a cake carrier or box to transport your finished product, and an apron if you'd like. All other materials will be provided by the instructor.

More popular than ever with adults of all ages, the card game canasta is fun, strategic, and addictive. Learn Modern American Canasta rules, scoring, and basic strategies through instruction and guided play. Meet new friends or gather your crew—either way, canasta offers great brain exercise in a fun and social environment. In the event that a makeup class is needed, it will be held Tuesday, June 18.

Fix a family heirloom, create a keepsake, or rescue a chair from the trash. Bring a chair you want to re-cane to the first class. It should be light enough to carry and have a series of holes in the wood rail around the seat opening. We’ll prepare the chair, determine the cane size you need to purchase, and discuss how to order materials (about $35). Leave the final class with a restored chair and a new hands-on hobby. Please note: materials will cost between $30-$35 and you will be told how to order after the first class.

Explore this diverse and fun Cambridge community through its unique food and inspiring art. Meet area restaurateurs and sample delicious dishes along famed Mass. Ave. Fill your belly with eats from irresistible arancini to heart-warming donut pudding, and wash it all down with a local beer (alcoholic or non). Uncover the vibrant public art of Central Square, including iconic Graffiti Alley, impressive large-scale murals commissioned by the city from award-winning local talent, and a hidden art passageway. All ages welcome.

Explore the lives of the young, Irish immigrant women who worked in domestic service in the grand houses of the Back Bay during the 19th century on this tour of the Gibson House historical house museum, an 1860 Victorian rowhouse that was home to three generations of the Gibson family. The working and living spaces of the staff will be the focus, highlighting the last surviving coal shed in the Back Bay and the fifth-floor servant bedroom. Ages 10+ Please note: The tour is one hour and involves walking up and down five flights of stairs.

Feeling adventurous? Join a cheesemonger to learn about and taste some of Formaggio’s funkiest favorite cheeses. As you taste your way through, you will come to appreciate the incredible skill needed to produce them. Although wine will not be served, throughout this tasting you will also learn helpful tips and tricks for pairing wine with more robust cheese flavors. You’ll leave this class having discovered some new favorites!