Food has a way of transporting us back to a place or to the company of someone special, reminding us who we are and where we are from. Food triggers memories of family, friends, and moments in our past.

Bring your best - or worst - food memories and even those kitchen mishaps with you to class. We will discuss recipes, books, movies, and of course, cookbooks, and what we can do to savor the food experiences that we have had. Come prepared to share your stories and to laugh.

Each student will create a short cookbook of recipes that have a special place in your memory, which will then go into a class cookbook. The cookbook project will be a showcase of your collective families, friends, countries, cultures and places that influence you.

SCHEDULE
(Times below listed in Eastern Time.
Click here for more details.)

Class meets online
February 26-28, 2021
Friday 10am–1pm
Saturday 10am–1pm
Sunday 10am–1pm

 

 

Your course will consist of a pre-assignment, independent coursework and final assignment as well as live online class sessions with your teacher/other au pairs. Credit for J-1 visa students is 36 hours. Students earning J-1 visa credit must attend all sessions and complete all homework.

You will receive details on how to log in to your online class sessions one day before the start of the course. Once the final online class session has concluded, you will have one week to submit your independent coursework and final assignment to your teacher.

Students are required to be present during all live online class sessions. However, your independent coursework can be completed at your leisure before the deadline one week after your online class ends. We wanted to create flexibility in completion as we know many au pairs now have increased work hours due to COVID-19.

If you have any questions at this time, please email us at learningacrossamerica@bmcc.cuny.edu. Please continue to stay safe.
 

Andrea Seiger, author of 111 Places in Washington, DC You Must Not Miss, is an educator and world traveler who has lived in Washington DC for 31 years. She has lived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and has traveled thousands of miles on the Mayan Route of Mexico. Ms. Seiger loves to road trip around the Mid-Atlantic US and beyond.

Harnessing the Power of Creativity: The Practice of Looking

In the past year, people have spent more time in their homes than ever before. Travel has been severely limited, cultural events are reduced or on pause, and we see fewer people for less time. These circumstances might tempt you to retreat onto your couch and wait for the world to reopen.

What if instead of looking outside of your surroundings for inspiration and new experiences, you had the tools to deeply connect with where you are? What could these skills add to your daily life, to your relationships, to your future education and career? Using fun and creative exercises, this class gives students the tools to feel more connected and see the wonder of the world more deeply wherever they are.

Students do not need to be experienced artists or have special art supplies to enjoy this class. 

Our online classes consist of a pre-assignment, independent coursework, and final assignment, as well as live online class sessions with your teacher/other au pairs. Credit for J-1 visa students is 36 hours. Students earning J-1 visa credit must attend all sessions and complete all homework.

Students will receive a pre-assignment one week before class begins. Other independent coursework can be completed at your leisure before the deadline one week after online class ends. 

Andrea Seiger, author of 111 Places in Washington, DC You Must Not Miss, is an educator and world traveler who has lived in Washington DC for 33 years. As a writer and creator, Andrea is deeply committed to the importance of travel and curiosity. She has lived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and has traveled thousands of miles on the Mayan Route of Mexico. 

Language, Identity, and the Right to Be Different: Making the Most of Your Cultural Tool-Kit

Our individual “culture” is something that we all have and can draw from. Sometimes it can feel limiting, while other times it can be expansive and exciting.

Keep reading for more information or click here to sign up.

Our multilingualism and the elements of our background that inform character and perspective can be considered part of our “Cultural Tool-Kit,” or the equipment we have to navigate through life.

This course will address the issues of language and identity. Your class will include a translation activity that highlights the remarkable benefits of speaking more than one language, and a brief writing exercise that will ask each student to share their own cultural autobiography.

ONLINE SCHEDULE
(Times below listed in Eastern Time.
Click here for more details.)

Class meets online
Thursday: 6:30pm–9:30pm
Friday: 6:30pm–9:30pm
Saturday: 10am–1pm

 

 

 

 

Requirements

Please note that your pre-assignment will be emailed to you one week before your first online class session. You will receive details on how to log-in to your online class sessions one day before the start of the course.

Once the final online class session has concluded, you will have one week to submit your independent coursework and final assignment to your teacher.

Students are required to be present during all live online class sessions. However, your independent coursework can be completed at your leisure before the deadline one week after your online class ends. We wanted to create flexibility in completion as we know many au pairs now have increased work hours due to COVID-19.

Students who require their certificate sooner than outlined above should request their final assignment in advance by contacting BMCC at learningacrossamerica@bmcc.cuny.edu. Please note that BMCC needs two days from the date a student submits their final assignment to issue an educational certificate.

If you have any questions at this time, please email us at learningacrossamerica@bmcc.cuny.edu. Please continue to stay safe.
 

About your instructor: Mariusz Galczynski is an education researcher and specialist in multicultural and international education. Although he has traversed the globe to present his scholarly work, he is proud to call Miami home. By day, he works as a secondary English Language Arts teacher at a high school in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood. Outside of the classroom, he loves to explore the best of what Miami has to offer: its tropical environment, thriving arts scene, and diverse, vibrant communities. (photo by Danny Santiago)

Through discussions, lectures, group work, and practical activities, students will become more aware of wellness and managing stress levels.

Class explores body awareness, the history of yoga, and the physical effects of stress. Students also explore how to use techniques from class in your daily life, such as job interviews, public speaking, dealing with challenging people, and test-taking. The self-care toolbox is here to help you create your most grateful, happy self.

Keep reading for more information or click here to sign up.

Two bonus classes will be available to students who are interested in exploring more! The additional class sessions are not required. There is no charge for attending the bonus classes.
 

FEBRUARY SCHEDULE
(Times below listed in Central Time.
Click here for more details.)

Class meets online
February 24–27
Wednesday 6:30pm–9:30pm
Friday 6:30pm–9:30pm
Saturday 10am–1pm

Bonus classes: February 28 (7–8pm), March 2 (7–8pm)

 

MARCH SCHEDULE
(Times below listed in Central Time.
Click here for more details.)

Class meets online
March 18–20
Thursday 6:30pm–9:30pm
Friday 6:30pm–9:30pm
Saturday 11am–2pm

Bonus classes: Sunday, March 21:  11am–12pm; Tuesday, March 23:  7pm–8pm

 

 

Please note: This is not an exercise class. Your course will consist of a pre-assignment, independent coursework and final assignment as well as live online class sessions with your teacher/other au pairs. Credit for J-1 visa students is 36 hours. Students earning J-1 visa credit must attend all sessions and complete all homework.

About your instructor: Alicia Giordano received her MA in Applied Educational Psychology Reading Specialist at Columbia University as well as a Master’s degree in Educational Theatre from NYU. Alicia is a registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) with over 20 years of personal practice.

Alicia is passionate about advocating for children with special needs and is currently serving a two-year appointment in the State of Texas as a Member of the Continuing Advisory Committee (CAC) for Special Education.

 

Through discussions, lectures, group work, and practical activities, students will become more aware of wellness and managing stress levels.

Class explores body awareness, the history of yoga, and the physical effects of stress. Students also explore how to use techniques from class in your daily life, such as job interviews, public speaking, dealing with challenging people, and test-taking. The self-care toolbox is here to help you create your most grateful, happy self.

Keep reading for more information or click here to sign up.

Two bonus classes will be available to students who are interested in exploring more! The additional class sessions are not required. There is no charge for attending the bonus classes.
 

FEBRUARY SCHEDULE
(Times below listed in Central Time.
Click here for more details.)

Class meets online
February 24–27
Wednesday 6:30pm–9:30pm
Friday 6:30pm–9:30pm
Saturday 10am–1pm

Bonus classes: February 28 (7–8pm), March 2 (7–8pm)

 

MARCH SCHEDULE
(Times below listed in Central Time.
Click here for more details.)

Class meets online
March 18–20
Thursday 6:30pm–9:30pm
Friday 6:30pm–9:30pm
Saturday 11am–2pm

Bonus classes: Sunday, March 21:  11am–12pm; Tuesday, March 23:  7pm–8pm

 

 

Please note: This is not an exercise class. Your course will consist of a pre-assignment, independent coursework and final assignment as well as live online class sessions with your teacher/other au pairs. Credit for J-1 visa students is 36 hours. Students earning J-1 visa credit must attend all sessions and complete all homework.

About your instructor: Alicia Giordano received her MA in Applied Educational Psychology Reading Specialist at Columbia University as well as a Master’s degree in Educational Theatre from NYU. Alicia is a registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) with over 20 years of personal practice.

Alicia is passionate about advocating for children with special needs and is currently serving a two-year appointment in the State of Texas as a Member of the Continuing Advisory Committee (CAC) for Special Education.

 

New class!

In this class, students improve their English Language skills using improvisation and theater games.

Improv and drama give students an opportunity to use their creativity and imagination to further their goals. Acting out situations that may be silly or may be part of everyday life, students will be improving their reaction time and conversational ease.

Keep reading for more information or click here to sign up.

ONLINE SCHEDULE
Class meets online
March 12, 13, and 14.
With a class online performance on Monday, March 22.

 

This class meets online. Students will have a pre-assignment and will have other homework associated with learning improv and theater games.

On the final day of class, students will give an online performance! Friends and family are welcome to attend.

Your teacher, Melissa Shaw, is an Educator and Artist with a background in Theater, Writing and Social Justice. She has performed at Bowery Poetry Club and Tell It: Brooklyn. Melissa works as a Teaching Artist and facilitator for Girl Be Heard, the Anti-Defamation League, Kolot Chayeinu, and Global Arts to Go.

She has taught across a wide variety of populations including the New York Police Department, Thai English Language Learners and NGO leaders in Vietnam.

Credit for J-1 visa students is 36 hours. Students earning J-1 visa credit must attend all sessions and complete all homework.

For English as second language learners.

This course covers three major areas that help you achieve confidence and success: Presentation Skills, Speaking Techniques, and Pronunciation. Classes focus on a combination of skills needed to enhance your business and your personal lives.  

Keep reading for more information or click here to sign up.

Interview Strategies

• Do you freeze when you are asked: “Tell me about yourself” during an interview?
• What is Really Listening? Are you too nervous to Really Listen?
• How do you answer awkward questions?
• What questions can, and should, you ask?
• Telephone interviews; ZOOM interviews. How are they different from face-to-face interviews?

Speaking Techniques

• Pronunciation: Are certain sounds, words, or combinations of words difficult to say? Does the last word of your sentence get lost?
• Projection: Are you asked to repeat yourself when you order something? Can people hear you easily?

Presentation Skills

• Most people fear giving Public Presentations. Do you?
• Learn various techniques to overcome your specific fear of speaking.
• Learn types of breathing to relax; breathing to energize.

For English as second language learners.

This course covers three major areas that help you achieve confidence and success: Presentation Skills, Speaking Techniques, and Pronunciation. Classes focus on a combination of skills needed to enhance your business and your personal lives.  

Keep reading for more information or click here to sign up.

Interview Strategies

• Do you freeze when you are asked: “Tell me about yourself” during an interview?
• What is Really Listening? Are you too nervous to Really Listen?
• How do you answer awkward questions?
• What questions can, and should, you ask?
• Telephone interviews; ZOOM interviews. How are they different from face-to-face interviews?

Speaking Techniques

• Pronunciation: Are certain sounds, words, or combinations of words difficult to say? Does the last word of your sentence get lost?
• Projection: Are you asked to repeat yourself when you order something? Can people hear you easily?

Presentation Skills

• Most people fear giving Public Presentations. Do you?
• Learn various techniques to overcome your specific fear of speaking.
• Learn types of breathing to relax; breathing to energize.

Off to a Fresh Start-Up: How to Design the Business of your Dreams

This is an introductory business course designed to provide students with the tools necessary to start their own successful side hustle or startup in a post-Corona world.

Keep reading for more information or click here to sign up.

It is a guide to creating your own business if you are considering entrepreneurism as a means to survive this new landscape. We will cover topics necessary for successful business creation including: mindset, ideation, planning, action, and strategy. 

We will use a series of practical exercises that will guide you through the process. 

Part I We begin by focusing on generating or refining a business idea that is both innovative and actionable. 

Part II We explore various tools that can help transform an idea into a product or service that creates value for others. 

Part III Finally, we review case studies from some of the most successful, innovative and disruptive companies in the world today. We will not only examine their successes but also discuss how these innovations will need to be reframed for a post-COVID world. This discussion will help you to plan and shape your own businesses for the world we will inherit post-quarantine. 

By the end of this course, you will no longer be one of many ”wantapreneurs." You will have taken the first important step towards creating the business of your dreams. 

Your course will consist of a pre-assignment, independent coursework and final assignment as well as live online class sessions with your teacher/other au pairs. Credit for J-1 visa students is 36 hours. Students earning J-1 visa credit must attend all sessions and complete all homework.
 

"I've already recommended it to my other friends because it is so informative! "

"You never think an online class would be so interactive but this was. Professor Brown made sure every single one of us spoke and made sure we understood one another… so that made me feel super comfortable and special. "

 

About your instructor: Mikaila Brown is a fashion anthropologist, who has a doctorate in Anthropology and Education from Columbia University and over 10 years of work experience with domestic and international non-profits.

During these years of working as a consultant, she honed the skill of identifying the needs of a particular community and aligning them with the services provided by their local agencies. She applied these same skills when she left the nonprofit sector to pursue a lifelong dream of working in the fashion industry.

After working for designers like Oscar de la Renta, Pamela Roland and Betsey Johnson, she launched a socially conscious fashion line in 2011. Most recently, she has further integrated her anthropological background and fashion experience to create The Common Thread Project, which highlights cultural diversities within the fashion industry by investigating the style trends of local, underrepresented fashion communities. She shares this knowledge with the public by offering cultural shopping tours through AirBnB's new experiential arm.

She is also currently a senior lecturer in Cornell's Fiber Science and Apparel Design department.

 

For au pairs, parents, and people who work with children – this class provides tools and activities to support literacy and childhood development. This is also a great supplemental class for people pursuing careers in childhood development.

Keep reading for more information or click here to sign up.

Using practical lessons and activities, you will develop an understanding of learning processes and stages of literacy learning.

Class will also focus on the development of independence and responsibility - discussing ways to encourage children to make responsible choices and to be accountable for their actions. This relates to their schoolwork, to everyday life and to how they make connections to the world.

 

CLASS SCHEDULE
(Times below listed in Eastern Time.
Click here for more details.)

Thursday: 6pm-8pm
Friday: 6pm-8pm
Saturday: 10am-1pm
Sunday: 10am-1pm

 

 

Class meets online Thursday night, Friday night, and Saturday morning. There is a follow-up session one week later.

Your course will consist of a pre-assignment, independent coursework, and final assignment as well as live online class sessions with your teacher/other au pairs. Credit for J-1 visa students is 36 hours. Students earning J-1 visa credit must attend all sessions and complete all homework.

Your teacher, Sara Lenore is a Teacher and Reading Specialist. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Boston University and her Master's Degree in Literacy from Pace University. She has a TEFL Certificate from her studies in Peru and has taught English as a Second Language to children, adolescents and adults. Sara has been working with Learning Across America for nearly four years and loves it!