BUSINESS & PROJECT MANAGEMENT   

Class Overview

The world of grant-seeking is becoming more competitive. Gain the knowledge to become a successful grant writer, whether you're a program manager, fund developer, or the head of an organization. Learn a series of essential skills, from project design to development and persuasive writing, and gain practical experience. 

Discover where to find grant opportunities, how to write grant reports, and how to build relationships with grantmakers so that you have all the information you need to get funding for something you care deeply about. Explore the ethics involved in writing proposals and reports, and receiving funds. 

Topics will include:

• Writing a grant proposal, step by step
• Where to find grant opportunities and research strategies
• Using a logic model to design your project
• Formulating goals, outcomes, and objectives
• Preparing a project work plan and timeline
• Budgeting your project
• Evaluation 
• Editing for persuasive communications
• Building relationships with grantmakers
• The ethics involved in the grantwriting process

This online course provides on-demand instruction with reading and writing assignments plus a weekly Zoom meeting with your learning cohort for problem-based discussion. You will receive one-on-one personalized feedback on your writing and grant strategy - a huge asset of this class that sets it apart from others.

 
To achieve the certificate, you will need to complete a grant proposal within eight weeks, following the course curriculum. Your instructor, Allison Jones Shirk, M.Ed. has more than 25 years of experience writing grants and is a certified grantwriting instructor through the Grant Professional Association and Grant Professional Certification Institute. She will guide you through this process step by step. 

This course is approved for 24 continuing education points for initial certification and renewal as a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and Grant Professional Certified (GPC). This course, in partnership with Spark the Fire Grantwriting Classes, was rated by Instrumentl as one of the best grantwriting classes of 2022 and 2023.

Learning Objectives

• Properly outline goals for grants
• Develop proposals that will help you win grants
• Utilize skills in how to present your proposal
• Develop relationships with grantmakers
• Have a finished grant proposal developed with the guidance of an expert 

Who Might Enjoy This Class?

• Professionals from government, nonprofit, tribes, and educational organizations
• Fund development consultants who are interested in honing their skills
• Freelance writers interested in expanding their available services
• Anyone interested in a career in nonprofits, government, education, tribes, fund development, or grantwriting

Free Info Session -- Tuesday, September 26; 6-7pm

Meet the instructor, find out more about the class, and ask your questions!
REGISTER for the Info Session

Class Overview

The world of grant-seeking is becoming more competitive. Gain the knowledge to become a successful grant writer, whether you're a program manager, fund developer, or the head of an organization. Learn a series of essential skills, from project design to development and persuasive writing, and gain practical experience. 

Discover where to find grant opportunities, how to write grant reports, and how to build relationships with grantmakers so that you have all the information you need to get funding for something you care deeply about. Explore the ethics involved in writing proposals and reports, and receiving funds. 

Topics will include:

• Writing a grant proposal, step by step
• Where to find grant opportunities and research strategies
• Using a logic model to design your project
• Formulating goals, outcomes, and objectives
• Preparing a project work plan and timeline
• Budgeting your project
• Evaluation 
• Editing for persuasive communications
• Building relationships with grantmakers
• The ethics involved in the grantwriting process

This online course provides on-demand instruction with reading and writing assignments plus a weekly Zoom meeting with your learning cohort for problem-based discussion. You will receive one-on-one personalized feedback on your writing and grant strategy - a huge asset of this class that sets it apart from others.

 
To achieve the certificate, you will need to complete a grant proposal within eight weeks, following the course curriculum. Your instructor, Allison Jones Shirk, M.Ed. has more than 25 years of experience writing grants and is a certified grantwriting instructor through the Grant Professional Association and Grant Professional Certification Institute. She will guide you through this process step by step. 

This course is approved for 24 continuing education points for initial certification and renewal as a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and Grant Professional Certified (GPC). This course, in partnership with Spark the Fire Grantwriting Classes, was rated by Instrumentl as one of the best grantwriting classes of 2022 and 2023.

Learning Objectives

• Properly outline goals for grants
• Develop proposals that will help you win grants
• Utilize skills in how to present your proposal
• Develop relationships with grantmakers
• Have a finished grant proposal developed with the guidance of an expert 

Who Might Enjoy This Class?

• Professionals from government, nonprofit, tribes, and educational organizations
• Fund development consultants who are interested in honing their skills
• Freelance writers interested in expanding their available services
• Anyone interested in a career in nonprofits, government, education, tribes, fund development, or grantwriting

Free Info Session -- Tuesday, September 26; 6-7pm

Meet the instructor, find out more about the class, and ask your questions!
REGISTER for the Info Session

Class Overview 

Gain a deeper insight into what’s going on when you cook and bake! Whether you are a home cook or a professional, you can become a better cook with a little knowledge about the science of food and cooking. You'll fall in love with cooking as well as the beauty of nature and the amazing world we live in.

Many techniques still taught in culinary schools are based on tradition rather than science, and both offer great benefits. In this class, you'll focus on understanding the fascinating field of food science in a fun, hands-on adventure. Learn to make better choices about cooking methods and techniques, and you can produce better-finished products more easily and consistently. Be able to create incredible dishes using modern techniques and scientific principles. Elevate your cooking and knowledge. 

This class will teach many fundamental concepts and apply them to real-world cooking and baking. Below are some of the areas that will be covered in this class. All of these topics will be taught in a way that is accessible to anyone, regardless of their science background.  

Topics covered include:

• basic chemistry (heat, molecules, bonds and attraction, chemical reactions, etc.) 
• food molecules and how they work (water, proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates)
• colloids, pectins, gums, solutions and solubility, etc.
• gluten and other interesting substances
• pH, acids and bases
• fermentation
• reactions in cooking and baking
• colors in food
• flavors, aromas, and multi-sensory perception (all about how we taste things)
• all about salts
• pathogens and other icky things
• everything you always wanted to know about eggs* (*but were too afraid to ask) 

All supplies and materials are included.

This program is approved for 30 continuing education hours toward your application for certification by the American Culinary Federation (ACF), or recertification. See the other related class offered this quarter, also approved by the ACF: Chocolate Making: from Bean to Bar.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the basics of how foods work, interact, and change through cooking and other culinary techniques
• Learn best techniques for preparing different foods based on their chemistry and attributes 
• Gain more efficient and reliable cooking and baking techniques  
• Improve understanding about science through the lens of food 
• Be able to create incredible dishes using modern techniques and scientific principles 

Who Might Enjoy This Class?

• Home cooks and bakers interested in improving their skills and knowledge 
• People interested in science who would enjoy applying their knowledge to food, cooking and baking
• Anyone who is curious to learn more about science and how the world works
• Professional cooks and bakers who would like more technical understanding from a science perspective 
• People interested in certification or re-certification by the  American Culinary Federation (ACF), seeking continuing education hours. 

Class Overview

Project management skills are essential in a wide variety of professional roles, and can even be a wonderful asset in your personal life. Learn how to become a skilled project manager in this class. Discover how to reach the goals of any project successfully, while leading a team to accomplish all aspects of the project.

Gain basic knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques that you can apply to a wide variety of projects, even though each project is unique. Focus on managing a single, stand-alone project as the basis for your learning during this class. In each session, we will work through aspects of the project lifecycle, from planning to executing, to closing, and everything in between. You will be able to follow the same steps for managing future real-life projects. 

During this course, explore the following aspects of project management:

• Project lifecycles from initiation through planning, executing, controlling, and closing
• Scope management
• Cost management
• Project charters
• Creating a work breakdown structure
• Network diagramming
• Finalizing the project plan
• Stakeholder identification
• Scheduling and schedule management
• Earned value measurement
• Change control

The curriculum is based on the Project Management Institute's Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge and provides the foundation for your training to become certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP). This is the first part of the Accelerated Project Management course (highly recommended if you'd like to pursue the PMP exams and certification).

Learning Objectives

• Be able to list a typical set of deliverables needed to effectively manage a small, stand-alone project
• Write a project charter for a small project
• Create a project plan for a stand-alone project
• Know how to develop a work breakdown structure
• Be familiar with the estimating process
• Be able to develop a project schedule, including estimating, PDM network diagramming, critical path method, and developing a Gantt chart
• Understand the importance of risk management and be able to facilitate risk management planning for a small project
• Identify key project management activities that go on during the execution phase of a project
• Understand project scope creep and describe the change control process
• Know what activities are associated with the project performance control and be able to define operating metrics and control thresholds
• Identify key project closing activities
• Understand the importance of lessons learned and their impact on future projects
• Use MS Project to effectively plan, schedule, analyze resource utilization, and track project performance.

Who Might Enjoy This Class

Prerequisites: An understanding and experience with MS Windows and Office products; two or more years of experience in a project management environment is helpful, but not required.

• Product or program managers, coordinators, staff or supervisors
• Anyone interested in understanding project management
• Journey-level project managers seeking to deepen their expertise and understanding
• Subject matter experts
• Financial analysts
• Team leaders, stakeholders, and senior leadership