Career Development   

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. 

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. 

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

Are you a chocolate lover and want to become a chocolate maker? Dive into the fascinating and delicious world of craft chocolate! Enjoy a hands-on experience with every step in chocolate making.

Explore one of the most interesting, diverse, and popular foods that is consumed worldwide, starting with the cacao bean and ending with a delectable variety of sweets and chocolate products. Discover how to make many favorite chocolate crafts including bars, drinking chocolate, couverture (with higher fat content), and other items, starting with raw cacao beans. Try your hand at molding bars, concocting drinking chocolate, and creating other delicious products. Learn about tempering chocolate and the care of chocolate products. 

Explore environmental and social issues surrounding chocolate, what companies are doing to improve these issues, and how you can help. 

Get ready to do every part of the process yourself, or with a team, and enjoy tasting as you go. Try your hand making milk chocolate and dark chocolate, and learn about alternate sugars, infusions, and inclusions. Also learn about roasting profiles, cracking and winnowing, melanging, and conching. 

As a bonus, we will also explore chocolate's cousin, coffee. We will roast coffee beans and pull espresso shots in a mini coffee workshop.

Finally, explore the fascinating science at work in chocolate making and how to put it to work to get the best results in your delicious concoctions. 

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: Food and Cooking Through Science.

** A $150 materials fee will be due to the instructor. 

Learning Objectives

• Understand how cacao beans are grown, harvested, fermented, and exported 
• Be familiar with the entire process of chocolate-making, including the two main methods of bean-to-bar
• Understand roasting profiles and how to evaluate cacao beans and roast for optimum and desired flavors 
• Be able to make your own bar chocolate, drinking chocolate, and other items starting with nibs and beans 
• Roast coffee beans 
• Appreciate craft chocolate and be able to evaluate flavor notes 

Who Might Enjoy This Class?

• Anyone interested in making chocolate for personal use, a small business, or to gain knowledge and experience for working in the industry. 
• Baking and culinary students interested in gaining a deeper understanding and hands-on experience making chocolate. 
• Anyone working in the food industry, regardless of your specialization.
• People interested in certification or re-certification by the  American Culinary Federation (ACF), seeking continuing education hours. 

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

Put your voice to work doing voice overs! Learn how you can use your own speaking voice for commercials, films, videos, and other presentations. In this introductory class, find out how to break into the creative, fulfilling, and potentially lucrative voice over industry. 

Develop some beginner voice techniques that you can use for a variety of outlets. Learn about the business side of doing voice overs, and how to market yourself. Become familiar with the equipment needed and how to set up a studio in your own home. You will also get a chance to explore demos and practice recording your voice during class.

A career doing voice overs can be managed on your own terms, on your own turf, in your own time, and with minimal overhead. Whether you choose to pursue voice overs part-time or full-time, this class will get you started doing voice overs in a unique and successful way.

Learning Objectives

• Understand how to get into the voice over business
• Use some beginner voice techniques
• Understand how to set up a home studio
• Use your voice for TV, commercials, and other outlets

Who Might Enjoy This Class 

• Anyone interested in a career or a side gig doing voice overs
• People who have a role doing voice overs and would like guidance on how to be more successful