Personal Enrichment   

Take a trip back to our past with this walking tour of downtown Johnson City. Join former Broome County Historian, Gerry Smith, and walk through the town that Endicott Johnson made. Your tour encompasses several blocks and begins in front of Your Home Public Library, 107 Main Street, Johnson City. Please dress according to the weather. Enrollment is limited.

This introductory course in sign language is designed to develop basic conversational sign vocabulary, expressive/receptive finger-spelling skills, and an appreciation of the language used by deaf/hard of hearing people. Recommended for any interested persons including those in business and industry, teachers, aides, co-workers, friends, family, etc.

This introductory course in sign language is designed to develop basic conversational sign vocabulary, expressive/receptive finger-spelling skills, and an appreciation of the language used by deaf/hard of hearing people. Recommended for any interested persons including those in business and industry, teachers, aides, co-workers, friends, family, etc.

Sign up and enjoy oil painting. This class will be taught in a step-by-step method. Everyone will have success and take home a beautiful painting. No experience is necessary. A supply fee of $35 is payable to the instructor in class.

Registration deadline: June 29

Take a step back in time with Gerry Smith, former Broome County Historian, as he leads you around several blocks of downtown Binghamton. Gerry provides insights and anecdotes about the architecture of Binghamton and its history. Learn about building styles, churches, factories, robber barons and the heyday of the city. The tour begins in front of the Broome County Courthouse. Please dress according to the weather. Enrollment is limited.

Have you seen ads telling you how to become a shopper, but only if you send them a lot of money? You do not have to pay to begin your new career in this exciting field. (Participants must also attend “Explore 250 Legitimate Home-Based Business Ideas” for a clear understanding of this endeavor.) You will learn how to sign up with many legitimate mystery shopping companies WITHOUT FEES, avoid pitfalls and scams, create a required mystery shopping resume and profile, and how to file your mystery shopping reports for payment. Informative handouts for future use are included in the class fee, including a list of 25 legitimate companies you can work for. The webinar login information will be emailed the day before class.

There is just nothing quite like a bar of soap made with goat's milk. Using locally sourced goat's milk, we explore the world of luxurious plant based butters and oils, essential oils, goat milk and natural soap colorants, creating one of a kind soap bars. Goat's milk soap is a treat for dry and sensitive skin. This recipe makes up to 10 bars. This class is perfect for beginners to advanced soap makers. You will be guided through every step for a comprehensive learning experience that you can build upon. Please wear long sleeves.A $25 supply fee is payable to your instructor in class.

This course will be held at Jablon Studios, 12 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904 (between Court Street and Robinson Street.)

Have you ever wanted to learn the guitar but simply find it difficult to find the time? In just a few hours you can learn enough about playing the guitar to give you years of musical enjoyment, and you won’t have to take private lessons to do it. This crash course will teach you some basic chords and get you playing along with your favorite songs right away. Since this class is being held online with ZOOM, you will be able to sit at home with your guitar and take this class without any pressure at all. Since the class includes an online book and online follow-up video lessons, you will be able to continue your practice and study on your own. An optional periodic online question and answer session is also included. A recording of the class is included as well. 

Topics include:

• How chords work in a song
• How to form the three main types of chords
• How to tune your guitar
• Basic strumming patterns
• How to buy a good guitar (things to avoid)
• How to play along with simple tunes

This class will be through Zoom. You will receive a Zoom invitation prior to class.  You must have Zoom downloaded on your computer and have a web camera, audio (microphone) and internet to take this class.

In just a few hours, you can learn enough secrets of the trade to give you years of musical enjoyment. Learn to play piano using chords, the way professionals do. This ZOOM class allows you to sit at your piano or keyboard and follow along at home. The course includes an online book and online follow up video lessons enabeling you to continue your practice and study on your own. An optional periodic online question and answer session is included along with a recording of the class. The course is partly lecture/demonstration and partly hands on instruction.

Topics include:

• How chords work in a song
• How to get more out of sheet music by reading less of it
• How to form the three main types of chords
• How to handle different keys and time signatures
• How to avoid “counting”
• How to simplify over 12,000 complex chords

This class will be through Zoom. You will receive a Zoom invitation prior to class.  You must have Zoom downloaded on your computer and have a web camera, audio (microphone) and internet to take this class.

Use beginning design skills to create this stunning one of a kind fused glass plate. Use your creation to display sushi, candy or soap in your home. Learn to cut glass, make glass frit, design, and fuse a beautiful and unique glass dish. A $25 supply fee is payable to the instructor in class.

This class will be held at Jablon Studios, 12 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904 (between Court Street and Robinson Street.)

Come learn the age-old art of mosaics! Pick from thousands of glass pieces and amaze yourself with the masterpiece you will create. We structure the class with beginner projects to cover inside, outside, flat and round projects. This class also provides you with open studio time for the duration of our course. Open studio means you can come at your leisure to work on your project during the designated open studio times. Students can each choose to do a different project and we will help them achieve their masterpiece by using stained glass methods, portrait work, furniture pieces from one’s home, mosaic on an old window, mosaic bowling balls for the garden and more. The flexibility and ease of working with glass to create mosaics will stun you. Every mosaic will be a showstopper as you are working with the most beautiful materials and tools, so come see for yourself! Come on over and break something! Let the inspiration begin! A $25 supply fee is payable to the instructor in class.

This class will be held at Jablon Studios, 12 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904. (between Court Street and Robinson Street)

“Anything is possible one stroke at a time . . .” Maria Thomas and Rick Roberts, creators of Zentangle®.

Join me in learning the meditative art form of the Zentangle® Method. If you can write your name, you can participate! Get in touch with your creativity and enjoy drawing and creating in a positive environment. Zentangle® has been shown to help others around the world with anxiety, stress, being more relaxed and mindfulness.

A $10 fee is payable in cash to the instructor at the beginning of the first class. This fee will provide you with a kit that will include all you need to create beautiful little works of art.

Registration Deadline: 7/10

This introductory Italian class for travelers is perfect if you are planning a trip to beautiful Italy or even if you have just always wanted to learn a little Italian.

Topics will include greetings, ordering food in a restaurant, asking and understanding directions, shopping, traveling by plane, train or other modes of transportation, making reservations at a hotel, and basic grammar. You will also get some travel tips about cities and sites that shouldn’t be missed! 

By June, trees have leafed out and spotting birds becomes challenging. But you don’t have to see them to identify them if you know their songs. Join Rick Marsi at the height of bird song season as he points out the songs of local breeding birds. The June 3^rd  session meets at Greenwood Park, town of Maine, and the June 10^th class meets at Aqua-Terra Wilderness Area, Maxian Road, town of Binghamton.

Make beautiful garden containers that last for years with this wonderful lightweight cement technique.  Lightweight cement pots are extremely versatile; many plants grow well in them including all types of succulents.  Completely weatherproof, these pots work indoors or out and can freeze naturally as a result of their porous nature.  The natural, stone-like texture is made from a mix of cement, peat moss and sand.  Re-create expensive Zen garden ornaments and funky homemade pots you can enjoy for years using this inexpensive skill you are sure to love! There will be an additional option to create a waterfall out of your project. A supply fee of $25 is payable to the instructor in class.  Be sure to dress for the mess!  This course meets at Jablon Studios, 12 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904.  (Between Court and Robinson Street)

Are you currently enrolled in Medicare? Will you be turning 65 over the next year or two? Learn about eligibility, how and when to enroll, when you can make changes, and the insurance options available to you. Review and compare what services are covered/not covered under Medicare Parts A, B, C and D. Detail the costs associated with medical and drug insurance. Explore and evaluate Original Medicare, Medicare Supplement Insurance, Prescription Drug Plans and Medicare Advantage plans. This program will simplify the choices you need to make, help you make more well-informed decisions and explain what Medicare means for you! This is an educational event.

This class will be online through Zoom. 

Using an 8x10 image of your pet, you can paint a fun, no-rules watercolor! Please bring a print of your precious pet, color or black and white. Your project will make a perfect gift. This class is great for all abilities, especially beginners. A supply fee of $10 is payable to the instructor in class.

This class will be held at Jablon Studios, 12 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904. (between Court Street and Robinson Street)

Create beautiful earrings out of clay! This class will cover the basics of Polymer Clay Earrings. Starting from blocks of polymer clay, you will marble and combine colors to make, bake, and assemble two pairs of earrings.

A $10 supply fee is payable to the instructor in class.

Learn how to save $$$ every day with extreme couponing. Coupons are NOT just for groceries. The savings can add up to HUNDREDS or even THOUSANDS of dollars every year. This comprehensive workshop will teach you:

• Where to find all different types of coupons, even for high ticket items
• How to find the best coupon apps and websites
• How to match coupons with sales for maximum savings.

This workshop is taught by someone who has used many couponing secrets to save thousands. Informative handouts for future use are included in the class fee. The webinar login information will be emailed the day before class.

Enjoy a trip to our past with this walking tour of Endicott. Join former Broome County Historian, Gerry Smith, as we stroll along Washington Avenue and see all the sites of the village nicknamed “The “Magic City” with the stories of EJ and IBM and its wonderful History and architecture. The tour encompasses several blocks and begins in front of Wendy’s, 217 Washington Avenue, Endicott. Please dress according to the weather. Enrollment is limited.

Enjoy a walking history lesson and tour of Binghamton’s West Side with its rich architecture and heritage as the first suburb of Binghamton. Join Gerry Smith, former Broome County Historian, to see examples of many architecture styles dating from the 1840’s to the 1930’s. The tour encompasses several blocks and begins in front of Roberson Museum & Science Center, 30 Front Street, Binghamton. Please dress according to the weather. Enrollment is limited.

Ebru is the traditional Turkish art of creating colorful patterns by sprinkling and brushing color pigments onto a pan of oily water and then transferring the patterns onto paper. Known as marbling, this art is commonly used for decorations in the traditional art of bookbinding. The beauty of water marbling is that every piece comes out beautiful and unique! You will have the opportunity to make many. If you choose, we will fold and cut the marbled paper into greeting cards, and envelopes will be provided so you can send your art work to a loved one and impress them with your new artistic skill. A supply fee of $20 is payable to the instructor in class.

This class will be held at Jablon Studios, 12 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904. (between Court Street and Robinson Street)

This is a fun combination of watercolor and wax. It is taught in a step-by-step method. No experience is necessary to make a one-of-a-kind beautiful painting. You will take home a beautiful, matted painting, ready to frame and hang. A supply fee of $35 is payable to the instructor in class.

Registration Deadline – July 5