Hastings Community Education Programs: Lifelong Learning Opportunities

Hastings Community Education offers a wide array of programs designed to engage learners of all ages and interests. From early childhood education to senior programs, driver's education to arts and crafts, there's something for everyone in the community to explore and enjoy. These programs provide opportunities for personal enrichment, skill development, and community connection.

Early Childhood and Youth Programs

Hastings Community Education recognizes the importance of early childhood development and offers several programs to support young learners and their families.

Little Raiders Preschool

Little Raiders Preschool provides preschool and prekindergarten opportunities for students within the district. This program aims to prepare young children for kindergarten by fostering their social, emotional, and cognitive development in a nurturing environment.

Kids' Campus

Kids' Campus offers quality school-age care for children in grades K-6. This program provides a safe and engaging environment for children before and after school hours, as well as during school breaks. Kids' Campus focuses on providing enriching activities that promote learning, creativity, and social interaction. Kids' Campus registration is open, with a non-refundable $50 registration fee required at the time of registration.

Summer Learning: GRASP Program

To help children maintain their academic skills over the summer break, Hastings Community Education offers the GRASP (Growing and Retaining Academic Skills Program). This program is designed for children finishing Kindergarten through 8th grade and provides them with a packet of materials containing review exercises in reading and math.

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Program Details:

Children receive a booklet with 9 units of review exercises to be completed each week.
Each lesson takes about one hour to complete.
Students in grades 4-8 have the option to complete GRASP online instead of using the book and scan sheets. The online platform provides immediate feedback on each question.
Students who successfully complete at least 7 units with 70% accuracy receive a certificate.
Students who successfully complete all 9 units with 70% accuracy receive a medal (one per child).
The cost is $39 for one subject or $68 for both subjects for each child.
Participants should order the grade level the child is just completing to review, or a different level if appropriate.
Registration must be completed with Hastings Community Ed no later than April 28, 2026, at 9 am.
All materials will be sent home with students attending Hastings Public Schools by the last week of school. Alternatively, materials can be picked up at Tilden Community Center.

Sports and Recreation for Youth

Hastings Community Education also offers sports programs for children, including those with special needs.

Ability 2 Believe: This program provides a sports program for special needs children in grades K-4 and 5-8 (on an IEP or 504 plan), with the goal of helping them feel confident with their athletic and teamworking skills. Parent participation is required as needed.
TGA (Teach. Grow. Achieve.) Pickleball: This program introduces youth to pickleball, a fast-paced and accessible sport similar to tennis. With a focus on individualized attention and skill development, experienced instructors guide students through engaging drills, interactive games, and real match play. Participants receive a hat and wristband.

Art and Creativity for Kids

Fused Glass Birdhouse Chime: Participants create a charming fused glass birdhouse chime that’s perfect for the garden, porch, or as a thoughtful handmade gift. In this class, individuals design and assemble their own colorful 5.5”x 3.5” glass birdhouse, complete with 2 dangling chimes. All supplies are included.
Fused Glass Mushroom: Participants design and craft a 6.5” round fused glass mushroom top that sits beautifully on a 11” brass stand. All tools and materials are provided.
Glitter and Glow Art Projects: Children work with a variety of art supplies including clay, glow-in-the-dark paint, and glitter to create snow globes that glow-in-the-dark, butterflies that shimmer, and more.
Young Rembrandts Cartoon Workshop: This two-day workshop encourages children to transform everyday objects into lively characters, give pets a cartoon twist, invent amazing aliens, and discover how drawing toys can be fun.
Grossology: Kids craft snot slime erupting from a clay nose and create gummy worm bacteria in a petri dish.
Watercolor Painting: Each of the 4 classes will focus on a different subject, where beginners and experts alike can create a 5 x 7 painting. All supplies are included.

Adult Enrichment Programs

Hastings Community Education offers a diverse range of programs for adults looking to expand their knowledge, develop new skills, and pursue their interests.

Business and Career Development

Starting a Home Business: This workshop, taught by a Chamber of Commerce Past President, provides comprehensive guidance on turning talents and hobbies into profits by starting a home business. Informative handouts are included.
Making Money Online: This course teaches participants how to turn their ideas or homemade products into income by starting an online business. Informative handouts are included.
Unlock the Secrets to Earning Money Around the Clock: This class teaches practical strategies and step-by-step tools to develop, launch, and automate income-generating products.
Voice-Overs: This introductory class teaches an outside-the-box way to break into the voice-over industry for commercials, films, and videos. Participants can book a 1-on-1 script read and voice evaluation with the instructor.

Technology and Online Learning

ChatGPT: This class teaches users everything they need to know about ChatGPT powered by Artificial Intelligence.
Online Photo Management: This live online workshop teaches how to delete the clutter, create printed photo books and protect precious memories. Students who are unable to attend the live online training time can still register and watch the recording of the training at their convenience.

Financial and Retirement Planning

Social Security Benefits: This course teaches how to get the most out of Social Security benefits as a couple, or if you are widowed or single.
Retirement Tax Planning: This course teaches how your tax rate may vary widely over the years based on the timing and order in which you use different sources of money to pay for your living expenses in retirement.

Travel and Leisure

Food and Wine Travel: This course teaches how to transform an ordinary vacation into an extraordinary one through incredible food and wine experiences.

Culinary Arts

Cake Decorating: This class teaches the basics of decorating cakes, including shell borders and writing techniques. Each student takes home their own 8'' boxed cake. There is an additional food fee of $12 paid to the instructor. Starter kits are available for an additional $12.00 paid to the instructor.
Sushi Making: This class teaches how to make traditional and rolled sushi, including the preparation of ingredients, assembly of the rolls, and presentation. You will create both the traditional and rolled sushi (maki - zushi) and the American California sushi.There is an additional food fee of $15 paid to the instructor.

Driver's Education

Hastings Community Education offers a comprehensive driver's education program to help students become safe and responsible drivers. The program includes both classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel training.

Program Requirements:

Students must attend all 30 hours of the in-person classes.
Behind-the-wheel instruction includes six hours of driving in private lessons.
Students need to make arrangements with the instructor to make up any missed class and pay an additional fee.
Parent involvement is required to produce safe, responsible teen drivers and practice regularly with their student drivers.
The state requires that students have a minimum of 50 hours of practice (15 hours at night).
The practice time must be recorded on a state-approved Supervised Driving Log and presented at the road test.
Students must bring a primary identification (birth certificate or passport), a secondary identification (school ID), and their Social Security card.
After passing the permit test, students will be issued their permit, which they need to have prior to starting behind the wheel.

Senior Programs

The Senior Program is located at the Tilden Community Center, providing a hub for activities, socialization, and resources for older adults in the community.

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