Education & Classes in Beloit

Owner Debbie Stoffregen has taught children to swim for more than 15 years, a background that helped her develop Catch the Wave Swim Club's unique instructor training program. Stoffregen only mints adult teachers and personally coaches them once they have achieved certifications in Red Cross CPR, lifeguarding, AED, and first aid. Instructors teach water safety with compassion, creating a family-like atmosphere to help adults overcome their fears, introduce infants as young as three months old (accompanied by a guardian) to the warm, 90-degree pool, and acclimate adolescents to their newly sprouted gills. Surrounded by healthy, confident swimmers, Stoffregen realized the sport could be used as a therapeutic intervention, and created classes for special-needs individuals and those desiring a low-impact way to stay fit.

Tatyana Seamans opened Academy of Advanced Esthetic to share her prodigious aesthetic and cosmetology expertise with dedicated students. Seamans acquired her first license as a medical aesthetician while in the former U.S.S.R., sparking a quest for knowledge that led to seven more licenses and certifications, as well as the undying love of an enchanted princess. Seamans' 600- and 750-hour aesthetician's licensing programs exceed state requirements so her students develop skincare mastery with more hands-on, clinical experience. A menu of pampering treatments for face and body reveals her certification as a PCA Skin product specialist. Continuing-education classes highlight Seamans' proficiency with high-tech treatments such as light therapy and microdermabrasion, which promote cellular rejuvenation and hair reduction for spa clientele.

On a trip to Chicago from his native Italy, young Mario Tricoci changed his life forever. The fledgling hairdresser stopped in at a prestigious salon, where he impressed the owner with his impeccable display of skill and landed himself a job. The next six decades brought strings of industry awards and the opening of his very own salon, which soon exploded into 26 locations in four states. With his styling prowess proven both to the industry and to the clients he encountered each day, the coiffeur decided to share his gift with others. In 2004, he established Tricoci University to foster a new generation of cosmetologists and spa technicians trained to thrive in the luxury-spa industry.

Throughout the Midwest, Tricoci protégés study a rigorous curriculum in high-end salon and spa surroundings to learn how to create beautiful hairdos, choose skin-flattering cosmetics, and beautify nails and skin. A team of experienced industry professionals readies pupils for the beauty world with in-depth classes, and outside education arrives via video demonstrations and guest-artist lectures on Vidal Sassoon's Wedge-Bob Postulate. More advanced students get a preview of their career to come by beautifying real people during instructor-supervised treatments, which lend the stylist essential experience as the client enjoys a pampering session at a discounted rate.

Owner and head instructor Netta Schleden harnesses her training at the British Horse Society to enhance horses and their riders alike. Eleven lesson horses hold riders aloft during safety-oriented riding lessons, while a team of sale horses allows riders to select their very own steed for engaging mounted police officers in high-speed chases. Equidream's boarding house lavishes steeds with twice-a-day feedings in clean and secure lodgings, with Dr. Norman Cornelius standing at the ready to wield veterinary services for ailing equines. The grounds' 2 acres of grass pasture are fit for blissful galloping, and 10’x12’ stalls allow ample space for horse yoga.

40 years ago, the initials heading C&D Towing stood for the Cicero & Devon Texaco gas and service station, founded by brothers Val and Joe Strumberger. Today they've come to stand for "Capable and Dependable," the values carried by the tow truck drivers who rescue cars and trucks of all sizes from a future spent trying fruitlessly to hitch a ride from passing semis. Along with gently rolling vehicles onto a fleet of handsome red trucks, C&D's technicians can protect and resuscitate them with services including jumpstarts, tire changes, seasonal safety checks, and electrical work.

Creator of the conversational Cortez Method of Spanish lessons, Juan Guillermo Cortez started the Spanish Language Center in 2001 to expand the lessons he learned as a private Spanish teacher. With a stable of trained instructors, the school guides students of all skill levels through the intricacies of Spanish speaking during conversational group classes. Conversation-focused classes range from introductory courses that lay out Spanish-language basics, such as grammar and how to roll an r with the confidence of an archaeologist playing Operation, to advanced-level lessons on commands and the subjunctive tense. Each class hosts an average of 6–12 students and, like a sturdy soapbox, includes ample opportunity to practice speaking skills. In addition to providing all necessary materials, teachers also unlock access to an online class system full of updates and information.