Education & Classes in Crestwood

Most higher learning institutions have their specialties. Some draw lawyers, others physicists, and still more writers or performers. Kendall College, however, specializes in specializing. The College’s most renowned programs tend to focus on developing a suite of career-ready skills, whether one learns to cook in their School of Culinary Arts or to host in their School of Hospitality Management. Professional facilities cater to these unique programs, with 12 commercial kitchens and specialized chocolate and garde manger kitchens on campus. The school even runs a Michelin Guide-recommended fine-dining restaurant that’s open to the public, where students hone their culinary and hospitality skills in a real-world setting.

Big City Swing’s mantra is to be fit, be fun, and be social, and it conquers all three of these goals by teaching dance styles that stem from the social clubs of the Prohibition era. Within the spacious ceilings and exposed brick walls of the studio, instructors delve into swing dance and Lindy Hop styles characterized by twirling, leg kicks, and lightning-fast rhythms.

Courses are taught in a four-week series or single-session workshops that also cover styles such as Balboa, the Charleston, and blues. Students seeking more individualized attention can schedule a private lesson or eschew the tradition of the post-nuptial hokey pokey by enrolling in the wedding-dance program. In addition to studio and onsite instruction, Big City Swing’s professional team also performs choreographed numbers at special events. Free street parking is available near the studio.

Redeem today's Groupon for any one of Ranjana's four classes: Everyday North Indian Lunch, Muglai Cooking, South Indian Dinner, and Quick Complete Meals. Each class teaches you nine different Indian dishes, all vegetarian. After your first session with Ranjana, you'll probably want to go buffet-style and try the others. Classes are available Mondays or Wednesdays from 6:15-9:15 pm or Saturdays from 9 am to noon. Call Ranjana in advance at (773) 355-9559 to RSVP. (Classes are intimate and fill up quickly; dates are subject to availability).

Since opening its doors in 1998, Language Stars has introduced more than 25,000 children to foreign languages with small-group classes and full-immersion activities. Through a selective process, Language Stars recruits ambitious teachers from more than 20 countries who share a common goal of revolutionizing how and when American children learn foreign languages. Kids can fly solo or team up with a parent in long-term classes. Absorbent little minds soak up Spanish, Mandarin, French, German, or Italian with the help of FunImmersion’s games, songs, and art projects that help kids finally understand their foreign-exchange imaginary friends.

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.

Will Allen has worn many hats in his lifetime. The son of a sharecropper, he founded his urban farming foundation Growing Power in 1993 after a brief career in professional basketball, going on to earn a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship and a spot on Time magazine's Top 100 of 2010 list. From Milwaukee to Chicago, his city farms thrive, tended by a volunteer team of all ages who gain the all-too-uncommon satisfaction of knowing the "who, when, where, and how" of their vegetables’ origins. Besides providing the seeds, tools, and educational resources to green the thumbs of any willing student, the farms also foster community bonds by filling the pantries of select local restaurants and locavore squirrels.