Education & Classes in Forest Park

Led by linguistic anthropologist Dr. Jill Bishop, Multilingual Chicago’s international staff of instructors immerses 6–10 students at a time in one of more than a dozen foreign languages, including French, Arabic, Spanish, and Mandarin. During each session, classmates master a new vocabulary through a host of activities that transcend rote memorization. They might role-play, or translate snippets of movies. They might read excerpts from a country's great works of literature or unusually lyrical parking signs. The instructors delve even further into each language’s respective culture by always making time to converse about specific foods, holidays, and folk traditions. Students can loosen vocal cords before class with sips of complimentary tea, coffee, and wine in Multilingual Chicago’s café. Check the schedule for available courses—not all languages are offered every session.

With baskets full of hand-plucked, wild blueberries, Vincent Colombet and his cousins happily crammed into their Alsatian grandmother's tiny kitchen. In that quaint room, equipped with only a wood-burning cast-iron stove, Vincent learned over the years how to tuck berries into pies, prepare meats sourced from neighboring farms, and eventually produce elaborate meals for his entire family. 

Driven by his passion for French family-style cuisine, he traveled to Paris before a longing for experiences abroad tugged him across the pond and into the arms of the Windy City in 2004. The following year he opened Cook Au Vin, where he leads three-hour BYOB cooking classes centered around classic techniques and organic ingredients. Patrons may also enlist the Cook Au Vin team to cater special events, or swing by Colombet's Logan Square bakery, La Boulangerie, for butter-infused inhalations, freshly made crepes, and crusty baguettes.

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.

Chicago Photography Academy hones photographic eyes and bulks up shutter-snapping fingers through a host of short-term and intensive classes geared to all skill levels. Students can gauge their education by personal interests and schedule, hunkering down for a one- or two-day crash course or leisurely learning during a six-hour compact-digital class that frees cameras from the yoke of automatic settings. Instructors impart a working knowledge of photo-editing software during lightroom classes, whereas introductory video sessions teach how to shoot realistic video of faked moon landings. Students can build the skills necessary to snap stunning wedding photos, or immerse themselves in the CPA's colorful curriculum with a one-year certificate program in photography, which combines all of the school's classes into one linear progression. Classes include all necessary supplies for printing images, and do not require shutterbugs to purchase additional lenses or retro fedora hats.

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.

Sometimes finicky eaters can become fascinated by food when they have a hand in making it themselves. The Kids' Table's proprietor Elena Marre discovered this with her own sons when they started helping her prepare meals. Eventually she took this idea and created her own family cooking school geared toward children aged 2–16.

During classes, kids prep produce at tot-sized countertops and sinks. They whisk together ingredients with tools calibrated to their little hands as they learn to appreciate varied flavors and textures apart from “plain” and “unslimey.” Parents can get in on the action by working alongside their tots during classes or by signing up to learn how to make baby food, create family meals, or please picky eaters.