Education & Classes in Hammond

Give a guy a fish, and he'll eat for a day (assuming it's one ginormous fish); teach a guy to make perfect sushi rolls, and he'll still mooch all your fish, but hey, free sushi. Today's Groupon can save you from embarrassing Thanksgivings, disastrous dinners with in-laws, and foolhardy tamale-making face-offs. For $45, you get $85 toward a cooking class at Kendall College on Goose Island. Though most classes cost $85, you can also use it toward one of Kendall's pricier classes or for you and a friend to attend a lower-cost class; just pay the difference (you must use your Groupon all at once).

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.

Eagle Aircraft's fleet includes planes such as the Cessna 162 Skycatcher and the Piper Arrow. Aboard these planes, pilots take passengers on scenic tours and train new aeronauts for private licenses, instrument ratings, and commercial flight. The company has been helping pilots earn their wings for more than 25 years.

For years, Ron Sachen has taken to the Illinois skies inside fixed-wing aircraft. In fact, he loves flying so much that he has dedicated his life to teaching others the joy of soaring through the clouds. To inspire passion in his students and ensure a comprehensive lesson, his classes emphasize hands on learning. After 30–60 minutes of ground-based lessons, students take the controls in the air and get a feel for what it must have been like when the Wright brothers first took flight, rather than when they first jumped off their roof flapping homemade paper wings.