Education & Classes in Jacksonville

Wanting to fly to the beat of a different drummer, a couple of flight instructors decided in 2009 to start their own training center and teach the skills their unique way. They laid the groundwork for their new business with cutting-edge safety features such as aircrafts boasting airbags and innovative weather and traffic advisories. Additionally, the duo acknowledges that cost often keeps those with sky-bound ambitions grounded, so they work with individuals to find an affordable training plan. Besides their pilot programs, the owners make their Cessnas and bundles of helium-filled balloons available for rent.

Green Lotus Studios' professorial artisans are soap makers, herbalists, and aromatherapists who teach classes in their fields of expertise. Acolytes can expect to craft soaps and lotions with wild-harvested ingredients, make their own kombucha or cheese, or whip up flu-battling herbal stews. With an average class size of six, students enjoy plenty of student-teacher interaction. Workshops emphasize hands-on instruction to empower students to craft their own serums, rather than wait on instructors or outsource to unemployed Rube Goldberg machines.

Kaluby's Dance Club takes the same simple approach to teaching that the club used when it opened in 1983. Before playing a note, the instructors take the time to break down popular dances into their most basic patterns. This way, when the music starts, dancers of all skill levels are able to master the steps quickly so that they can focus on having fun so instead of whose toes they're stepping on. The studio shares their secrets in group and private lessons, both taught in a ballroom where members are also welcome to practice during any open studio hours. In children's classes, kids practice basic dance moves while also making new friends, exercising, and learning how to behave at charity galas. During club dance parties, members get the chance to show off their new dance skills in special themed events or dressy-casual gatherings.

Years ago, Rebecca Barborak went to a BYOB painting class and found that it combined her love for art and red wine. She decided to start her own paint-it-yourself studio, where students of all skill levels bring forth flowers, animals, and landscapes in painting classes in both BYOB and child-friendly varieties. The studio also hosts casual open sessions where visitors can work at their pace on canvas and pottery pieces. Beneath the paintings that festoon the walls and cover the dozens of mysterious safes, private parties and camps can reveal the secrets of painting.

Atlantic Aviation's FAA-certified flight instructors teach students the basics of flying from the pilot's seat of a Redbird flight simulator. Digital screens wrap around an enclosed cockpit, allowing students to practice flight patterns as they experience authentic motion from a moving platform. Always tailoring training to students' needs and ambitions, pilots and advanced-instrument ground instructors can help customers achieve goals of any degree, from learning the mechanics of flight in intro lessons to completing courses toward licensing.

Daytona Salsa follows the energized lead of Kevin Guerra, an accomplished dancer whose passion for Latin music and dance emanates from his teachings. Along with Daytona Salsa's other instructors–all of who are part of the Daytona Salsa Dance Team–Kevin helms classes in Salsa, as well as other variants of Latin dancing including Bachata, Rumba, and Merengue. Together, the Daytona Salsa team creates a friendly, non-competitive atmosphere open to all ages, and splits each class into two parts for easier learning.