Education & Classes in Miramar

Some of Donn F. Flipse's earliest memories are of him wielding a broom, sweeping up the fallen petals and snipped-off stamen that have gathered around the feet of the floral designers at his family's flower shop. Eight-year-old Donn eventually moved up in rank, escorting arrangements to their destinations in the delivery truck as soon as he got his license. When he graduated college, he almost turned his back on the flower business his father and his grandfather built, but after mentoring under one of the shop's floral designers, he realized, “It was in [his] blood.” In 1990, he opened Field of Flowers in Davie.

The rose, he says, continues to be the most popular flower, although different breeds take the crown every so often—the current favorite is the garden rose, a throwback blossom like what might flourish in a well-tended backyard. Donn's favorites are the rose-like lisanthius and the Canterbury bells, which look delicate but are sturdy and long lasting, much like a quarterback who takes ballet classes.

Field of Flower's team of designers compose striking arrangements using popular flowers as well as rare blooms such as orchids or birds of paradise. The team also crafts design pieces for celebrations, with past creations including a french poodle sculpted from flowers and a Spongebob Squarepants–themed arrangements in which blue gel simulated the ocean, submerging plants in an under-the-sea wonderland.

ATA Flight School’s trusty fleet of Cessna aircrafts provides students with a way to get hands-on experience to earn their private-pilot certification or instrument ratings. Based out of North Perry General Aviation Airport, the FAA-approved professional flight school employs a staff of certified flight instructors who coach aspiring aviators along the way and give pep talks to airplanes prior to liftoff. ATA Flight School also operates Miami Flightseeing, which whisks passengers aloft for tours including The Grand Miami Tour, which flies high over 80 miles of beaches and Downtown Miami, and The Miami Sunset Tour, which reveals beautiful views of the sun as it sets over the Everglades.

Since 1974, Hollywood Institute of Beauty Careers' dedicated instructors have edified spa and salon hopefuls in the tricks of the beauty-boosting trade. Under the watchful eye of a seasoned professional, each soon-to-be beautician performs a variety of services on visitors to earn the certification of a license massage therapist or the gilded epaulettes of an aesthetician. At both the Hollywood and Miami Beach locations, clients can help students achieve their goals by simply indulging in rejuvenating facials, stylish cuts and colors, and relaxing rubdowns.

StatusAir's Discovery Flight lessons grant spectacular views of South Florida as experienced instructors rated by Certified Flight Instructor-Instrument (CFII) school potential pilots and otherwise first-time flyers in the art of running a Cessna 172 plane. Along with comprehensive ground lessons, they'll also supervise the flights and end with a debriefing on the ground, gently reminding participants that capes are optional.

Though Elite International Dance Academy began with only a few classes and a handful of students, the studio earned a growing following with its combination of accessible instruction and enthusiastic teachers. Since its opening, the studio has tripled its curriculum to include 15 dance styles, including the hustle, fox trot, belly dancing, bachata, and salsa. Both kids and adults gather in the academy’s noncompetitive environment, where instructors teach dance steps with easy-to-follow directions. The schedule also includes summer camps and workshops, as well as Zumba classes—cardio workouts using Latin-inspired dance routines to sizzle more calories than toasting marshmallows dipped in lighter fluid.