Education & Classes in Moraga

The certified instructors from American Swim Academy recognize that, unlike many other mammals, humans aren't born with the ability to swim safely. Their passion for teaching students how to glide through the water without worry propels each class at the academy and inspires students of all ages to silence the mocking comments from their neighbor's dolphin. Each instructor must have obtained both CPR and academy swim training before leading lessons, which are structured to meet students' abilities.

Furthering the tenants of safety and control, all academy classes are hosted inside an indoor facility with pools designed specifically for instruction. Waters are heated to 92 degrees and feature wide steps, teaching stations, and shallow areas for small children. On-deck managers oversee each class to heighten student safety and shout out Olympic swimming records every five minutes for inspiration.

With the vision of a bracelet in mind, a student lays a strip of steel over an anvil and begins bending it under the blows of a hammer. Down the hall, another budding artist pours molten glass into a mold, which soon cools into a decorative orb. Each year, the faculty at The Crucible educates roughly 5,000 adults and children in arts that range from ceramics to fire dancing. Starting in 1999 with a $1,750 grant, the nonprofit's founders—a small group of artists that includes sculptor Michael Sturtz—nurtured a vision that took them from a 6,000-square-foot warehouse to a solar-powered, 56,000-square-foot arts-education studio. Beyond the classrooms, The Crucible also hosts galleries where both students and faculty show their work, exploring the various elements of design or states of longing for a Twinkie.

Are you ready to take your Spanish to the next level? Just like a professional athlete has a personal trainer you can now have a personal Spanish instructor. Reserve a 50 minute lesson that fits your schedule then enjoy a Spanish lesson that is personalized just for you.

Fashion-knit owner Jeanine Johnson has the art form stitched into her family history. Her grandmother sewed upscale garments for Saks Fifth Avenue, and her mother received her fashion degree from New York's Fashion Institute of Technology. Johnson's passion for knitting is evident in the colorful sweaters she crafts, as well as in the classes she offers to knitters of all skill levels. In addition to hands-on sessions, Johnson brings knitting experts to the store for workshops, where they share tips on how to enhance projects or how to re-create favorite attire if one's closet spontaneously combusts.

Trapeze School New York’s expansion west meant Angelenos no longer had to cross the country to join the circus. At two locations—an indoor studio for silks classes in Santa Monica and an outdoor studio on the Santa Monica Pier—highly trained instructors teach beginner, intermediate, and advanced maneuvers during classes on the flying trapeze, aerial silks, lyra, trampoline, and Spanish web. All of Trapeze School New York’s countrywide facilities in New York, Boston, Washington, DC, Chicago, and LA hold themselves to high safety standards that account for everything from equipment to instructors and life preservers. In an effort to bring their flying-trapeze instruction to surrounding communities regardless of funding, the school also gives lessons through their nonprofit branch of operations.

The mixologists at ABC Bartending School utilize years of bartending experience to divulge saloon secrets in certification-based and recreational bartending classes. In the mixology course, expert instructors impart drink recipes and refine beer and wine palates while students shake up cocktails and take cover from projectile champagne corks. Certification classes prepare students for bartending careers as they mix classic and popular drinks while learning about alcohol laws, responsible liquor service, and stocking and inventory. Instructors demonstrate free pouring techniques, allowing students to fill faraway glasses or safely drizzle beverages into the mouths of piranhas. ABC’s job-placement program puts graduates to work in restaurants, nightclubs, sports bars, hotels, country clubs, and cruise-ship bars.