Education & Classes in New Castle

The talented team of resident instructors at Absolute Ballroom guides nimble feet across 2,500 square feet of dance floor during a series of group Latin-dance classes. Groups of approximately 40–70 students converge inside the studio for one-hour classes that allot space to learn an array of introductory skills, including how to perform basic Latin steps, or piece together clues to find a dance partner. Gliding guests perform the romantic lilting motions of bachata or the complex and majestic movements of the merengue, and cardiac systems get in a workout while learning the energetic and rhythmical cha-cha or hip-swiveling salsa. The classes build upon skills introduced from the first to the last class, and focus on the Latin social styles that will equip dancers for a night out at the club. Students can show off their new rug-cutting moves and r-rolling abilities during Sunday night salsa dances beginning at 7:15 p.m.

At the Martier Music Academy, kids can nurture discipline, commitment, and confidence while benefiting from the expert instruction of a professional staff of deft-fingered musicians, such as Joe Grushecky, Pete Hewlett, and the Grammy-nominated percussionist Ron Beitle. Private lessons allow kids between seven and 14 years old to attend weekly half-hour ($100 per month) or one-hour ($180 per month) instructional sessions, and are available for piano, guitar, drums, voice, and performance. Kindermusik classes help boost the development of children ages seven or younger while offering several different programs, including Young Child, designed for kids between five and seven years old ($90 per month for four months).

Grape guru and oenophile Marianne Frantz, who holds a diploma from London's Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) and who earned an Advanced Sommelier qualification from the Court of Master Sommeliers, founded American Wine School in 2002. She and her school have gone on to shepherd more than 10,000 sippers through classes, tastings, and grape-lookalike contests. Marianne, along with her knowledgeable staff, impart their vino wisdom in classes that range from the basic Wine 101 to the more extensive WSET certification courses. The school's classes and special events have even spilled into seven different states, teaching tongues across the nation to swirl, sniff, and taste the adult beverages and analyze why drinking wine while doing taxes is a bad idea.

Michelle Alpern, an avid swimmer and Red Cross-certified lifeguard since high school, is the founder of the Kids and Infant Safety Swim (KISS) Swim Program. Tailoring lessons to each student’s needs, Michelle and staff lead sessions for infants, toddlers, kids, and adults, focusing on the swim-float-swim method in a fun, safe, and nurturing environment. She specializes in childhood education, and her training includes more than 175 hours of pool instruction, child psychology and physiology, and CPR and AED certifications.

Behind a real bar, the instructors at Toledo Bartending School mix cocktails with finesse and expertise, running through barroom staples and cutting-edge recipes as students look on in bewildered anticipation. After the lectures and demonstrations, the metaphorical table turns, and students man the bar to master the skills necessary to serve drinks professionally. This is the regular scene during the school's 32-hour bartending course, a professional-caliber program that covers everything potential mixologists will need to know to sling drinks in the wild.

The course breaks down the ingredients of 75 specialty drinks and cocktails—including manhattans and martinis—as well as beer and wine information, customer-service techniques, and responsible alcohol service. The school also adheres to the Anheuser-Busch Beertender and Guinness Perfect Pour training programs. The program can be completed in four weeks, with weekend classes to accommodate schedules that are busier than a fireworks salesman on Woodrow Wilson’s birthday. Upon completion of the course, students can take advantage of Toledo Bartending School's job-placement program, which has landed students employment at venues such as Ritz Carlton hotels and resorts, McCormick & Schmick's, and Embassy Suites.

In the late 1970s, career educators Eileen and Raymond Huntington opened the first Huntington Learning Center in Oradell, New Jersey. Their goal was to take an individualized approach to education, adjusting instructional tactics according to each student's particular set of needs. Their success in helping K–12 students prepare for exams and improve grades and study skills quickly spawned franchises across New York and New Jersey.

Today, the certified Huntington tutoring staff utilizes testing and rubrics for assessing each child's skills, academic needs and potential for growth. The teachers even note the student's behavior in different testing and academic situations to craft a methodology sensitive to each child's learning style. Teachers also adhere to the company's code of ethics that stresses professionalism and confidentiality, encouraging pupils to improve their grades honestly through dedicated study rather than shortcuts.