Education & Classes in Oak Park

Chicago Photography Academy hones photographic eyes and bulks up shutter-snapping fingers through a host of short-term and intensive classes geared to all skill levels. Students can gauge their education by personal interests and schedule, hunkering down for a one- or two-day crash course or leisurely learning during a six-hour compact-digital class that frees cameras from the yoke of automatic settings. Instructors impart a working knowledge of photo-editing software during lightroom classes, whereas introductory video sessions teach how to shoot realistic video of faked moon landings. Students can build the skills necessary to snap stunning wedding photos, or immerse themselves in the CPA's colorful curriculum with a one-year certificate program in photography, which combines all of the school's classes into one linear progression. Classes include all necessary supplies for printing images, and do not require shutterbugs to purchase additional lenses or retro fedora hats.

Sometimes finicky eaters can become fascinated by food when they have a hand in making it themselves. The Kids' Table's proprietor Elena Marre discovered this with her own sons when they started helping her prepare meals. Eventually she took this idea and created her own family cooking school geared toward children aged 2–16.

During classes, kids prep produce at tot-sized countertops and sinks. They whisk together ingredients with tools calibrated to their little hands as they learn to appreciate varied flavors and textures apart from “plain” and “unslimey.” Parents can get in on the action by working alongside their tots during classes or by signing up to learn how to make baby food, create family meals, or please picky eaters.

Redeem today's Groupon for any one of Ranjana's four classes: Everyday North Indian Lunch, Muglai Cooking, South Indian Dinner, and Quick Complete Meals. Each class teaches you nine different Indian dishes, all vegetarian. After your first session with Ranjana, you'll probably want to go buffet-style and try the others. Classes are available Mondays or Wednesdays from 6:15-9:15 pm or Saturdays from 9 am to noon. Call Ranjana in advance at (773) 355-9559 to RSVP. (Classes are intimate and fill up quickly; dates are subject to availability).

The squeegee-wielding band of artists and interns at Fugscreens Studios infuses shirts, posters, and wall prints with original artwork for clients including The Dead Weather, Corona Beer, and the Aragon Ballroom. Through screenprinting classes and workshops, founder Zissou Tasseff-Elenkoff and his team reveal essential skills for silk-screening. During intro classes, students receive individual attention as they transform their own designs into colorful prints. Textile-printing classes enable students to create repeated patterns on yards of fabric, and T-shirt-printing classes instill essential skills for crafting band or family-band-reunion-tour merchandise. During private lessons, students can pursue their own design visions and brush up on their software skills with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.

Red Lobster, Wicker Park’s Mirai Sushi, and Lincoln Park punk bar Delilah’s are three seemingly disparate venues. However, they have something in common—all three have hired graduates of American Professional Bartending Schools of Illinois to mix their drinks and man their bars. The schools have been landing graduates at notable Chicago establishments for more than 60 years, but their connection with alums doesn’t end with their first gig. Graduates receive lifetime, personalized job-placement assistance and can call the school’s career hotline 24 hours a day to find out about job openings or trade meatloaf recipes.

The schools' focus on employment also shows in their bartending classes, which are modeled after on-the-job training and led by teachers with an average of more than 20 years of industry experience. Taught at bars complete with realistic faux liquor, the sessions cover topics from mixology to presentation and etiquette.

Aspiring artists from all walks of life are welcome at Chicago Art and Design Center, where instructors guide guests through hands-on oil-painting, watercolor, and mosaic-making sessions. Whether they're there for a class, an office holiday party, or a bachelorette party, visitors to the green-walled studio are encouraged to get creative. BYOB art sessions help nervous artisans loosen up enough to create their own paintings or mosaics. At the other end of the spectrum, kids can also get in on the fun; birthday boys and girls choose between party themes such as Dinosaurs, Diva Pop Star, and Jungle, which features a cake baked by an actual lion. Kids who fall in love with the arts can also come back for the center’s camp program.