Education & Classes in Penn Hills

Chef Gaynor Grant, who has trained with epicureans in Europe and New York, presides over a school that has forged restaurant owners and caterers while remaining accessible to students of all skill levels and interests. The Art of Fine Cooking 1, a five-week class, begins by elucidating basic culinary skills such as sautéing, braising, and crocheting with spaghetti noodles. Students apply their newfound knowledge and provided ingredients to creations, whipping up batches of food that may include chocolate mousse and grand marnier soufflé, which play important roles in a feast at the end of each session. Like a Ouija-board monologue, each class involves extensive hands-on work and lasts between 4.5–5 hours. The school's varied schedule offers a range of morning and evening classes, and more will be added according to demand.

Urmi Batavia began teaching private piano and violin lessons out of her home in 2002. As demand for her classes grew, so did her need for room, and two years later she opened her own space dedicated to music instruction: Batavia Studios. There, she shares her teaching responsibilities with a team of instructors well versed in percussion, strings, woodwinds, and voice. Though they still provide private lessons for adults and children, they also helm weeklong children’s summer camps and oversee a store filled with musical instruments, song books, and music accessories, such as jars filled with Al Green’s voice.

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).

Young Chefs Academy's chefs, teachers, and nutritional experts introduce youngsters to basic culinary skills, pairing creative cooking with lessons in kitchen safety and etiquette. Classes follow themes, such as Chill and Grill or Take Me Out to the Ballgame, and teach kids how to cook dishes that fall within that theme. Kindercooks classes gear recipes and nutrition lessons toward preschool attention spans, while Junior Chefs and Senior Chefs sessions gradually introduce more well-rounded, in-depth techniques and concepts. Along with classes, Young Chefs Academy passes its culinary passion onto kids during parties, camps, field trips, and lemonade-stand budget meetings.

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.