Education & Classes in St. Catharines

The Adobe- and Microsoft-certified instructors at Photo Art Studio prepare pupils for careers in graphic design, web development, and photography during 14-hour certification programs. The digital photography course drills novices in handling and cleaning their cameras, regulating light, and convincing jumping beans to hold still for track-team portraits. During Adobe Photoshop classes, students survey the program's myriad manipulation and touch-up options by applying such flourishes as modified hues and formatted text over their own compositions. Other courses in software such as Adobe Flash and Dreamweaver focus on animation, image design, and web development respectively. The studio also hosts in-depth classes on Microsoft Office software to instill practical administrative skills.

Canadian Flight Academy's seven master instructors train students of all skill levels on the complexities of fixed-wing flight inside one of four types of aircraft such as a Cessna or Piper Cherokee. Pilots are born from the 52-hour ground school, which covers everything from meteorology to air law. In addition to teaching basic flight lessons, the instructors impart their knowledge in more advance topics such as instrument ratings, multi-engine ratings, airline transport, and what to do when an eagle falls in love with your plane. Six licensed mechanics combine their 65 combined years of experience when tending to aircraft with their maintenance services, and online planning references help captains prepare for take offs.

Emphasizing the social potential of dance, Social Dance Spot coordinates community-building dance socials in addition to regular lessons. The faculty of dance pros represents a diversity of competitive and performance careers. Teachers impart the finer points of the cha-cha and tying a tie while doing a viennese waltz in a varied curriculum organized by the motto G.P.S., which stands for group classes, private classes, and social outings. The three-step approach enables learners to first build skills and confidence before trotting out to dance socials attended by classmates and others.

Level 1 programs are also an excellent way to jump-start a fitness routine, a fun way to meet new people while remaining active, and ideal for pounding unruly floorboards back into place. The facility's sound-isolating glass walls and zen-inspired furnishings are intended to create an air of relaxed openness where students forget the everyday frustrations of rush-hour traffic and rules banning the hokey-pokey during board meetings.

Celebrity chef David Adjey tells it like it is, which might account for part of his popularity. He has, after all, shared his expertise on Food Network Canada shows such as Restaurant Makeover and The Opener. But his frank personality is only part of what has created his reputation. He's also earned accolades for his deconstructive cooking style, which distills the fundamentals of each ingredient into mouthfuls of intense, subtle flavours. His presentation is impressive, too; each dish is artfully arranged with an eye for colour and design. On his website, Adjey says, “If I wasn’t a Chef, I would have been a florist.”

After graduating at the top of his class from the Culinary Institute of America in New York, and spending a summer assisting chef Guiliano Bugialli in Florence, Adjey made his name at the Relais & Chateaux-accedited San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, California. Now the ambassador for St. Lawrence Market, Adjey works as a restaurant consultant and host for lavish corporate events. He also teaches occasional cooking classes in between mornings spent chatting with local vendors, picking up fresh ingredients for his classes, and using kitchen cleavers for his morning shave.

The pilot watches the single-engine aircraft's gauges adjust as he takes off from London's Heathrow Airport. Moments later, he dives an F-16 fighter jet beneath the Brooklyn Bridge. Flightmaster's virtual flight simulator empowers prospective pilots to jump between experiences like these while ensconced in a cockpit modelled after those used in professional flight training. Flight assistants guide guests, acquainting them with the instrument panel as they fly over virtual terrains that range from detailed cities to wild landscapes. For added effect, the simulator adjusts light according to time of day, as well as challenges pilots with weather changes, bouts of turbulence, and Godzilla attacks. Beyond simulated flying, Flightmaster also throws kids' birthday parties in the flight simulator.