Summer school is generally considered something to avoid, but the instruction scheduled for adults next week at The Chattery may change some minds. All the classes sound fun, all the teachers seem cool and there's a Senior Skip Day built into the schedule. They've even designated a principal and lunch lady for the week.
In a news release, spokeswoman Sarah Cate Patten admits that summer school "typically hearkens pictures of bored students suffering through the hot days of summer inside a classroom instead of enjoying their vacation."
The Chattery's Adult Summer School departs from that formula with a series of virtual classes meant to offer skills and knowledge about careers, health and wellness, arts and STEM topics (science, technology, engineering, math).
In addition to classes, the education nonprofit is partnering with The Pop-Up Project to offer a virtual gym Monday through Thursday, and lunch lady Amanda Varnell from Dish T'Pass will offer meal planning ideas. Community experts will offer guidance sessions each day, including attorney Autumn Witt Boyd, who's pulling double duty as principal.
Adult Summer School at The Chattery
› Monday, June 22: Health & PE Day. Features morning yoga, breath work, expressive arts therapy and meditation.› Tuesday, June 23: Art Day. Includes classes centered on arts and diversity, curating art and printmaking.› Wednesday, June 24: STEM Day. Includes a virtual nature walk and advice on personal finance, engineering and the science of cocktails.› Thursday, June 25: Career Day. Classes include public speaking, improv at work and a career panel.› Friday, June 26: Senior Skip Day. The week ends with a day full of fun classes designed to motivate the use of your new knowledge.
Upstate Mississippi owner April Corbett, who describes herself as an engineer, maker and productivity guru, will lead one of the STEM classes, which she outlines as "an honest discussion about some of the things that women, and minority women in particular, encounter in the workplace." She's also in charge of the Senior Skip Day activity, which is meant to "encourage people to really sit and develop visions for their life and their time," especially since the coronavirus pandemic has put so many plans on pause, she says.
"I have been teaching visioning classes with The Chattery for a couple of years, and I think one of the best things that we can do for our life is to have some kind of a vision for what we want in the coming days, weeks, years. With the pandemic, a lot of people are questioning the vision that they came to the new year with, and we wanted to kind of give them a refresh of that vision and frame it in the context of looking at some fun aspects of what they can still get out of this year."
Classes are scheduled Monday through Friday at various start times. Some classes will be presented live; others will be prerecorded. All will be available to participants until July 31, so you can make up any class you miss.
Day passes are available for $10. All-access week passes are $30. Get more information at www.thechattery.org/summerschool. Online classes that are not part of summer school also are available.
Email Lisa Denton at ldenton@timesfreepress.com.
Amanda Varnell, owner of catering company Dish T'Pass, will be the lunch lady, offering meal planning ideas, rather than actual meals, during Adult Summer School, a virtual series of classes being offered next week by education nonprofit The Chattery. / Photo by Connor Choate