Blog and Forum Messages

Princeton NJ Back to School Announcements

Princeton Adult School Announces Spring 2012 Registration

Registration is under way for the spring 2012 semester at the Princeton Adult School. Offerings this year range from such outdoor activities as hiking, canoeing and rock-climbing to a timely lecture series in which noted scientists and researchers help us understand recent advances in areas as diverse as the human genome and birth of the universe. The Spring Film series fetures eleven films  “you should have seen but didn’t.” Course listings also include a visit to civil war battlefields with Pulitzer Prize winning historian James McPherson, and a close examination  of  the “soul” of today’s businesses world. In addition, there are more than one hundred non-credit on-line courses ranging from web page design to genealogy basics. Students may register on-line or by mail. In-person registration is required for English as a Second Language Languages (ESL) on Thursday   evening, January 26, from 7 to 8 pm, at Princeton High School.

         Highlights this semester include a close look at today’s Supreme Court, early 20-th century women’s literature, and “Self-Defense for Women.”  Among the new courses are “From Giotto to Raphael: A Renaissance Adventure,” a “Strudel Party,” and “Build or Remodel Your Own Home.” There are also ten   cooking classes including “Cool Meals for Alfresco Dining,” and “Fantastic Thai Cuisine,” along with  two courses featuring chefs from local restaurants. On-line offerings include courses in technology, business, and personal and professional development. The Adult School also continues to offer such old favorites as digital photography and photography workshops., several yoga classes, ballroom, swing and Latin  dancing, guitar  and  a fiction writing workshop.

   "Every year we aim for the proverbial something for everybody," says Princeton Adult School President Dr. Mark Branon, "and I think we're closer than ever. We have more than forty  new courses ranging from cerebral to recreational. We’re really excited about our “Science

Times” lecture serieswhich will help people understand complex new developments and their policy implications. And the creative range of our  studio art courses, along with  our financial planning classes give students so many things to choose from .

 "For people on the go we also have two special one-semester language courses, 'Italian for Travelers” and “Spanish for Travelers.” And, we continue to offer our very popular foreign language program, which includes all the usuals plus Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian

 The diverse course listing for the upcoming semester includes lecture courses, the movie series, literature and writing, 35 foreign language courses, studio arts workshops, art and music appreciation, fitness and recreation activities.

Subjects range from professional-level courses such as ‘How to Patent and Profit from Your Invention,” to courses tailored to individual needs such as the basics of video production, tai-chi, and beginning piano for adults.

 Most classes, are held Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Princeton High School beginning February 14. In-person registration is available on January 26 for foreign language students who are unsure about what class level is appropriate. Students should use the front entrance to the High School on Moore Street.

 Registration online and by mail is already in progress. Students can register online at www.princetonadultschool.org or by mail using forms in the back of the catalog. Those who have not received a catalog can obtain a copy at any area public library. Registration forms and the entire catalog are also available on the adult school web site.

   The Princeton Adult School has been offering classes for over 70 years. Beginning with 20 classes in 1939, the school offered over 100 different courses in each of two terms last year with a total enrollment of some 4,000 students.

Over the years Adult School courses have ranged from bird watching and gourmet cooking to lectures on the universe by leading astrophysicists. PAS teachers, who are professionals in their fields and often nationally noted authorities include faculty from Princeton and Rutgers Universities. Recent speakers have included such notables as Neil Tyson, Director of the Hayden Planetarium, James McPherson, Pulitzer Prize-winning Civil War historian, Joyce Carol Oates and Toni Morrison.

       "We are especially pleased with the public's response to the adult school," said Dr. Branon. "Last year's enrollment was very gratifying. In fact, enrollment has recently been so strong that there are always several courses that fill the first week. We always have to turn people away from popular classes with space limitations — courses such as the one exploring the special collections at the Princeton University Library, cooking, and some of the studio courses."

  For more information, call (609) 683-1101.