Barbara Bean is a retiree who likes to learn new things and meet new people. “Itchy feet” take her from coast to coast and north to south each summer. During the winter months, though, she looks forward to learning about cooking, wine, history, crafts and computers near her Cochise County home.

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Last winter, Bean enrolled in more than 20 classes on these topics and others offered through the Cochise College Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL). The center, a merger of two outreach departments, provides short-term, non-credit personal development courses, tailored workforce training for local employers, and cultural and entrepreneurial activities related to the unique southeast Arizona and border region.

Bean’s favorite course is a recurring trip to Casas Grandes and Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua, where visitors see the historic Paquime ruins with an expert and tour the town where world-renowned potters shape and fire their creations using traditional methods.

“I always find something new and interesting,” Bean said. “When I talk about my experiences to friends from different areas of the country, they envy me because our community college is so responsive to our needs.”

The CLL is a part of the college, with a similar mission, but its focus is on non-traditional delivery of courses. CLL students won’t sit in a classroom for eight or 16 weeks. They’ll focus their attention on a topic for a few hours or a few days. They might explore the outdoors, or they’ll make or do something. They’re going to have fun or learn something they can use on the job.

Being on the front lines of the college and talking to community members about what they want is a significant and ongoing role of the CLL. Staff members often get new ideas for classes and training programs through participation with a wide variety of community boards and organizations, a network that also helps them meet potential teachers for those classes.

The center’s fall schedule, available soon on the college website, includes a wide variety of new offerings in the arts, cooking, computers, crafts, personal interest, trips and tours and wellness (see sidebar).

In addition to these face-to-face courses, students can obtain professional training online through partnerships with Ed2go, Gatlin Education, and, new this year, LERN. Each web-based partner institution has a different focus, such as business, computers or healthcare. The new partnership with LERN provides access to topics like online teaching, social media for businesses, and virtual meeting planning.

While CLL enrollments have increased overall in the last several years, the greatest area of growth has been in the area of contract training, which is on track to more than double in 2010. The center partners with local hospitals, school districts, law enforcement agencies, and governments to develop and provide specialized training programs for employees. For example, 11 Border Protection Professional Pre-Academies have been offered to individuals interested in border protection careers. The center also has contracted with the AACT call center in Douglas to provide training for potential employees who need skills to pass the employment exam.

Neil Gago is a flight paramedic with AirEvac Services who teaches Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) classes for first responders, nurses and doctors in partnership with the CLL, Fort Huachuca and the Sierra Vista Regional Health Center. He hears a lot of positive feedback from students, most commonly that the courses he teaches were great refreshers and the students learned something.

“It’s really difficult to put into words how helpful it is to have this kind of training available locally,” Gago said. “Without the services available at the college, these folks might have to travel to Tucson or Phoenix at a much higher cost to their employer. Most of them are thankful not to have to fit that into their schedules.”

Printed CLL schedules for the fall semester will soon be available on campus, in various community locations, and through the mail. But the best way to find out what’s being offered is to go to the Cochise College website �“ www.cochise.edu - said Lisa Westrick, a CLL program coordinator. The web provides the most up-to-date information, and visitors can view a PDF version of the class schedule and sign up to receive email updates about classes, class coupons, and a department newsletter that features articles that complement current course offerings.

The center also offers discount programs for those who register early for classes or plan to enroll in numerous courses. Bean, the student who registered for more than 20 classes last winter, gives the Passport as gifts to friends who share similar interests.

“I take classes to expand my mind and abilities,” said Bean, who’s looking forward to a Fun in the Kitchen course in August. “I don’t always use my new knowledge but I always enjoy myself.”

NEW THIS FALL

Center for Lifelong Learning (CLL) classes are offered in various county locations. Schedules will be available soon at www.cochise.edu/cll, on campus, and at public libraries and visitor centers. Registration fees range from $15 to several hundred dollars for overnight trips. The schedule for a free series of lunch lectures also will be available soon, and archives of past topics are available on the CLL website.