Adult classes combine learning with fun

Ever set out to start a podcast but give up before you can get your earbuds untangled?

Ever wanted to try woodworking but fear splinters?

Ever thought about playing guitar only to realize that the thing has six whopping strings and enough frets to make your head spin?

New Columbus startup Lightning Learn aims to break down those barriers and equip adults with the skills they need to get started in learning a new skill or hobby in a laid-back, social environment.

“I really believe that anybody can learn anything; the largest part is just knowing where to start,” said Lightning Learn founder Taylor Weese.

The classes, the first of which start this week and are scheduled weekday evenings, will feature local experts teaching their subject matter. The classes range from crafttype projects, to musical instrument classes, to photography. Weese said he’s open to offering classes on just about anything as long as it can be covered in an hour or two. Most classes range in price from $10 to $20, with some more expensive because of material costs.

Lightning Learn classes will be held in a rented space at Hopewell Works on East Chestnut Street, though Weese is collaborating with other business owners and restaurants to coordinate classes in other locations. A collaboration with Endeavor Brewery is already planned, and he hopes to partner with the Idea Foundry in Franklinton, where he currently teaches coding courses, and other Columbus businesses as well.

Lightning Learn isn’t the first or only opportunity for central Ohio adults to build new skills. Traditional educational opportunities have been in place for years, from college and community college courses to technical and career school classes. There are classes offered through local libraries, often free, and there are adult classes offered through museums and community recreation departments.

Tack the internet on to all of these learning options and adults have more access to informal learning opportunities than ever before, said Robin Grenier, associate professor of adult learning at the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education.

As adults are living longer, they’re seeking new skills and hobbies, said Grenier, whose work focuses on informal and lifelong learning.

“Before, a lot of folks for whatever reason didn’t live as long and so they had less time for learning just for the joy of learning, or for personal development and growth,” Grenier said.

As adults, our learning process doesn’t necessarily change, Grenier said, but the context in which we learn certainly does. Without the requirements and restrictions of traditional schooling and even college, adults choose learning methods that both meet their interests and their preferred learning style, she said.

“Adults are more able to choose learning environments and learning content that not only meets their interest, but also is better attuned to how they’re going to learn,” Grenier said.

It’s why community recreation centers such as Dublin’s are constantly researching new trends and classes that appeal to their residents, said Carla Doty, adult programs supervisor for the city’s recreation services.

Dublin offers more than a dozen types of classes for adults each month, from exercise and art classes to memoir writing and Japanese. Dublin’s classes typically have some costs, starting around $10 and increasing for longer-term classes, such as its beginner’s golf league. Classes are open to all adults, including nonresidents.

“Being curious, being inquisitive about what’s going on in the world, about hobbies, about arts and crafts, whatever the subject area is, it leads people to have a more passionate life,” Doty said. “That will reflect in our community.”

The Idea Foundry is known for its co-working spaces and opportunities for people to use the tools and equipment in its workshop. It also offers regular classes for those just looking to try something new or revisit a dormant hobby.

“I’ve seen so many people who have engaged with us in some sort of way who will start conversations, like, ‘Oh I could never do that, I’m not a maker, I’m not creative,’” said Casey McCarty, chief operations officer at the Idea Foundry. “It’s really just kind of a mental hiccup that people put upon themselves. Once they kind of get into it, all these doors open up.”

For Weese, he hopes Lightning Learn’s Downtown classes will offer an alternative to the afterwork happy hour or the rush home for the couch.

“It should be a fun, weekday evening hour or two,” he said. “Providing that opportunity for meeting people that have similar interests I think is something that can be super valuable.”