Parkland College is extending opportunities for young learners this year by taking its popular summer enrichment series, College for Kids, beyond the summer months. Beginning this fall, the program will now be offered throughout the year, providing students ages 6–18 with creative and educational classes in art, science, cooking, and more.

The expansion opens up a wide variety of engaging options. In STEM Explorers: Microbit Programming & Engineering Adventure, students will gain hands-on experience with coding and engineering. For those with artistic interests, Dare to Draw and More introduces techniques to design characters for comics, video games, and animation.

College for Kids has been a longstanding summer tradition for years, giving children a chance to explore, create, and learn in a fun and engaging environment,” said Youth Program Manager Kathy Buyze. “We are thrilled to expand our flagship program into the fall and spring, so families can enjoy the same high-quality learning opportunities year-round.”

Hands-on courses in the arts include Felt It! Sculpting with Fiber Arts, where students will learn the needle-felting process to create unique three-dimensional pieces from wool. Culinary opportunities also take center stage, with six courses ranging from dumpling-making to fall baking and cake decorating.

The first event of the College for Kids: Fall Edition kicks off Saturday, September 20, with Orienteering for Families, designed for students ages 10–13 and their families to learn exploration skills outdoors.

Families interested in registering can visit parkland.edu/CFKfall or call 217-351-2235. For additional information, contact Community Education at communityeducation@parkland.edu.