COMMUNITY EXTENSION PROGRAM OFFERS
WIDE RANGE OF CAREER, ENRICHMENT CLASSES

Want to learn floral design before the autumn holiday parties begin? You say you finally bought a computer but you don't know the first thing about the Internet or email? Or maybe you're tired of calling a plumber every time something goes wrong in the kitchen and you want to learn to "do it yourself."

How about photography, the art of mediation, or conversational Italian?

These classes and many more will be offered when Los Angeles Mission College Community Extension launches its summer session on August 9. More than 125 classes will be available, ranging from CPR and Web design, to framing and matting artwork, to guitar and piano lessons.

"People from all walks of life take our courses," said Diane Astadurian, Community Extension manager. "We get housewives who want to have a career as court interpreters, or a teenager who's taking a drumming class. We get lots of mature people who say, hey, I've finally got some down time, I want to learn quilting."

Community Extension offers a mix of cultural or personal enrichment classes with courses designed for professional advancement. For example, one series of classes teaches enrollees about medical office billing procedures, collections, insurance and claims - reflecting a need in the medical industry for people with such skills. Another popular class aimed at increasing earning power helps students become notary publics.

Community Extension also offers a number of basic computer classes in Spanish. And its college for kids and teens offers introductory computer, creative writing and much more.

Each year, several thousand people enroll in the wide variety of classes offered over three sessions by Community Extension. The summer session usually has the greatest enrollment - more than 4,300 last summer.

Returning students should note that Community Extension's primary location has moved this session from Granada Hills High School to Porter Middle School, 15960 Kingsbury St., Granada Hills.

Cost of most courses ranges from $50-$100, although many others are priced as low as $25. Some highly specialized classes, such as digital editing, have steeper enrollment fees. Lengths of the classes vary, ranging from one-day sessions to eight weeks.

For more information about Community Extension, call (818) 364-7387. Or see the courses on-line at www.lamission.edu/extension

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