Community Courses

bookIf you have any questions about courses or have ideas for courses you'd like to see us do, please call Michelle Bartlett at 907-474-7021, or email summer@alaska.edu.

UAF Summer Sessions & Lifelong Learning offers a variety of non-credit bearing courses accessible to members of the community without the requirements of typical college courses. Many of these courses are practical, hands-on workshop style classes taught by local experts.

To register and pay for courses, follow the link below:

(Please note: to register for Let's Dance, please us the blue registration button under the course description)

Daniel Ponickly portrait

Daniel Ponickly teaches Actors Movement for the UAF Film and Performing Arts program. He is the Artistic Director of the Dance Education Project and former Performing Arts Specialist with the Los Angeles County Office of Education. His dance work includes “Mad Hot Ballroom,” “Mona Lisa Smile,” and the Academy Awards.   

Let's Dance
Instructor: Daniel Ponickly
Meets: April 4 - April 27, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7 PM - 8 PM
Location: SRC Group Fitness Studio
Description:  Let Daniel guide you through the steps and techniques of simple and fun lead-and-follow partner dancing with your partner or a friend!
Cost: $150 per pair - all couples welcome!

Two Woven Scarves

Example of the two scarves that students will learn to weave for Intro to Weaving.

Intro to Weaving: Two Scarves in Four Weeks
Instructors: Fairbanks Weavers and Spinners Guild
Meets: April 16 - May 7, Sundays, 10 AM - 2 PM
Location: Tanana Valley Fairgrounds, Davis Hall
Description: This course is an introduction to weaving. Looms are pre-warped and ready to weave. You will weave two scarves, one plain and the other twill, plus learn hem stitching and wet finishing techniques. No prerequisites or prior experience are required. This course is offered in cooperation with the Fairbanks Weaver and Spinners Association.
Cost: $275

Class with Simon Rakower

Bicycle Maintenance and Repair
Instructor: Simon Rakower
Meets: May 2 - 30, Tuesdays, 6 PM - 9 PM
Location: U Park 158
Description: Comprehensive and practical, hands-on bicycle maintenance and repair focusing on road and mountain bikes. Emphasis on drive chain, shifting, brakes, wheels (straightening), tires, tubes (flats), steering systems, cable replacement and lubrication. Review geometry and physics of the bicycle, the world’s most efficient means of transportation. Students should bring a bicycle to class to work on. 
Cost: $140

Advanced Bike Hacking
Instructor: Simon Rakower
Meets: May 4 - June 1, Thursdays, 6PM - 9 PM
Location: U Park 158
Description: Students will work on bicycle hacking projects of their choosing using the information and techniques covered in the Bicycle Maintenance and Repair course. Familiarity with the subjects covered in the intro class is assumed however, having taken the intro class is recommended but not required. Students are required to meet with the instructor in April to map out the hack(s) to be completed during this advanced course. Students should bring a bicycle to class to work on. 
Cost: $140

Cyanotypes

Cyanotype examples.

Cyanotypes
Instructor: Jason Lazarus
Meets: May 6 - 7, Saturday and Sunday, 9 AM - 1 PM
Location: Bunnell 106
Description: Learn how to make your own photo-sensitive paper that can be exposed using just the sun! Print large-scale”digital negatives” of any image, digital or film-based, and print blue-toned images on watercolor paper while enjoying a sunny day. Easy to learn and replicate at home.
Cost: $130

Lumen Prints

The Lumen Printing process.

Lumen Printing
Instructor: Jason Lazarus
Meets: May 6 - 7, Saturday and Sunday, 2 PM - 6 PM
Location: Bunnell 106
Description: This course instructs students in the process of creating cameraless photographic prints with the power of the sun using expired and unused photo paper. Requiring no prior darkroom experience, students will learn how to make colorful impressions of botanical items with little more than some paper, plants and a single photo chemical.
Cost: $140

Justine Schmidt teacher for Youth Mental Health

Instructor Justine Schmidt for Youth Mental Health First Aid.

Youth Mental Health First Aid
Instructor: Justine Schmidt
Meets: May 8 - 15, Monday and Wednesday, 6 PM - 8 PM
Location: Gruening 307
Description: Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Youth Mental Health First Aid is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. The course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including AD/HD), and eating disorders.
Cost: $50

Modern embroidery

The use of a birch tree bark canvas for Modern Embroidery.

Modern Embroidery: Using Diverse Canvases
Instructor: Lyndsi Harris
Meets: May 9 - 18, Tuesday and Thursday, 6 PM - 8:30 PM
Location: Murie 306
Description: Take a step away from traditional fabric embroidery in this introduction to modern embroidery. Students will begin by learning a variety of basic embroidery stitches that will be used later in the class to create a richly textured finished piece. We will start our work on paper and progress to more unusual canvases like birch tree bark. While watercolor painting will not be the main focus of this course, students will be encouraged to experiment with adding paint to their pieces to enrich the depth and texture.
Cost: $175

Bookmaking

An example of the kind of structure students will make in Bookmaking: The Expanding Gallery Box.

Bookmaking: The Expanding Gallery Box
Instructor: Margo Klass
Meets: June 2 - 4, Friday, 6 PM - 8:30 PM, Saturday and Sunday, 10 AM - 4 PM
Location: Murie 306
Description: This 3-dimensional book structure requires the artist to imagine how the book will be experienced in the hands of its viewer - from unlatching the cover and opening the box to unfolding the hinged panels outward in all directions and discovering at its center the object in the recessed compartment. Each step requires the viewer’s active participation. Although this structure invites the book to be purely visual, text can be added to any of its components. In this workshop, we will construct a model as pictured. We’ll learn how to measure and cut all its parts, use book cloth to hinge together the four sets of triple-folded panels around the central recessed compartment, and embed a magnetic closure in its cover. Participants will personalize their models by providing an object to be featured in the central well and papers to mount on the surrounding panels. 
Cost: $225

Intro to Geocaching instructor

Instructor Janet Taylor for Intro to Geocaching.

Intro to Geocaching (This course is no longer available. Please contact Summer Sessions for more information)
Instructor: Janet Taylor
Meets: June 3 - 4, Saturday and Sunday, 12 PM - 4 PM
Location: Gruening 304
Description: Come join in the fun of geocaching, the world's largest treasure hunt. This class will cover the basics for beginners. Download a geocaching app on your smartphone before the start of the course and be prepared for outdoor activity.
Cost: $130

Fly Fishing Weekend
Instructor: Shann Jones
Meets: June 3 - 4, Saturday and Sunday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Location: Chapman 104, Ballaine Lake, and other local waters as conditions permit
Description: Introduction to the art and science of flyfishing, providing necessary knowledge to make educated fly tackle selections. Students will also learn how to use a fly rod to cast a fishing fly with pinpoint accuracy, tie fishing knots and construct their own leaders, select fishing flies, and, most importantly, learn where fish live and how best to catch (and release) them. Scientific information on Alaskan freshwater fish, habitat, entomology, and stream ecology will be covered in the context of practical fishing advice. Non-residents can obtain a three-day license at local vendors. Participants must also provide their own boots and field clothing. A limited number of fly rods, reels and other tackle will be available for workshop participants’ use. Such arrangements must be made directly with the instructor prior to the start of the workshop. This course is approximately one third in the classroom and two thirds in the field.
Cost: $135

Introduction to Field Sketching

A piece made for Tuning Into Place:An Introduction to Field Sketching on Location.

Tuning Into Place: An Introduction to Field Sketching on Location
Instructor: Klara Maisch
Meets: June 9 - 10, Friday, 6 PM - 8 PM, Saturday, 10 AM - 4 PM (waitlist only!)
Location: Murie 306
Description: This class will explore the parallels between art and science and the many ways we can observe and respond to our surroundings. Participants will practice observation through various sketching techniques using pencils, pens, and watercolor paint, creating one or more developed pieces. Weather pending, this class will mostly occur outside.  To view the materials list and discover more about this course, visit https://www.klaramaisch.com/uaf-class.
Cost: $150

Lets Play Golf

Part of the course for Let's Play Golf.

Let's Play Golf
Instructor: James Contreras
Meets: June 14 - July 26, Wednesdays, 12:30 PM - 2 PM
Location: Fairbanks Golf Course
Description: Do you want to learn how to play golf? How about improving your swing? PGA professional J.C. Contreras will work with you to achieve your goals.
Cost: $225

Street Photography
Instructor: JR Ancheta
Meets: June 24, Saturday, 10 AM - 4 PM
Location: Morris Thompson Visitor Center
Description: Explore downtown Fairbanks while you learn how to use your digital Camera. No photo skills are necessary and learn on the spot. Class meets at the Morris Thompson Visitor Center.
Cost: $50

Paint Like Sydney Laurence
Instructor: Mary Albanese
Meets: June 26-30, Monday-Friday, 3 PM - 7 PM
Location: Art 303
Description: Study a collection of paintings by Sydney Laurence and Fred Machetanz up close. Following visual examination, students will create studies of the works through their own drawings and paintings, capturing and recreating elements of the master's work, focusing on elements of composition, color scheme, and brush stroke techniques.
Cost: $200

Portraits at the Botanical Garden
Instructor: JR Ancheta
Meets: July 1, Saturday, 10 AM - 4 PM
Location: Georgeson Botanical Garden
Description: Compose, capture and create stunning portraits while you learn how to use your digital camera. No photo skills are necessary and learn on the spot. Students must bring their own model. Class meets at the Georgeson Botanical Garden.
Cost: $50

Botanical Art Peonies

A colored pencil drawing of a peony for Botanical Art: Fairbanks Peonies.

Botanical Art: Fairbanks Peonies
Instructor: Karen Stomberg
Meets: July 7 - 9, Friday 6 PM - 8 PM, Saturday and Sunday, 10 AM - 4 PM
Location: Murie 306
Description: Peony blooms are the spectacular high-summer divas in the Georgeson Botanical Garden. We'll be touring the peony beds on the first evening of class, where you will choose your bloom to study and draw in the classroom. After some inspiration from traditional and contemporary botanical art, we will work with a variety of drawing tools, colored pencils, and watercolors. We will discuss composition, botany, and practice techniques to help you continue working in your personal style on fine watercolor paper. Some experience is preferred for attendance in this class.
Cost: $175

Adult Bug Camp Class

A successful day for Adult Bug Camp.

Adult Bug Camp
Instructor: Derek Sikes
Meets: July 14 - 16, Friday 6 PM - 8 PM, Saturday and Sunday, 1 PM - 6:15 PM
Location: Murie 306
Description: Learn collection and processing methods needed to build an insect collection. Skills necessary to identify most groups to Order will be taught. Students will create a collection which will be broken into three groups: specimens the student can take home, specimens for the University of Alaska Museum Insect Collection, and specimens for the Teaching Collection.
Cost: $135

Field/ Landscape Photography
Instructor: JR Ancheta
Meets: July 15, Saturday, 10 AM - 4 PM
Location: Georgeson Botanical Garden
Description: Explore Creamers Field and the Georgeson Botanical Gardens and learn how to use your digital camera. No photo skills are necessary and learn on the spot. Class meets at the Georgeson Botanical Garden.
Cost: $50

Mushroom being held up

Mushroom identification in Interior Alaska.

Intro to Mushroom Identification
Instructor: Christin Swearingen
Meets: August 18 - 20, Friday, 6 PM - 8 PM, Saturday, 10 AM - 4 PM, and Sunday, 11 AM - 3 PM
Location: Murie 203
Description: In this weekend intensive course, you will learn how to identify some of the common species of mushrooms in Interior Alaska. We will spend time in the field collecting mushrooms, learning how to use dichotomous keys, making spore prints, and learning which features to hone into when identifying mushrooms. Finding choice edible species is not guaranteed, but you will leave the class knowing how to identify at least four edible species.
Cost: $100

Registration and Payment 
All registrations for Non-credit Short Courses are completed through CampDoc.  Please visit the Campdoc website at app.campdoc.com/register/uaf to create a profile and register for classes!  If you have previously registered with CampDoc, you will not need to create a new profile.  
Payment can be made during registration through CampDoc.  Please note that Non-credit Short Courses require a $25.00 non-refundable deposit that must be paid at the time of registration.  If you register for a course and decide not to attend, you MUST drop the course before it begins or you will be charged for the full class.  For additional information contact Summer Sessions at 474-7021 or summer@alaska.edu.

How do I register with CampDoc?
If you are unfamiliar with Campdoc, this handy guide might help you get started. 

How do I find out more information about Parking?
If your Non-credit Short Course takes place on campus between 8 am-5 pm, Monday-Friday, you will be required to have a current parking decal or short term parking permit displayed in your vehicle. Outside of these times, no permit is required. 

For more information about parking on campus call 474-7275 or view parking locations at uaf.edu/campusmap.