From bookbinding to Spanish for Beginners, and everything in between, Boothbay Region Adult & Community Education is pleased to offer 36 enrichment classes this spring.

Classes start March 1 with Bookbinding Q&A, a free information session with artist Joelle Webber who will teach two bookbinding classes this semester. Beginner Bookbinding, the first three-week in-person session begins March 8 at Boothbay Region High School. The cost is $65 and includes materials.

Webber has been making books for 40 years, and practices her craft at Mermaid Bindery on Westport Island. There she offers original artist books, binding services for fellow creators, handmade crafts in her roadside shed, and workshops for several communities. 

There’s even more for creative and entrepreneurial types at Boothbay Region Adult & Community Education. Artist and teacher Debra Arter will offer several classes this spring, including the online Sooooo … You want to run an Airbnb on March 13. Needlefelting for All on March 14, and Super Scone Night on March 16 will both take place at the high school. Prices vary.

While most classes will be offered in-person at the high school or Edgecomb Eddy School, some are even better when they are held online.

Martin Samelson, a job coach for the deaf and professor of American Sign Language will teach two American Sign Language classes on Zoom. Handshapes for Beginners is free and covers the alphabet and numbers over the course of two weeks, beginning March 8. This class prepares students for ASL, Level I, which begins March 22 for 6 weeks. The cost is $75.

Master Maine Guide Alice Bean Andrenyak will also teach on Zoom with the two-seek Map & Compass, Level I on March 16 and 23. This is a great course for anyone who hikes, snowshoes, hunts, geocaches, camps, or spends time in the woods. Students must have a DeLorme Maine Gazetteer, and a 2-degree baseplate compass to participate. The cost is $50.

Students must have an audio- and video-enabled device and reliable internet access to get the most from online classes. Register online at boothbayae.maineadulted.org. There is a $1.99 per course registration online portal fee. Avoid it by emailing Kate Winslow at kwinslow@aos98schools.org to register.

Boothbay Adult & Community Education offers high school completion, college preparation, English language learning, workforce training, and general enrichment programs to the AOS 98 communities of Boothbay, Boothbay Harbor, Edgecomb, Georgetown, and Southport. For more information, email Director Raye Leonard at rleonard@aos98schools.org or visit boothbayae.maineadulted.org. The best way to contact the program is by email.