Burbank Adult School is in session
The Burbank Adult School is kicking off its fall session with several new courses, including classes designed to prepare students for careers in the “green” technology field.
Responding to trends in the job market, the school is offering a solar photovoltaic installation class for the first time. The class is meant to introduce participants to the fundamentals of solar panels, electrical design, performance analysis and troubleshooting, said Principal Joseph Stark.
“This is in partnership with our electrician apprenticeship program, which is a four-year program,” Stark said. “We heard from the field that this is a particular area that electricians are going to have to know in the next five to 10 years as demand for this type of [expertise] increases.”
The first solar photovoltaic installation class is already underway, and a second session is scheduled to begin Oct. 19. Burbank Adult School will also offer a 14-week class on eco-friendly landscaping starting Saturday.
Located at 3811 W. Allan Ave., the Burbank Adult School serves between 5,000 and 6,000 students annually with career technical education and enrichment classes. Its biggest program, English as a second language, draws 2,000 students alone.
The school is hosting an open house today to introduce new and returning students to its course offerings. Information sessions will take place from 10:30 a.m. to noon and 6 to 7:30 p.m. Students who register on the spot will get a $10 discount. Senior citizens are eligible for a $15 discount.
Classes include medical billing, Web design, painting and tennis.
“We also have a lot of free workshops in addition to our fee-based offerings,” Stark said. “We really do try and offer something for everybody.”
The school attracts a diverse range of students, officials said.
“It kinds of runs the gamut,” Stark said. “The median age is somewhere between 40 and 50, but we do get a lot of younger students as well. It is actually a good mix, demographically.”
Among its signature offerings are its parent education courses, which got a boost late last year when nonprofit Kaboom invested $60,000 to build a new playground at the site.
“The parent ed program is really a jewel in Burbank,” Stark said. “To have this new play area, we feel, is a wonderful addition to the parent ed program. The kids of the parents have a really great place to play and congregate …It has been a nice kind of way to attract new families to our parent ed program.”