Algonquin’s Perth campus has prepared a number of one-week trade courses in preparation for the 2018 summer semester.
Lindsay Derraugh, a recruiter at the Perth campus who has helped develop the summer courses, refers to the programs as “adult summer camps.”
“We’ve always kind of been known for our heritage programming, but we’ve really just done carpentry and masonry. So, what we kind of wanted to do is we wanted to flush those out a bit,” Derraugh said. “There’s a lot of people around who have been asking for other heritage style programs, so we wanted to offer something not only to people in the Perth community but around Canada and across the world.”
Heritage carpentry and masonry are just two of the 11 programs being offered this summer as a one-week trade course. The courses use traditional techniques and range from blacksmithing and stone working to canoe building and log-cabin construction.
Heritage trades revolve around traditional tools and practices. Derraugh thinks they’ll appeal to people who like to work with their hands, but who might not have that opportunity in their day-to-day jobs. Instead, she’s hoping people will want to spend time this summer picking up a new, old-fashioned hobby.
“We’ve got about 13 part-time courses coming up,” said Derraugh.“They’re all one-week courses and they all run during the summer. They run either Monday to Friday or Monday to Saturday. The programs are designed to be fun for people to come to Perth – Perth is a great tourist destination – spend a week, get an Airbnb and learn a fun new skill.”
The courses range from around $600 to $1000. They all take place either on campus or in the surrounding area of Lanark County. The courses will begin this May and students can sign up online on the Perth campus’ website. There is no prior learning needed to begin the program.
“The bottom line is, everybody can take these courses and there is no experience necessary,” said Derraugh. “Perth is a great town, it’s very fun in the summer. We hope people will come out and experience the Perth campus.”
Derraugh has high hopes for this year’s batch of programs, which have done well in previous years. Due to the inclusion of a few new courses, including a stone lettering primer, she believes this summer will be the best one yet.
“If you haven’t been here before, you can learn a new skill in one intensive week,” said Derraugh. “Come on down and try something new this summer, you might like it.”
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