TAKING COURSE
Got a New Year’s resolution? Want to pick up a different language, learn how to crochet, or improve those sub-par culinary skills? Darwin Adult Short Courses (DASC) can help.
WORDS TIERNEY WHITE
IT’S THIS TIME of year we start to reflect on how the year’s unfolded. Where are we at with our relationships, our careers, our health, our hobbies? Well, while they may not be able to help you out in some areas, DASC can certainly help you hone some of those hobbies or professional skills you might be inspired to try.
With a comprehensive program and terms running throughout the year – plus one-off classes – the program is varied, with everything from personal development to creative interests to professional upskilling.
Courses cover areas of technology, languages, arts and crafts, yoga, sewing, public speaking, and cooking – you can even sign up to learn how to make the NT’s official unofficial dish, the humble laksa!
Jackie O’Toole is the [very busy] course coordinator and reckons you can give something a crack at any stage of life.
“We've got a lot of retirees, who have got a lot of leisure time. You know, they want to connect with people as well, so we see a lot of them coming in,” she says.
“But it's all ages. We have people that are in their early 20s … but generally, the 42 to 50 age group bracket is the main core of the student body.”
With a tonne of courses on offer, the most popular ones might come as a surprise.
“We've got three crochet courses running … And I’ve found that, in languages in particular, Italian has been the most popular language,” O’Toole says.
“We struggled to get a Japanese teacher, but when we did get one from Japan, she was here in Darwin for a little while. That was chock-a-block as well, so I think it's those destinations that people want to travel to.”
DASC courses are great for the mind, giving participants a sense of achievement and new skills, and some students have even gone on to make some cash from their creative pursuits.
“I know of a couple of students, who come here and they also go to Tactile Arts … They've gone on to set up their own little businesses, like doing pottery and selling at the markets,” O’Toole says.
Whatever tickles your fancy, whether it’s learning a bit of French before a trip to Paris, learning how to use a 3D printer, or picking up a paintbrush for the first time since you were a kid, connecting with others over a shared interest is a special thing.
“That's what we're trying to do, build that community, that sense of community, and get people engaged in different courses and just learning all the time. You're never too old to learn.”
