Noted for its wide range of classes and enrichment programs available at the Wellington Community Center, the Village of Wellington is now seeking additional proposals to further expand its offerings.
Wellington’s Parks & Recreation Department is looking for a few more talented, positive and innovative people who know how to do stuff and would like to share that knowledge and expertise with the community in classes and workshops as independent contractors who are not employed by the village.
“We have a lot of great, talented instructors, and we would like to branch out with new instruction,” Community Programs Coordinator Chris O’Connor said.
Many instructors are regionally and nationally recognized for their work. He explained that in areas such as youth enrichment, they already have yoga, meditation, hip-hop dancing and tumbling, but are on the search for new ideas.
O’Connor gave examples of offerings that the village is seeking. He stressed that the list is not limited to items that are already named, and that the village is open to ideas that are of interest to residents, including the youngest and oldest among them.
“We are looking for do-it-yourself, handyman and shop classes; photography and videography instruction; and cooking and food prep classes for meals that are healthy or made from scratch, or from different cultures,” O’Connor said.
He added that classes could cover everything from topics of interest to children through senior citizens, including various styles of adult art, such as drawing, watercolor, oil or acrylic painting. Also of interest are education and STEM programs, as well as outdoor or nature-based topics. Wellness and fitness classes offered in the daytime are also among the areas that the village would like to offer in the expanded curriculum.
O’Connor said that the categories mentioned are just some ideas that the village has already had based upon what they have heard expressed by residents and research from outside sources and other communities.
“We are looking for new ideas,” he said.
Classes can range from a single workshop to 10 weeks and might meet weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.
“It depends on the specific course and how the instructor divides it into digestible bits for users,” O’Connor said, adding that dog obedience is an eight-week course while tumble tots runs for 10 weeks.
Courses will have a fee associated with them. “It depends on the skill set of the instructor and the materials involved, so it will vary for each course,” O’Connor said.
Interested parties should prepare a program proposal that includes a curriculum, time and day availability, program duration, fees and professional background of the instructor. Some proposals will be more in-depth than others, depending upon the subject.
Proposals should be submitted to Community Programs Coordinator Chris O’Connor at the Wellington Community Center, which is located at 12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd.
“The sooner the better to receive the proposals,” he said, although a firm deadline has not been announced.
For more information, contact O’Connor at (561) 612-6697 or coconnor@wellingtonfl.gov. To learn about current offerings at the Wellington Community Center, visit www.wellingtonfl.gov/communitycenter.
