Adult Education

The Education Council is hosting a free marketing series presented by PennWest Clarion Small Business Development Center. “The Core of Small Business Marketing” is part one of a three-part series about marketing your small business. Part two is entitled “Better Marketing Brings Better Customers,” and part three is “Bringing Your Marketing to an Expert Level.”

This course walks through the organic progression of a business’s need for marketing. The lessons learned and strategies used in this seminar will help participants assess their current business’s marketing needs and provide suggestions, tips, tools, and tricks to improve your business communications and sales. This practical approach to solving real marketing problems is told in a way that new or young business owners can learn and retain for use in their daily lives as they run their small businesses.

These free, in-person seminars, taught by Jason Strohm, business consultant with the Clarion SBDC, will be on Thursdays, February 29, March 28 and April 25, 2024, respectively, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Education Council’s office at 5 Water Street, Coudersport. Bring your own bag lunch; bottled water will be provided. Registration is required. Register online or call (814) 393-2060.

The Potter County Education Council, Tri-Co Connections, the Potter County Human Services Area Agency on Aging, and our local school districts are continuing to team up to implement a county-wide program called Seniors 2 Seniors. This program teaches basic computer skills, digital literacy, and cybersecurity to senior citizens so that they have the skills and knowledge to utilize the many benefits of high-speed Internet. As a part of this program, local high school students volunteer to provide on-site support to each of the adults who participate in the course. 

The Seniors 2 Seniors technology course is being offered at the Ulysses Senior Center on Wednesdays, March 6 – April 10, 2024, from 12:45 – 2:15 p.m. This course will also be offered in Galeton on Wednesdays, April 17 – May 22, 2024. The registration deadline for the Ulysses course is Wednesday, February 28th. Register yourself, a parent, or grandparent by calling (814) 274-4877 or by stopping by the Potter County Education Council office at 5 Water Street in Coudersport.

How many times do we encounter hearing-impaired people and wish that we could communicate with them? As we age, we gradually lose some of our hearing. Sign language can help. Also, mothers of pre-lingual children can use sign language as a tool with their little ones. Here is your opportunity to learn basic sign language that could help you or someone you care about. 

Basic Sign Language will cover beginning sign language, the alphabet, conversational phrases, and a variety of commonly used signs. In addition, we will address basic facts essential to the correct use of the language. A dedicated student could learn as many as 800 signs and understand signing and interpreting rules, basic deaf culture, and medical situations that cause deafness and loss of hearing. 

Do you already know some signs but want to learn more to take your knowledge to the next level? Intermediate Sign Language will be a continuation of the introduction of signs (cities, states, countries, holidays, household items, religious terms, etc.), going further with using sign language in conversation, as well as, slang, and a discussion on political correctness as it pertains to signing and the deaf culture. 

Both Basic Sign Language and Intermediate Sign Language will be taught by Sheri Greene at the Education Council’s Coudersport office at 5 Water Street. Basic Sign Language is scheduled on Tuesdays, April 9 to May 21, 2024, (no class on April 16), from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Intermediate Sign Language is scheduled on Mondays, April 8 to May 20, 2024, (no class on April 15) from 5:30 – 8:30 p.m. The cost for each 6-week course is $160 per person. The registration deadline is Monday, April 1. Register online or get more information on the Potter County Education Council website, or call (814) 274-4877.