Eden Prairie Community Education

Learn about contemporary art practices that use traditional craft media and techniques in unconventional ways. Explore hybrid approaches to art making, such as craftivism, performative craft, dysfunctional craft, ephemeral art, and wearable art.

Create beautiful, healthy, and colorful container gardens! Professional photographer and gardener, Michelle Mero Riedel, will help you discover fast growing, vigorous, nursery-quality plants with season long color. She’ll intersperse her discussions with image after image of beautiful combinations that are easily created. A detailed color handout of each container design recipe will be provided and there will be plenty of time for questions. This is the perfect antidote to a long winter. Ask your favorite garden buddy to join you for this online discussion class and you can share the excitement and fun as you begin to plan your summer containers! This class will be held online and in partnership with multiple Community Education Programs. You will need access to video and audio on a computer, tablet or smartphone with internet connection. Class will take place on Zoom, which is free to use. The Zoom link will be emailed to you prior to class.

Cryptocurrency - What is it? Where did it come from? And how does it work? Learn some of the fundamental concepts about cryptocurrencies, how history can repeat itself in the current cryptocurrency hype and what are some of the potentials and vulnerabilities of digital currency. This class will be held online and in partnership with multiple Community Education Programs. You will need access to video and audio on a computer, tablet or smartphone with internet connection. Class will take place on Zoom, which is free to use. The Zoom link will be emailed to you prior to class.

Explore the role of immigrants in the making and remaking of Saint Paul. From the immigrants that impacted the foundation of the city in the 1840s to the immigration of our current time. Discover public policy and immigration reform through the lens of history. Classes rely on lecture, documents, images and writings to explore immigrant experiences and the impact they had. Readings are emailed before each class. Course taught by the East Side Freedom Library's co-executive director, Peter Rachleff. Peter taught American Labor, Immigration and African American History at Macalester College for 32 years. This class will be held online and in partnership with multiple Community Education Programs. You will need access to video and audio on a computer, tablet or smartphone with internet connection. Class will take place on Zoom, which is free to use. The Zoom link will be emailed to you prior to class.

Join Ojibewa-Anishanabe storyteller, Bud Johnston of Pipestone, as he shares the history and traditions of his American Indian tribe and breaks down cultural stereotypes. This class will be held online and in partnership with multiple Community Education Programs. You will need access to video and audio on a computer, tablet or smartphone with internet connection. Class will take place on Zoom, which is free to use. The Zoom link will be emailed to you prior to class.

Join Movie Man Eric Houston to dive into Hollywood and film history! Eric is the Studio Manager at North Metro TV in Blaine. These classes are held online and in partnership with multiple Community Education Programs. Jim Henson and the Muppets It’s time to raise the curtains! It’s time to light the lights! It’s time to grab a seat for this terrific one hour look at the life and career of one of the most talented and creative men ever born: Jim Henson. Movie Man Eric Houston will use rare photographs and clips to take you on a tour of Jim’s work, including the birth of the Muppets. You’ll see rare Muppet commercials, clips from Jim’s most famous and most obscure movies and TV shows, and even get a look at Sam and Friends, the very first Muppet show! You won’t want to miss it! Over the Rainbow: Behind the Scenes of the Wizard of Oz We’re off to see the Wizard and get a peek behind the curtain in this great, one hour class from Movie Man Eric Houston. This is your chance to learn the fascinating and tumultuous behind the scenes story of one of the greatest and most popular films ever made. You’ll learn which child star was almost cast as Dorothy, hear a rare, deleted song from the film, and even see footage from early silent film versions of the story! There is so much to learn that you, too, will feel as if you’ve traveled the famous yellow brick road! Mary Pickford: The World’s First Movie Star In Honor of International Woman's Day! Once the most famous and successful woman in the world, Mary Pickford was the original American super star. We'll take an in depth look at her career, from her early silent films to her Oscar winning sound debut! You'll learn all about how this amazing woman founded her own movie studio (which is still in business today), how her acting style revolutionized silent films, how she and her husband became the first world famous celebrity couple, and the huge scandal she caused by simply cutting her hair! Plus you'll get a rare look at clips from several of her classic films and dozens of behind the scenes photographs alongside a lecture from Movie Man Eric Houston. As these courses will be taught virtually, you will need access to video and audio on a computer, tablet or smartphone with internet connection. Class will be held on Zoom, which is free to use. The Zoom link will be emailed to you prior to class.

Dance halls, secret saloons, wild behavior, lawsuits and whiskey. Historian Karen Cooper shares the lost history of Minnehaha Falls where all this mayhem occurred a hundred years ago. Crooks, landowners, saloon owners, and hoteliers went to the Falls to turn a profit or to raise a little ruckus. The conflict between moral upright society and the dissipated partiers at the Falls is a fascinating and forgotten story. Karen's new book: When Minnehaha Flowed with Whiskey - A Spirited History of the Falls is set to release this May. This class will be held online and in partnership with multiple Community Education Programs. You will need access to video and audio on a computer, tablet or smartphone with internet connection. Class will take place on Zoom, which is free to use. The Zoom link will be emailed to you prior to class.

This class will help you understand climate change and will outline actions we can take to help reduce climate chaos impact in our urban and rural habitats. This class will be held online and in partnership with multiple Community Education Programs. You will need access to video and audio on a computer, tablet or smartphone with internet connection. Class will take place on Zoom, which is free to use. The Zoom link will be emailed to you prior to class.

It is impossible to ignore the current injustices in our neighborhoods, cities, and nation. Are you familiar with racial justice history and terminology, but are struggling to figure out what you can do to support change? Join us as we discuss our role as community members in the quest for justice and develop an antiracism living practice. This class will be held online and in partnership with multiple Community Education Programs. You will need access to video and audio on a computer, tablet or smartphone with internet connection. Class will take place on Zoom, which is free to use. The Zoom link will be emailed to you prior to class.

Whether you’re updating to sell or just need a change, join us to learn simple, budget-friendly updates you can do yourself. Come learn about key spaces, tips to declutter, accessorizing trends and fresh color basics--inspiration starts here!

This presentation will include an overview of Jewish peoplehood, antisemitism, and challenges faced today. Please bring questions to the discussion. Presented by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas (JCRC): The JCRC builds relationships to fight antisemitism and bigotry; educates about Judaism, Israel, antisemitism, and the Holocaust; advocates for Jewish values and priorities; and safeguards our community. This class will be held online and in partnership with multiple Community Education Programs. You will need access to video and audio on a computer, tablet or smartphone with internet connection. Class will take place on Zoom, which is free to use. The Zoom link will be emailed to you prior to class.