Community Education about connections

Mel Shaw is manager of Community Education Whanganui. Photo / Paul Brooks

Community Education about connections
By Paul Brooks

Community Education Whanganui is as strong as ever, founded on the first word in its title – 'Community'. It's about forging friendships and connections while learning something useful, entertaining or interesting. The service, inaugurated in Whanganui in 1979, turns 43 this year and remains an independent entity.

In the capable hands of manager Mel Shaw and administrator Cherie Selby, Community Education Whanganui has a full programme lined up for Term 1.

"We've got Airini Beautrais," says Mel. Airini, a well-known published poet and short story writer, is teaching creative writing this year.

Also making a return to the curriculum is Modern Hebrew, taught by Leon Benbaruk.

"Watercolours with Sandra Morris was new last year, but we had to cancel." Now, it's back. "And we've got new cooking classes – Italian, vegetarian and gluten-free."

Mel says they get 500 or 600 people a year enrolling for courses, and they are from all walks of life and completely different backgrounds.

"Bringing them together is a beautiful thing."

She says we are noticing the deterioration of mental health as people isolate, possibly fearful of Covid-19. Community Education is a way of alleviating anxiety and stress, bringing people together for a common purpose.

"People are suffering, so what we are doing is becoming more visible. We need those connection points again. We are also getting a lot of people who are new to Whanganui. They know they can come to a class and meet other, like-minded people."

She says friendships have been formed this way and classmates are participating in other activities together.

"I think what we do here is 50 per cent learning, and the rest is that connection.

"I genuinely believe that what we do here is a good thing for humans."

Mel is also relatively new to Whanganui.

"This job has afforded me the opportunity to meet with clever, incredible people. I'm always amazed by the depth and wealth of talent, knowledge and experience in such a small place."

She says that depth of experience amongst the tutors is what makes Community Education "truthful".

"Like Marty Vreede, Sandra Morris and Pauline Allomes [for example], they are actual working artists."

Tutors in other fields, too, have years of experience working and teaching.

"There's that real honesty there. They are teaching because they love what they do, and that's why they've been doing it for so long, and now they want to share.

"Some of our tutors are new to Whanganui, too."

Courses are kept affordable but funding is always an issue.

"I think people have this idea that Community Education is funded by Government or UCOL," says Mel. "The courses pay for themselves with the course fee, but in terms of operations, every single thing is through funding applications. It's always a balance: keeping course fees low and affordable, but being able to pay our tutors what they deserve."

Mel says the tutors are amazing and very community-minded.

All Community Education classes require vaccination passes.