District 214 Community Education

This course offers more conversational practice for students who have completed the equivalent of beginning and intermediate Spanish. Everyday vocabulary is emphasized through many types of practice.

The Artistic Director of The Theater Lab will provide a comprehensive overview of the life and works of William Shakespeare. This class takes a 'Workingman's Shakespeare' approach to the subject that is designed to be entertaining and accessible to anyone who is curious. Key texts such as 'Macbeth', 'Hamlet', and 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' as well as the historical and cultural forces that produced them; will be discussed. We will also address any misunderstandings about the controversy of his authorship. The course will run concurrently with the rehearsal process of the Theater Lan's production of 'Romeo & Juliet', so participants will have an opportunity to observe firsthand how the play comes to life.

The Arlington Heights Community Concert Band (AHCCB) is the premiere community band of the Village of Arlington Heights. The all volunteer band prides itself on spreading the love and knowledge of music with the local community with free concerts and a fantastic program to supplement musician education in the area. All AHCCB concerts are free of charge, but ticket reservations are still required.

The Arlington Jazz Exchange (AJE) is an all-volunteer sub-group of the Arlington Heights Community Concert Band (AHCCB) featuring 17 instrumentalists and 1 vocalist, dedicated to the study and performance of big band jazz music. All AJE concerts are free of charge, but ticket reservations are still required.

Good physical health, mental well-being, and personal safety are of the utmost importance. A wonderful way to achieve all three is through the Korean self-defense system known as “Hapkido.” This ancient martial art utilizes a wide variety of tactics to help ensure one’s safety and to avoid conflicts and violence, including joint locks, pressure point techniques, strikes, kicks, “ki” energy breathing, and traditional weapons. Hapkido is therefore suitable for everyone of all fitness levels, be they young or young at heart, and is a lot of fun as well. No equipment or previous martial arts experience is required.

Discover the comforting embrace of our beefy American goulash class, a timeless classic that brings warmth to your table this fall. Tender beef, savory tomatoes and perfectly cooked pasta come together in a symphony of flavors. This class offers an opportunity to learn how to create a satisfying meal that's both easy to prepare and a hit with the whole family.

The guitar is one of the most versatile and popular instruments around, and our beginning guitar class is the perfect way to get started! In this introduction to guitar playing, we will cover basic chord shapes, strumming patterns and simple lead lines, and apply what we’ve learned to popular and well-known songs. No prior experience is necessary, students must provide their own guitars.

The ukulele is quickly becoming one of the most popular string instruments. Join our beginner class and learn all the basics you need to start your musical journey! In this class, we will cover basic chords, strumming patterns, and simple lead lines, as well as learn how to read tablature while applying these skills to learning popular and well-known songs. No prior experience required, students must provide their own ukulele.

Unlock a world of creative possibilities with Canva, the ideal digital tool for beginners and novices! This class will teach you how to harness the power of Canva, the easiest design website available, all for free. You'll learn to create stunning designs form scratch or use templates with step-by-step guidance for any digital image you need. Whether it's online documents, business cards, email signatures, or more, you'll leave this class with the confidence and skills to use Canva effectively and creatively.

This engaging session will help you navigate the challenges of your child's digital world and provide helpful tools for your parenting toolbox. Learn practical strategies for social media/friendships, setting boundaries, ensuring online safety, and fostering healthy screen habits. Empower yourself with the tools to help raise a teen with a smart technology foundation they will use into adulthood.

Chair Yoga is for those who would like to access the benefits of yoga without having to sit, kneel or lie on the floor. This class is done seated in a chair and standing by a chair that can be used for support. Participants may also choose to remain seated for the entire class. We will practice gentle, fluid movements to promote circulation, alignment, flexibility, balance, overall strength and deeper, smoother breathing. Mental effects include mind-body awareness, improved concentration and a sense of well-being. Use of light weights is optional.

Warm up your fall evenings with our heartwarming chili bread bowl recipe, perfect for those who love a touch of comfort in their meals. Join our upcoming cooking class to learn how to craft this delightful dish that combines the rich flavors of a hearty chili with the rustic charm of a freshly baked bread bowl. With easy-to-follow steps and accessible ingredients, you'll master the art of creating this delicious, crowd-pleasing dish just in time for the cooler months.

Students will explore the acoustic side of the classic rock era, from Clapton and the Eagles to the Beatles and Rolling Stones. We will learn chords, riffs, arrangements, and jam together-forming our own unplugged ensemble. Students of all levels are welcome; basic chord knowledge recommended. Must provide own instrument.

Core Aquatics is a competitive swim team for swimmers ages 6 years old through high school. We believe in starting from the foundation and focusing on stroke proficiency while incorporating all racing aspects. The team centers on maximizing efficiency as the foundation to competitive racing and building speed through technique precision. Our Fall/Winter information packet can be found here. Season Dates: The short course yards season begins Tuesday September 2nd for our Silver and Navy practice squads and Sunday September 14th for our STP, Orange, and Blue practice squads. Our regular season runs through February 20th with Championship season, for those who qualify, running into March. Athletes must obtain Championship qualifying times to continue to Regionals, Age Group Champs or Senior Champs. There will be a modified practice schedule beginning the week of February 23rd 2026 for those moving on to a championship meet. For our Navy (High School swimmers) we offer 1⁄2 season options that do not coincide with their high school season. We also offer additional pre-season (for girls) and postseason (for boys) options for those swimmers whose HS season ends after their High school conference and who would like to continue training outside their designated season. Swimmers New to Core: All interested swimmers who have not been a part of Core will need to register for an evaluation. Evaluations will be held Sunday August 18th and 25th between 10:00 am and 1:00pm for our Fall/Winter season. Evaluation times will be on a first come first serve basis and run every 15 mins. Your swimmer will work one on one with a coach from our staff who will observe all four of their competitive strokes and competitive swim knowledge prior to placing them on a practice squad. At the end of the evaluation, your child’s report will be emailed to you along with links to our registration page. Please click here to complete the evaluation sign up. You will receive an email from Coach Drum confirming your evaluation time and location and provide more information about the evaluation. USA Swim: All swim team members must also be members of USA Swimming. There is an $87 per year additional fee for the annual membership. This $87 fee will need to be paid after September 1st; a registration link will be sent out by the head coach on September 1. Please note pool space in District 214 is in extremely high demand, and Core Aquatics does not always get priority for scheduling. Please note schedules will change. It is important that athletes and their families check and follow the Core Aquatics website practice calendar and not the dates listed on Eleyo at sign up: those dates are a general guide with most up to date information available on our website. We are a competitive USA Swim club. Our Swim team is divided into four practice squads that are grouped solely on ability level and not age. Swimmers compete based on their age but practice based on their current skills and abilities. Our coaching staff will decide which practice squad best fits your swimmers current skill level. New members will undergo our evaluation process to determine which practice squad they will register with. Returning members should sign up for the same squad they were previously on unless a coach invites them to practice on a different squad. Members are not entitled to pick a squad that fits their schedule or that they think they should practice on. Coaching staff is always available to discuss goals for moving to the next practice squad but ultimately the coaching staff’s reserves the right to decide which squad and lane swimmers practice in. Our practice squads are as follows: Orange – Broken into Orange 1 and Orange 2. Proper mechanics are required with an emphasis on racing and competing. This squad is open to graduates from our Swim Team Prep program or swimmers who can demonstrate ability to swim all four competitive strokes as well as show confidence diving from the blocks. Orange 2 swimmers spend about 90% of practice working on stroke technique and 10% on endurance, while Orange 1 adds a little more endurance to their foundation. In order to qualify for our Orange practice squad swimmers will be asked to demonstrate a broken 400 swim (100 easy free, 100 kick, 100 pull and 100 IM) with ease and technically correct. Blue – Broken into Blue 1 and Blue 2 - the Blue Squad focuses on stroke technique and endurance as key aspects for advancing all four competitive strokes. This practice squad is open to swimmers who can demonstrate an ability to legally swim all four competitive strokes for 100+ yards, including proper turns, and diving off the blocks. Blue swimmers spend 75% of their practices working on stroke technique and 25% building both aerobic and anaerobic endurance. Swimmers must demonstrate drill knowledge and be able to read a workout with guidance. Silver – Broken into Silver 1 and Siver 2 - the Silver Squad features continued race training and development of advanced swim techniques. Open to swimmers who can demonstrate an ability to legally swim all four competitive strokes for 200+ yards, including proper turns, streamline, and diving off the blocks. Silver swimmers must be able to swim 1000+ yards of freestyle nonstop. Silver swimmers spend about 50% of their practices working on stroke technique and the other 50% working on both aerobic and anaerobic sets with an emphasis on power and precision. Dryland workouts will be incorporated into daily swim practices beginning around November. Swimmers typically swim 3,000 - 4,000 yards throughout a 1.5 hour practice. To be considered for our Silver practice squad, swimmers must be able to demonstrate all competitive swim components, be legal in all 4 strokes, read and understand a workout with ease, be familiar with swim meet structure and events, and have former team experience. Navy – Broken into Navy 1, 2 & 3 – The elite Navy Squad is for senior level and advanced swimmers training for success at the high school level and beyond. This practice squad is on an invitation only from the Head Coach and Lead Senior Coaches. Our Navy squad requires additional commitment to training and dryland opportunities. Our Navy Squad often gets separated into three separate practices where workouts will meet the swimmer at the level they join us at. Swimmers are expected to be on time for all practices and committed to train at a high level for the duration of the season. We also offer our pre-competitive program “Swim Team Prep”. In this program members focus and prepare to be future competitive swimmers who wish to compete and train in a swim team style. Members must have made it to the Swordfish level of our Learn 2 Swim class or be proficient in both freestyle and backstroke and can swim at least 25 yards of both strokes without stopping. Skills and then drills are taught to enhance stroke technique and teach breaststroke & butterfly, starts, and streamlines. Practices are run in a swim team style with sets, drills, starts and finishes. Coaches are not consistently in the water with swimmers, but may occasionally be in the water to help with a skill.

In Core Aquatics Water Polo, practices and competition are focused on skill level appropriate experiences and groupings. There is a progression from house league games to American Water Polo (AWP) league games and regional tournaments. Coaches use drills and practice routines aligned with best practices that help prepare athletes for success. All players must pay a $50.00 yearly membership fee through the American Water Polo website, americanwaterpolo.org. Beginner groups focus on developing newcomers between 10 - 15 years old who have limited water polo experience. High school level groups focus on developing players with at least one season of high school competition. Important Note: All players must pay a $50.00 yearly membership fee through the American Water Polo website, americanwaterpolo.org.