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Merrymeeting Community & Adult Education



Our Classes

14 A.I. Tools for the Small Business Owner

$25

with Preethi Fernando

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 8, 2026 at 7 pm, runs for 1 week
2 additional sessions through Jan 30, 2027

Artificial intelligence business tools help small businesses work smarter, not harder. Learn to automate e-mails, create pie charts for your reports with chat GPT, screen resumes, creating social media posts, AI videos, website content creation, sales forecasting, and more. Cut back costs on hiring staff, by knowing how to use AI to boost your small business. Get your health back and save yourself the unnecessary stress and headaches of office drama by replacing your toxic employee with Chat GPT (and not have to worry about a lawsuit or them talking bad behind your back). This class shows you how to replace a toxic employee with neutral AI, improving productivity at your workplace plus cut back costs in having under performing employees.

Acadian Arts Retreats: Asian Fusion Cooking

$695

with Chris Toy

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 9, 2026 , runs for 1 week

Your instructor, Chris Toy is the author of 6 popular cookbooks, a private chef, and has taught Asian-fusion cooking for several Maine community education programs. Cooking students will learn how to prepare a variety of recipes from Asia, Europe, and the Americas incorporating traditional and local ingredients. Each meal will actively engage cooks with the tools, techniques, and stories behind the dishes being created. More about the retreat location: Escape to a Victorian Inn, the Harbor View House in Prospect Harbor on the coast of Maine, with an intimate group of artists, cooks and creatives! All meals are included in the workshop fee plus special activities to extend your learning from the day’s workshops, including a private house concert by Grammy-balloted sing-songwriter, storyteller, and author Gordan Ward. For more information about the workshop, call Mary at 207-632-2251. To book your stay at the inn call 207-963-9122 or visit https://harborviewhousellc.com/. *Lodgings not included in price. **There is a $60 cancellation fee.

Acadian Arts Retreats: Watercolor Painting

$695

with Mary Laury

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 9, 2026 , runs for 1 week

Your instructor, Mary Laury, is an accomplished watercolorist and highly esteemed teacher. She encourages all her students to believe they can be successful. Painting is an exciting medium; it flows and moves and does beautiful things. If you have never painted in watercolors, we will start at the beginning. If you have painted before, you will pick up some new tips and tricks as well. We all learn together! More about the retreat location: Escape to a Victorian Inn, the Harbor View House in Prospect Harbor on the coast of Maine, with an intimate group of artists, cooks and creatives! All meals are included in the workshop fee plus special activities to extend your learning from the day’s workshops, including a private house concert by Grammy-balloted sing-songwriter, storyteller, and author Gordan Ward. For more information about the workshop, call Mary at 207-632-2251. To book your stay at the inn call 207-963-9122 or visit https://harborviewhousellc.com/. *Lodgings not included in price. **There is a $60 cancellation fee.

Museum Sketchbook Series

$25

with Michael Branca

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 9, 2026 at 10 am, runs for 1 week
3 additional sessions through Feb 12, 2027

Bring a sketchbook and pencil and join us for an afternoon of drawing in one of Maine's fabulous museums. Forge an intimate connection with museum collections, while improving your own work by studying the techniques of the masters. Guidance and critical feedback are provided as needed. At the end of our visit, we will meet up to share our results with the group. Museum admission is included in fee. Participants will meet at the museum.

Emotional Intelligence Tools for Small Business Owners

$25

with Preethi Fernando

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 10, 2026 at 10 am, runs for 1 week
2 additional sessions through Jan 22, 2027

Being calm during a conversation with an angry customer and knowing how to turn the conversation around in your favor takes emotional intelligence. A hand written thank you card can refresh a staff or customer’s spirit and lead to increased traffic for your business. Word choice matters. “What’s wrong with you? versus “What’s troubling you?” can send two different signals to a staff member who has a meltdown at work. People skills are everything, especially in hospitality, healthcare, and in any small business. This class is a must for anyone running a small business. Preethi Fernando is the author of “Emotional Intelligence in Business and Marketing.” Visit preethifernando.com. Objectives: How to practice calmness and maintain composure with an angry customer; How to use emotional intelligence in networking, such as thank you cards, post-it notes, remembering people’s names; How to handle tears in the workplace using emotional intelligence.

Raku Firing

$150

with Turning Arts Studio

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 10, 2026 at 1 pm, runs for 2 weeks

In this two-part workshop, you’ll explore the dramatic and hands-on process of raku firing. In Part 1, you’ll sculpt a piece in clay and watch a live raku firing demo. Three weeks later in Part 2, you’ll glaze and fire your own work using the raku method—removing red-hot pieces from the kiln and placing them into combustibles for stunning, unpredictable results. No experience necessary. All tools and materials provided. $20 materials fee payable to the instructor. Finished pieces will go home after the second session. *Rain Date for the 2nd Session will be 10/31.

Foraging Walk

$45

with David Spahr

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 11, 2026 at 1 pm, runs for 1 week

Crave the forest's bounty? Join David (65+ years of experience!) for an immersive foraging adventure. Learn to identify edible treasures, from berries to mushrooms, and uncover the secrets of plant ecology. This isn't just a walk, it's a transformative experience that fills your basket and your soul! Limited spots, register today! David is a member of the Maine Mycological Assoc. NOTE: This class will start with an outdoor talk at the waterfront followed by the walking portion.

Medicare 101

Free

with Damian Smith

Calendar Next available session starts Oct 13, 2026 at 5 pm, runs for 1 week
1 additional session on Nov 4, 2026

This foundational course provides a clear overview of the Medicare system. Participants will learn about Medicare (Parts A, B, C, and D), avoid lifelong enrollment penalties, and confidently compare Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage to maximize coverage. Presented by Damian Smith of Set Apart Investing.





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