Bluegrass United Academic Center Electives

2014 Class (Required for 9th Grade Students)

This class is mandatory for ninth grade students. The goal of this class is to foster a sense of community and build leaders for the future among those students just entering high school and Bluegrass United.  The class will seek to build friendships through a variety of fun and challenging activities, including games, projects, and team-building exercises. Along the way, several themes will be addressed. Among them are: the revolution of homeschooling, building mature friendships, social and moral development, and service and leadership.

Instructor: Bob Peterson  bpete1956@gmail.com

Mr. Peterson is a pastor, small business owner, and one of the founders of Bluegrass United. He has served in leadership of many of the BU programs, including BUAC Core, BUAC Electives, BU Fellowships and BU Boys Soccer. He has taught many classes at BUAC and in other forums as well. Mr. Peterson has spent his entire life working with young people. He has served as youth minister in many different churches, worked in statewide youth programs and also with underprivileged children in community action programs. He has coached recreational and competitive soccer, basketball and baseball. 

Advanced Drama

This class is for serious drama students who would like to work on a full-length drama production. Focus will be on building skills like movement, voice, improvisation, and characterization study.  A drama production will be performed in December. Auditions are required for this class. For more information about auditions go to www.bupac.webs.com. A $20 fee per student will be collected to cover the purchase of bound scripts, licensing fees and royalties, and performance expenses.

Instructor: Michelle Finch  finchbunch@live.com

Mrs. Finch is an experienced teacher and member of the performing arts community. She has a BA in Secondary Education and 15 years experience teaching in Christian Schools, churches, homeschool groups and her own homeschool. She is active in community theater and has sung in several music groups. She loves teaching and has taught drama and music to all ages. She has served as Director of Music/Worship at her local church and has participated in several church, school and community choirs. Mrs. Finch plays several musical instruments and is a member of a local vintage dance group. In addition, Mrs. Finch has portrayed several historical characters in Chautauqua–style programs across the state. 

Beginning Drama and Introduction to the Performing Arts

This course is an introduction and overview of theatre as an art form with emphasis on understanding the nature of drama and its place in culture, the history and theory of theatre, and the production process. All aspects of the theater will be explored, including stagecraft, production techniques, acting and directing. There will be in-class opportunities to practice the skills learned. This class is a good introductory performing arts course for students who would like to get more involved in the Bluegrass United Performing Arts Company (BUPAC). The class fee is $10 per student to purchase materials.

 Instructor: Michelle Finch  finchbunch@live.com

Mrs. Finch is an experienced teacher and member of the performing arts community. She has a BA in Secondary Education and 15 years experience teaching in Christian Schools, churches, homeschool groups and her own homeschool. She is active in community theater and has sung in several music groups. She loves teaching and has taught drama and music to all ages. She has served as Director of Music/Worship at her local church and has participated in several church, school and community choirs. Mrs. Finch plays several musical instruments and is a member of a local vintage dance group. In addition, Mrs. Finch has portrayed several historical characters in Chautauqua–style programs across the state.

Musical Theater is designed for students who would like to work together to put on a major musical theater production. Singers, dancers, actors, actresses and production personnel are needed. The musical is tentatively slated to be Rogers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma. The lead actors/actresses will need strong voices and acting skills, but there will be speaking roles that do not require vocal skills. Dancing will be a major part of this production and students will have the option of picking this as their primary role in the musical. Some outside rehearsals are likely, depending on the size of the role. Most extra rehearsals are held from 4-5 p.m. on Thursdays, immediately after musical theater class. Auditions are required for this class. For information about auditions go to http://www.bupac.webs.com/. A $20 fee per student will be collected to cover the purchase of bound scripts, licensing fees and royalties, and performance expenses.

Instructors: Betty Peterson (bpete@insightbb.com) and Michelle Finch (finchbunch@live.com)

Mrs. Peterson has a BS in Education and has been involved in drama and musical theater her entire life. She spent 15 years from childhood into young adulthood as a member of an amateur musical theater group. She also studied dance for more than 25 years and has directed a variety of church, community and home school drama and musical productions. Mrs. Peterson has taught advanced drama, show choir, and musical theater at BUAC Electives. Mrs. Finch is an experienced teacher and member of the performing arts community. She has a BA in Secondary Education and 15 years experience teaching in Christian Schools, churches, homeschool groups and her own homeschool. She is active in community theater and has sung in several music groups. She loves teaching and has taught drama and music to all ages. She has served as Director of Music/Worship at her local church and has participated in several church, school and community choirs. Mrs. Finch plays several musical instruments and is a member of a local vintage dance group. In addition, Mrs. Finch has portrayed several historical characters in Chautauqua–style programs across the state. 

Career Planning

In this course, students will begin to develop a plan for choosing a career and determining life goals. The class will provide opportunities to self assess values, interests, talents, and skills. Students will learn how to set goals and make plans to develop skills and assets. They will explore various occupations using informational interviews, job shadowing, and guest speakers. They will learn how to prepare for particular careers, how to create a resume, and conduct themselves at an interview. They will discover research techniques and resources available for career searches. The class will learn decision-making skills and how to implement their career decisions for future results.

Instructor: Kathy Deicher kathleen_deicher@yahoo.com

Kathy Deicher has an education degree with a history minor. She is interested in increasing students’ knowledge of career possibilities and helping them discover their talents, interests and values.  She likes getting students involved in the learning process with interactive techniques. She has taught many classes at BUAC and is the program leader for BU Trips. She loves teaching and enjoys seeing students become excited about learning. She is the homeschool mom of four grown children.  

Communication Through Film

This class will examine the ways in which film has and can be used to communicate a message. It will consist of three segments. The first will be an introduction to the film making industry and certain technical elements of the production process. Later, students will analyze certain films from the "Silver Screen," Independent, and Documentary genres to determine how, and how effectively, the medium is used to convey the intended message. Finally, students will participate in making a short film.

Instructor: Steve Finch finchbunch@live.com

Mr. Finch is an experienced teacher, pastor and homeschooling dad. He has a B.A. in Church Ministries and 20 years of pastoral experience. In addition, he has taught math to middle school students at Kentucky Christian School, where he also coached the Boys' Basketball team. Mr. Finch previously worked in the academic counseling field. He has sat on the board of the Central Kentucky Pregnancy Support Center and is a licensed real estate agent. 

Drawing with A Pencil: From Line Drawing to Cartooning

The class will be a broad overview exploring basic drawing and sketching techniques. Techniques covered will include line, shading, composition, transparency, reflection, and shadow while students work with natural objects, some figure and portrait drawing, with a good dose of cartoon and caricature drawing.

Instructor: Chris Ware  wares7@windstream.net

Chris Ware is a long-time illustrator for the Lexington Herald-Leader and does freelance illustration for numerous publications, including National Geographic Kids Magazine, Cobblestone History Magazine, and Horse Illustrated. He has a BFA in Art Education from UK.  

Explorations In Science: Biology Lab I 

The biology lab will follow the Apologia curriculum using Jay Wile's book Exploring Creation with Biology. The class will begin with the classification of organisms and proceed to identifying microorganisms from cultures with the microscope.  Students will examine prepared slides of protists and other one-celled organisms and then fungi.  Students will study osmosis, diffusion, proteins, DNA, and Mendelian genetics. During the fall semester, labs will cover the first half of the Apologia curriculum. Fee $15

Instructor: Kimberly Taylor howardandkimberly@gmail.com

Kimberly Taylor received a BS is Chemistry and a BS in Microbiology.  She completed her graduate work in Microbiology and Immunology at UK and ran a thyroid cancer research lab before becoming a homeschool mom.  She has homeschooled for 10 years.

Explorations in Science: Biology Lab II

This is a continuation of Explorations in Science: Biology Lab I, but students may also take this course as a stand-alone class. Students will continue to work through the Apologia curriculum using Jay Wile's book Exploring Creation with Biology. During the spring semester, labs will cover the second half of the curriculum. Students will finish the year by dissecting a perch and a frog. Fee $25

Instructor: Kimberly Taylor howardandkimberly@gmail.com

Kimberly Taylor received a BS is chemistry and a BS in microbiology.  She completed her graduate work in microbiology and immunology at UK and ran a thyroid cancer research lab before becoming a homeschool mom.  She has homeschooled for 10 years.

Explorations in Science: Physical Science Lab

This one-semester laboratory experience will focus on Physical Science. It will be a true lab experience in that experiments will be conducted in every class period. There will be a concentration on physics of motion, Newton's Laws, gravity, and astrophysics. Students must have safety goggles for this class. Fee: $15. (Fee covers copies, supplies and instructor-provided lab notebooks.)

Instructor: Kimberly Taylor howardandkimberly@gmail.com

Kimberly Taylor received a BS is Chemistry and a BS in Microbiology.  She completed her graduate work in Microbiology and Immunology at UK and ran a thyroid cancer research lab before becoming a homeschool mom.  She has homeschooled for 10 years.  

Fitness and Adventure

In this class students will learn about numerous fitness and adventure activities and ways to incorporate these into their daily lives. Classes will introduce students to the world of climbing, backpacking, kayaking, hiking, flying, skiing, sailing, scuba diving, martial arts, triathlons, and more. Guest speakers will be utilized. The students will also learn about the nutritional and training requirements necessary to participate in adventure activities. They will set personal fitness goals and take steps to reach those goals.  Five out-of-class student activities will be scheduled and students will be encouraged to participate in 2 or more. Parents may be asked to help with transportation for these activities. Former BUAC students Stephanie Eberhard and Mary Deicher will be assisting with some of the optional activities. Class fee: $4 (There may be some additional fees for the optional activities.)

Instructor: Kathy Deicher Kathleen_deicher@yahoo.com

Kathy Deicher has an Education degree and History minor. She has taught Fitness and Adventure and other classes at BUAC in the past. She homeschooled her four children, now aged 20-31, and always found a way to include fitness and adventure activities in her life and the lives of her children.  She has worked as a swimming instructor, lifeguard, camp counselor, and Boundary Waters canoe guide. She has led several 8-16 day hiking trips across England and Scotland and many 5 - 20 day canoe trips in northern Minnesota. She has taken a month long bicycle trip across eastern Canada and has spent many happy hours hiking, backpacking, kayaking, skiing, sailing, and camping. She is excited to be able to help students find ways to include physical adventure in their lives.

Global Studies: Europe

This class is designed to take a tour of the continent of Europe. While geography will be the focus of the tour, students will also investigate cultures/customs, foods, architecture, arts, politics, languages, technology, science, and religions. An emphasis on hands-on learning will be the goal to learn about this complex and fascinating continent. Students will be eating, drawing (architecture) and enjoying a few guest speakers, such as a chef from France, a cheese expert, and possibly a musical guest as well. One field trip will be planned at a local restaurant to experience the cuisine of one of the countries studied. Students will be responsible for completing a small project in this class. Class fee: $10 (For food, art supplies and copies.)

Instructor: Whitney Thompson  tseven4him@insightbb.com

A lifelong student of geography and world cultures enthusiast, Mrs. Thompson attended Hanover College and the University of Kentucky, earning a BA in Elementary Education, certified 1^st -8^th grades, and a Minor in Political Science. She received her MA from Georgetown College. She has taught Geography at all levels, 1-12. Mrs. Thompson taught at Lexington Christian Academy and Central Kentucky Re-Ed, a live-in residential treatment facility for emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children. She has logged over 150 hours of private tutoring. She has been homeschooling her 5 children for 14 years. Her goal is to develop an interest and enthusiasm for places around the world for her students.

Heirloom Crafts: Quilting

In this course, students will spend some time studying the history of quilts from America and around the world, researching different types of quilts, designing original quilts, and reviewing color theory.  Students will learn to piece, appliqué, embroider, and quilt.  Then the students will complete a quilted wall hanging.  They will be able to choose a traditional pieced quilt, an appliqué, redwork, or crazy quilt design.  All of the work on the wall hangings will be done by hand, the traditional way, unless the students choose otherwise and have access to a sewing machine they can use at home.  Students will need to work on their projects at home in order to finish them by the end of the semester. Materials needed for this class include scissors, thread, pins, needles and a hoop. Additional materials that would be helpful are a bag to keep supplies in, a rotary cutter and board. Class fee: $7 (Students will also need to purchase material for their projects.)

Instructor: Greta Nichols  rgrhiz@gmail.com

Mrs. Nichols has a degree in Home Economics from Miami University of Ohio and a certification from the University of Kentucky to teach sewing to community organizations. She  has taught sewing to a variety of state and community groups. For the past eight years, she has served as a leader and teacher in the homeschool community. In addition to homeschooling other students, she has homeschooled her four children for the past 14 years.         

Introduction to Leadership

In this course, students will explore a variety of leaders and leadership styles, from servant to intimidator and from Hitler to Jesus. They will also look at some of the popular books currently on the market that address this topic. The focus of the class will be on the students developing their own unique understanding of leadership. Significant time is given to interacting with the presented leaders and their moments in history. Time will be spent on case studies of current events and options for leaders. Class fee is $2.

Instructor: Bob Peterson  bpete1956@gmail.com

Mr. Peterson has served in a variety of leadership roles. He has been a pastor, business owner, and community service leader. He has served as executive director of an inner-city agency serving low income families in downtown Lexington.  He has always taken an active interest in community functions and has served on several state, community, church and neighborhood boards. He served on the Springfield (Nebraska) Economic Development Council and the KOLN/KGIN (television) Community Values Council; was chairman of fundraising for St. Jude’s Hospital (Tulsa), and was founder and executive director of Lovefest, a contemporary Christian music festival. He also sat on a board of professionals assembled from across Kentucky to oversee the implementation of the Kentucky Education Reform Act (KERA).  Currently, most of Mr. Peterson’s hours of service are given to Bluegrass United, where he serves on the BU Leadership team, oversees the student leadership team (BULB), teaches at BUAC, organizes and leads social activities, and is a BU Boys Soccer coach. 

Introduction to Media Communications

Media Communications is one of the fastest growing fields in today’s society, opening up vast numbers of career possibilities for young people. Most universities now offer large and diverse Media Communications programs with many majors and emphasis. In this class, students will look at the many different areas of media communication. Utilizing a “hands-on” approach, students will learn the basics of audio, lighting, videography, television production, film production, script writing, public relations, and graphic design. Students will learn  through lectures, hands-on activities, in-class videos and power point presentations, and guest speakers working in different media fields. Most work will be done in class, but there will be a minimal amount of outside work needed to do well in the class. Students in the class will be invited to help produce the Bluegrass United spring musical. This opportunity gives students the chance to put to work skills learned in class in a useful way and also see how the many different tech positions come together to create a show. Class fee: $20 (Most of this fee will go toward equipment rental so that students can have hands-on experience.)

Instructor: Kelsey Peterson  kelsey.peterson@asbury.edu

Kelsey Peterson is a 21-year old Media Communications and Public Relations Major at Asbury University. She became interested in Media Communications as a high school senior when she began to work on the production end of BUAC dramas and musicals. Since that time, she has served as an assistant director and technical director for BUPAC, where she coordinates the production team and creates the audio and visual plans for 5-6 productions a year. She has worked on many professional media projects while in college, including short-term positions with Olympic Broadcast Services (Vancouver) and ESPN. 

Meal Management: Serving Others Through Food

There will be 6 different units in this course:  Serving our families, our peers, our community, our world, and our leaders.  The final unit will be serving fancy foods.  Students will work in groups to complete various food projects in each unit.  Each project will have various components, culminating in a foods lab.  For example, in the unit on families, students will study nutrition and consumer economics to develop healthy and economical meal plans for a family for a day.  Then they will choose one item from their meal plans to prepare for their class during the foods lab.  In the peers unit, they will plan a party culminating in a fun food lab.  In the community unit, they will study foods to prepare for the sick and needy and work in a food kitchen.  In the world unit, they will look at world poverty.  Finally, in the leaders unit, they will plan and prepare a formal dinner, which will include the study of proper etiquette and management of an important event.  The goal of the fancy foods unit will be to learn to make ordinary foods look special.  The focus for this unit will be appetizers and chocolate.  There will be some homework for this class as the students organize their foods’ projects. Students will be responsible for providing foods for their lab groups.   Class Fee $5

Instructor: Greta Nichols rgrhiz@gmail.com

Mrs. Nichols has a degree in Home Economics from Miami University of Ohio and has a certification from the University of Kentucky to teach sewing to community organizations. She  has taught sewing to a variety of state and community groups. For the past eight years, she has served as a leader and teacher in the homeschool community. In addition to homeschooling other students, she has homeschooled her four children for the past 14 years.

Modern Art Experience

This course is designed to expose students to a hands-on experience of creating modern pieces of art in the styles of some of the most talented modern artists.  Students will look at examples of famous artists like Van Gogh, Jackson Pollack, Picasso, and others.  They will use different mediums to try to create in the style of that artist.  This will be a fun and creative way to learn about the artist/style of work. Supply list:  Watercolor pad (11" x 14"),  Watercolor set - tubes with variety of brushes, set of pastels, drawing pencil, ruler, old toothbrush, cup for water, old rag, pallet of mixing watercolors.

Instructor: Karen Dobson  karendobson@gmail.com 

Mrs. Dobson has a degree in Art Education (K-12) from Stetson University. She taught art education at Lake Mary High School (Lake Mary, FL) for five years. Her favorite medium is watercolors and her favorite artist is America's Mary Cassatt. This will be her fifth year teaching at BUAC.    

Music Theory: An Introduction

Since music is a universal language, understanding basic concepts are vital to living in our world.  Yet, many parents and students ignore this language altogether.  This course is designed for listeners or performers, or even those with no prior experience who want to have a better understanding of the language of music.  Students will begin at the beginning, but knowledge will build quickly, so depending on how much music, private instruction included, students have had, this class could still possibly teach students many concepts they have yet to learn. Basic concepts of rhythm, melody, and harmony will be taught, including notation, counting (timing), chords, and ear training. Listening skills will improve, students will learn to read music, and they may even learn to write it. Class requirements include active participation and completion of workbook assignments in class. Opportunities for students to practice and compose at home will be offered. Each student will have a “keyboard” to play.  Class Fee: $22 (This fee covers the cost of the student workbook, the keyboard (cardstock) and a notebook of staff paper.

Instructor: Donna Long stevendonnalong@yahoo.com

Donna Long is an experienced music instructor. She received a Bachelor of Music Education with a voice/piano emphasis from Eastern Kentucky University. She has taught music in churches and schools, has led many choirs, and has taught private piano and voice instruction for 39 years. She has also taught her own children at home for the past 26 years (four are graduated).

Physical Education: Ballroom and Social Dancing

Dancing is great exercise and knowing how to dance at social occasions is a benefit to teens and adults. This physical education class is designed for students who enjoy physical exercise and, at the same time, would like to learn how to dance at social events. Students will be introduced to the following styles of dancing: Swing, Foxtrot, Rhumba, Waltz, Quick-Step, Country Two-Step and Line Dancing. Upon completion of this class, students should feel comfortable dancing to almost any style of music played at a social event, whether it be a BU dance, a wedding or other occasion. Students who take this class will be expected to be disciplined and committed to the goals of the class. They will have the opportunity to teach others to dance during some breakout sessions for other BUAC students. A $5 fee will be collected on the first day of class to pay for dance music and other teaching resources.

Instructor: Betty Peterson bpete@insightbb.com

Betty Peterson has been dancing and teaching dance for most of her life. She recently has developed an interest in ballroom and other social dances and would like to share her interests with students. She loves ballroom-style (couples) dancing because it’s social and easy to learn. She particularly likes this style of dancing for teens because it gives boys and girls a respectful and mannerly way to interact with each other. In addition to ballroom, Mrs. Peterson has studied all the major forms of performance dance and has participated in many dance performance groups during her childhood and adult years.  

The Principles of a Christian Worldview

The aim of this course is to examine how Christians are to view and interact with the world around them. The course will not only help students develop and understand their own worldviews, but also recognize the worldviews of others. The class will be using David Noebel’s text, Thinking like a Christian: Understanding and Living a Biblical Worldview, as a framework for learning.  Noebel defines the term “worldview” to include “any ideology, philosophy, theology, movement, or religion that provides an overarching approach to understanding God, the world, and the relationship of people to God and the world.” Class Fee: $8

Instructor: Mindy Dennis dennisfamily@insightbb.com

Mindy Dennis has two degrees in education from Eastern Kentucky University and a Masters of Education from Georgetown College. She has taught at Lexington Christian Academy, Lexington Latin School and for various home school groups. She has homeschooled her own three children for five years.

Psychology From a Christian Perspective

What is psychology?  Many have wondered how this branch of science fits with their Christian beliefs. Psychology is often a source of controversy in the Christian community and, at the college level, psychology classes are often rampant with anti-Christian and humanistic thought  The aim of this course is to help prepare students to think about psychology from a Christian perspective. This course will examine the Christian criticisms about the psychology field and address the pitfalls students are likely to encounter in college and beyond. However, the class will help students understand why they, as Christians, should not reject the academic discipline as a whole, but, instead, aim to become part of the conversation and work to change it. The instructor for the class will be using the text, Homeschool Psych: Preparing Christian Homeschool Students for Psych 101, by Dr. Tim Rice. A review of the book is at: http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/Homeschool_Reviews/3394.php. Class fee: $8

Instructor: Mindy Dennis dennisfamily@insightbb.com

Mindy Dennis has two degrees in education from Eastern Kentucky University and a Masters of Education from Georgetown College. She has taught at Lexington Christian Academy, Lexington Latin School and for various home school groups. She has homeschooled her own three children for five years.  

Studio Art: Painting

This class will be focusing on watercolor style of painting. The student will be using class time for practicing techniques in the use of watercolors. (wet washes, dry washes, use of brushes, etc.) There will be some painting homework involved. The class will also be working on finished pieces in landscape, still life and figure design in watercolor. There may be time for the student to choose another medium in painting (oil, acrylic, batik.) The supply list for painting: one watercolor pad (Strathmore - 11" x 14"), one set of watercolors - tube style - must have at least eight to twelve colors, one set of watercolor paint brushes in variety of sizes (s, m, l, xl), one cup for water, drawing pencil, cheap pallet for mixing colors, old rag for cleaning brushes. Class Fee: $5

Instructor: Karen Dobson  karendobson@gmail.com

Mrs. Dobson has a degree in Art Education (K-12) from Stetson University. She taught art education at Lake Mary High School (Lake Mary, FL) for five years. Her favorite medium is watercolors and her favorite artist is America's Mary Cassatt. This will be her fifth year teaching at BUAC. 

Sustainable Living Practices 101

This class will focus on sustainable living practices from a Christian perspective. Classes will be taught through hands-on learning, guest speakers, discussion and some lecture. There will be a few short homework assignments during the semester. Some topics that will be covered will be “green” terminology and topics, effects of over-consumption on the local and global environment and personal sustainable practices, such as growing your own fruits and vegetables, food preservation, composting, low-impact and edible landscaping, recycling, green cleaning, saving energy (decreasing carbon footprint) and alternative energy sources. The objective of this class is for students to explore and discuss the Christian “green” movement and the factors behind it, while also focusing on learning practical skills that can help them move toward a more sustainable lifestyle. Much information for this course will come from the following books: Serve God, Save the Planet by Matthew Sleeth, Go Green, Save Green by Nancy Sleeth and It is Easy to be Green by Emma Sleeth. These books were written by Matthew, Nancy and Emma Sleeth, a Wilmore family who heads a ministry titled, "Blessed Earth." The books are available in local libraries. Class fee: $10

 Instructor: Dawn Webb  gardensong@windstream.net

Dawn Webb is a longtime homeschooling mom and teacher to her own children and others. She has a B.A. in Occupational Therapy. More recently she has been teaching science to young students. She has always loved to garden and hike and has always had an appreciation for “the great outdoors.” Recently, she became inspired to work on a more sustainable lifestyle for her family and she looks forward to sharing what she has learned with high school students.  

“Words, Wit and Wisdom": Introduction to Shakespeare

Many people believe William Shakespeare is the greatest writer of all time. High school students, however, are often intimidated by his language and miss out on the experience of enjoying his humor and pathos. This class will be an introduction to Shakespeare’s life, times and a few of his many works, with the goal that the students would enjoy and begin to understand his plays and poems. Students will study two comedies, a tragedy, a history, and a sampling of The Bard’s sonnets, all from a Christian perspective. Teaching strategies will include audio recordings of segments of plays, film clips, and impromptu acting, as well as class discussion and lecture.  Outside reading and enrichment assignments will be required, but should take less than two hours per week. Students may need to purchase a text, but most plays are available at public libraries. Class fee: $5

Instructor: Janie Weatherford janiebethw@gmail.com

Janie Weatherford holds a BA in English and BS in Nursing. She has had a lifelong love of reading and desires to help students experience the delight of discovering literature. She has taught Shakespeare, as well as other topics, on the middle school level, health at BUAC Electives, and multiple classes for new and expectant parents as a lactation consultant.

Worship Arts Survey: A Look at Modern Worship Leadership of the Local Church

The Worship Arts (WA) elective is designed for anyone who finds themselves currently planning or leading worship at their local church, is thinking about worship leadership in their future, is serving as a volunteer in any creative or artistic capacity at their church, or those who simply want to broaden their view and understanding of worship. The class will be taught by an experienced worship pastor (see teacher bio) and will utilize many guest lecturers who are currently in ministry and creative worship leadership positions. The objectives of the class are: 1) Elevate both the importance and the potential of worship in the local church, 2) Raise awareness in the students of the need of great worship leadership in the local church, 3) Provide training/exposure to the students in modern skills sets of worship leadership, 4) Broaden horizons, challenge, equip, mentor, etc. Student interest and abilities will be assessed at the beginning of the semester to help shape the focus of the class. Class fee: $3.15

Instructor: Dave Miller (Assisted by Kristen Miller) dave@churchsolutionsgroup.com

After working his way through LCA and Cincinnati Christian University, Dave Miller served as a Worship Arts Director and Worship Leader in a variety of churches for 14 years.  This varied from a neo-traditional church in Harrodsburg to a mega church in Las Vegas, and a portable church in Michigan.  As a worship pastor he was on the design team for a highly technical room that held 3,000.  He also has helped a church plant in a really poor elementary cafeteria.  No matter the size of church, the style of music, or how great (or poor) the band was...the issues confronted were similar:  how to balance the theology, technicality and leadership required of the worship leader AND knowing what the goal and objectives of each service were. He now helps leads a small company that serves churches doing strategy, facility & technology around the country.

World Mythology:  British Isles, Far East, Africa and the Americas

This course covers mythology across cultures and around the world. Students will cover information from the ancient Aztecs to Celtic tales and the knight of the round table. The information gleaned in this course will also be applied in a manner that will help students better understand classical literature, such as Beowulf, King Arthur, and others. Creation stories from the Far East, Africa and Native American cultures will be discussed. Homework will be minimal, but will include weekly reading assignments. Class time will consist of lecture, student activities, and discussion. Students will need to purchase World Mythology: An Anthology of Great Myths and Epics by Donna Rosenberg. (1994) (Student textbook, paperback) ISBN: 0-8442-5767-2. This book is available from Amazon or Barnes and Noble and used copies usually cost around $15. Class fee: $5 

Instructor: Rochelle Abner  the abnerzoo@yahoo.com

Rochelle Abner has a bachelor of science degree in Communication Disorders and has completed graduate work in Early Childhood Special Education with an emphasis on Behavior Disorders from the University of Kentucky. She has also been a certified Davis Dyslexia facilitator. She has taught courses for adults for the Lexington Child Care Council. She is the mother of four children and has been educating them at home for 15 years.

World Mythology:  Greece, Rome, Middle East and Northern Europe

This course covers mythology across cultures and around the world. Students will cover information from the ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians to the Babylonians and Vikings. The information gleaned in this course will also be applied in a manner that will help students better understand classical literature, such as the Iliad, The Odyssey, The Aenid, Gilgamesh, Sigurd the Volsung, and others. Homework will be minimal, but will include weekly reading assignments. Class time will consist of lecture, student activities, and discussion. Students will need to purchase World Mythology: An Anthology of Great Myths and Epics by Donna Rosenberg. (1994) (Student textbook, paperback) ISBN: 0-8442-5767-2. This book is available from Amazon or Barnes and Noble and used copies usually cost around $15. Class fee: $5 

Instructor: Rochelle Abner  the abnerzoo@yahoo.com

Rochelle Abner has a bachelor of science degree in Communication Disorders and has completed graduate work in Early Childhood Special Education with an emphasis on Behavior Disorders from the University of Kentucky. She has also been a certified Davis Dyslexia facilitator. She has taught courses for adults for the Lexington Child Care Council. She is the mother of four children and has been educating them at home for 15 years.

Students who enjoy either fiction or non-fiction writing and would like to apply their skills towards a variety of writing projects should consider taking this class. The first eight weeks of this course will focus on writing fiction and the elements of story. Topics include character, plot, point of view, description, setting and dialogue.  Short writing exercises will be given each week so the students can put what they’ve learned into their own writing.  Students will be encouraged to participate in National Novel Writing Month and/or writing contests. The second half of the class will cover non-fiction writing for an audience.  Students will choose a topic and start a blog.  The focus will be on writing content, but will also include writing headlines, promoting the blog, basic web design, search engine optimization (SEO) and internet safety. Students will need access to a computer and the Internet. Class Fee: $0

 Instructor: Tiffany King: Tiffanyking@windstream.net

Tiffany King has a B.A. in Sociology from Eastern University in St. Davids, PA.  She has completed several Gotham Writers’ Workshop courses in fiction writing and has written five first draft novels.  Her cooking blog (eatathomecooks.com) receives 95,000 views per month and has nearly 2,000 subscribers.  She also freelances for the SC Johnson Company on the Family Economics section of their website.  She has taught several classes for homeschool groups and homeschools her 4 children.