The Village Enterprise Center at 25 Main Street in Chester is the new home base for the Southern Hilltowns Adult Education Center.
HILLTOWNS – With a new home base and expanding partnerships, residents of eight area towns can expect to receive the Southern HIlltowns Adult Education Center’s (SHAEC) fall newsletter chock full of free classes on computer technology, small business assistance and continuing education in the coming days.
SHAEC is an off campus program of the University of Massachusetts Labor Management and Workforce Education Program funded by a US Housing and Urban Development block grant through the lead town of Russell in partnership with Huntington, Chester and Middlefield, and has been serving Hilltown residents since the fall of 1999. Now, through partnerships with the Hilltown Community Development Corporation (HCDC and the Gateway Hilltown Collaborative, the course offerings are being sent to residents of Blandford, Montgomery, Worthington and Chesterfield as well.
SHAEC Program Director Michele Kenney.
In addition, after seven years in the Gateway Regional High School complex, SHAEC has moved into its own space, on Main Street in Chester. In January of 2018, SHAEC began holding classes at the Village Enterprise Center (VEC) as an experimental satellite classroom. According to Program Director Michele Kenney, SHAEC’s spring classes at the VEC were “an overwhelming success,” and the move was made permanent. Now the VEC is equipped with newly refurbished desktop and laptop computers maintained by UMass, and an expanded course offering.
SHAEC’s new mailing address is 26a Main Street, Chester, MA 01011. The new phone number is 413-354-1055. The website, www.shaec.org, remains the same, as does SHAEC’s email address: [email protected]. Many of SHAEC’s classes are also posted on their Facebook Page at the Southern Hilltowns Adult Education Center.
Classes are also continuing to be offered in other satellite locations, such as computer assistance in the Russell Senior Center, and support for small businesses and startups in the Hilltown CDC’s Chesterfield classroom at 387 Main Road, where Kenney has joined the staff as economic development coordinator.
Gateway Hilltowns Economic Development Director Jeanne LeClair.
Through a continuing partnership with the Gateway Hilltowns Collaborative, Economic Development Director Jeanne LeClair will offer a series of small business support classes in both Chester and Chesterfield.
A Website Workshop with LeClair will be held on Wed., Sept. 12 at the VEC in Chester, and Wed., Oct. 10 at the HCDC in Chesterfield from 6 to 8 p.m. “One of the most important parts of growing your business is maintaining a professional, beautiful, fully functioning website. Stop by for hands-on assistance with professionalizing your layout, hosting, images, text, and any other elements of your website. Learn inexpensive, yet professional website options that you can easily learn how to create and edit with a minimal time commitment. All questions/issues welcome, small or large.”
LeClair will also continue to offer Biztro: Drop-in small business support on selected Monday evenings at the VEC in Chester from 4 to 7 p.m. September 17 / October 1 & 22 /November 5 / December 17, and on Wed., Dec. 12 from 4 to 7 p.m. “Need help with your business website? Want to talk about marketing & advertising? Just want to review your business plan? Got a great idea you just want to chat about? Stop by a business-bistro “Biztro” session anytime and get hands-on help with a broad range of projects to make your small business flourish in the Hilltowns! If we don’t know the answer, we can figure it out together or connect you with more resources in the area.”
A new offering called Economic Development and Your Business will be held on Wed., Sept. 26, at the VEC in Chester from 6 to 8 p.m. “Learn about how the hilltown region is developing economically and what that means for your small business, whether you are already operating or thinking about starting up something new. With the arrival of broadband internet, state-sponsored grants, and increased marketing to bring new families and businesses to the area, now is the time to get organized and get motivated to ride the wave of progress. Come with questions & ideas, all are welcome!”
Math help for GED/HiSet Test Preparation, funded by the Community Development Block Grant for the towns of Russell, Chester, Huntington and Middlefield will be held this year on Wednesdays, 3-5 p.m., September 12 to November 7; Thursdays, 10 a.m. to noon, Sept. 13 to Nov. 8 at the Village Enterprise Center, 26a Main Street, Chester. “Do you struggle with Math, need some review, or suffer with math-a-phobia? No matter where you’re coming from, we’ll work with you at your own pace to help you get the skills you need to pass the Math section of the HiSet High School Equivalency exam. Participants may come to either Wednesday evening class, or Thursday evening class, or both, for more review of topics discussed.” Preregistration is strongly encouraged. Call 413-354-1055 and leave a message with name and contact information.
Need your GED/ High School Equivalency Degree, but fitting it in between work, kids, or other commitments has stood in the way? Give SHAEC a call to schedule a time that works for you: Topics include Reading Comprehension, Writing, Social Studies, Math, and Science. “We’ll work together to see which topic areas you are most ready to take the exam for, and help you prepare for those that might need more review.” Take the first step, and call today: 413-354-1055. Or email [email protected].
The new computer lab in Chester is online and ready for drop-in help on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 to noon. Thanks to a computer upgrade by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, SHAEC has all new desktop and laptop computers in their Village Enterprise Center classroom. All new computers have both Microsoft Office 2013 and Office 2016, as well as the Adobe suite, including Adobe Animate, Audition, Dreamweaver, Lightroom, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, and more. The computers and laptops are for use at SHAEC’s classes, and are available for drop-in use to the public. In all, SHAEC received nine desktop computers and ten laptops from the University of Massachusetts, who maintains the computers via a virtual point network.
“Don’t have Wi-Fi at you home? Need to search the web, look for a job, post on Craigslist, update Facebook, or simply connect with friends online?” SHAEC has open computer hours from 10-noon every Tuesday. If you need assistance, drop in to our Wednesday help lab, from 10 am to noon. Need to use a computer outside those hours? Call or email SHAEC, and arrange a time to stop in and use the Computer Lab. 413-354-1055, or [email protected]. No gaming, movies, or downloading music.
Computer assistance will continue to be offered at the Russell Senior Center at 65 Main St.
Computer, Tablet, Smart Phone Help will also continue to be offered at the Russell Senior Center: 65 Main Street, 2nd floor from 10 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Sept. 11, Oct. 9, Nov. 20 and Dec. 4 from 10 a.m. to noon. “Need help with a computer related problem? Installing new software? Can’t find a file? Need one-on-one assistance to learn a specific skill? Come to our Question and Answer Sessions, and get the help that you need. No appointment necessary, just stop by for friendly, compassionate assistance with your computer, phone, or android device. Note that we do not do computer or phone repair, but will assist you in getting the most out of your device.”
Other September course offerings include:
Everything You Need to Know as a Small Business Owner on Tuesday, Sept. 18, 6 to 8 p.m. at the VEC, in Chester, and on Thursday, Oct. 4, 6 to 8 p.m. at the HCDC classroom in Chesterfield.
“There is more to your Business than selling your product! This class will discuss the following tips to improve your chances of success: Overview includes: The Business Plan, Customers and Customer Service, Vendors, Keeping the Books, Estimated Taxes, Deductions, and Marketing.”
Intro to QuickBooks, Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 5 and 6, 6 to 8 p.m. at the VEC in Chester, and Monday and Tuesday, Oct. 15 and 16, 6 to 8 p.m. at HCDC in Chesterfield.
“Does the idea of learning QuickBooks feel overwhelming to you? You’re not alone. We know that learning QuickBooks can be a struggle. This class includes an overview of the following: Set-Up, Chart of Accounts, Budgets, Financial Statements, Accounts Payables, Vendors, Customers and Sales.” Taught by Dorine Lasky, accountant, bookkeeper, and tax preparer with over 25 years’ experience in the field, and who is currently a self-employed tax advisor.
Selling on ETSY: Online Sales for Art and Vintage Items, Thursday and Friday, Sept. 20 and 21, 6 to 8 p.m. at the HCDC in Chesterfield, and Thursday and Friday, Oct. 25 and 26, 6 to 8 p.m. VEC Chester.
“Etsy is an online marketplace where people around the world can connect to buy and sell unique goods on a vibrant community of 30 million buyers and creative businesses. It provides an online marketplace for crafters, artists, and collectors to sell their handmade creations, vintage goods and crafting supplies. In this two day class you’ll learn about selling on Etsy including how to open your shop, market your product, shipping, and Etsy’s buying and selling guidelines. Participants must have general computer knowledge and an active email account. You will need to check your email in class to create an Etsy account so please know your email password. Plan on attending both class sessions. Computers will be available for use.”
Photographing Your Products for Online Sales, Thursday, Sept. 27, 6 to 8 p.m. at HCDC in Chesterfield, and Thursday, Nov. 1, 6 to 8 p.m., VEC in Chester. “Whether you sell on eBay, Etsy, Craigslist or any other online market place taking photos that are sharp, simple and illustrative is crucial to online selling success. Photos are a key part in the consumer’s decision-making process and the quality of a product photo reflects your brand image. In this class you will learn how to photograph your items for sale to make them look their best on your online marketplace.”
All classes are free for hilltown residents. Residents from towns outside of the hilltown region may take classes as space is available. However, preference is for hilltown residents. For more information, contact SHAEC at 413-354-1055, or by email at [email protected].
