Winter Workshops
Mini Courses workshops typically consist of just 1–2 sessions, each lasting a few hours. They’re a great low-commitment way to learn something new.
Explore Fall session workshops below:
Find multi-week classes on our Winter Courses page.
Arts/Crafts Workshops
Section A: Saturday, January 30th
- 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.
- Registration fee: NU $59, Public $69
Section B: Saturday, February 13th (Valentine’s Special)
- 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.
- Registration fee: NU $109, Public $119 (for two tickets)
Section C: Saturday, February 27th
- 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.
- Registration fee: NU $59, Public $69
Instructor: Sylvia Tan
Location: Ceramics Studio
Want to dip your hands in a little clay? Come join us for a two-hour workshop where you'll learn the fundamental steps of throwing. Participants will get to throw as much as they can, but will only be choosing one piece to keep. Participants will get to choose from 4 different glaze colors to match their perfect creation. Projects will be available for pick up two weeks from the workshop's completion. No experience is required!
Supplies are included.
Saturday, January 30th
- 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
- Instructor: Rebekah Sigman
- Registration fee: NU $32, Public $42
Students will be introduced to the principles of cross-stitching (supplies, technique, and pattern reading) as well as the endless ways this craft can be customized. This workshop will focus on students reading a cross-stitch pattern and completing a cross-stitch project from beginning to end. We will begin the workshop with an overview of cross-stitching and viewing completed projects and end the workshop by introducing students to the process of creating their own patterns.
- 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
- Registration fee: NU $69, Public $79
- Instructor: Carolyn Angelopoulos
In this 2-part workshop you will learn the basics of sewing by making a pair of comfy pajama/lounge pants to wear when relaxing. You’ll learn how to pick the right size, cut and sew your pattern, fit an elastic waistband, and even hem the pants to the right length. Once you make your first pair, you can make more for yourself or for gifts.
Saturday, February 13th
- 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
- Instructor: Iliana Cardona
- Registration fee: NU $39, Public $49
Come experiment during this hands-on workshop where materials collide into one composition. You will be using a variety of paper fodder to create fun collaged backgrounds, layering those to enhance areas that interest you, and then using a plethora of fun art materials to pull forward your creative vision.
Saturdays, February 13th and 27th (2 Sessions)
- 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
- Instructor: Anne Howard
- Registration fee: NU $69, Public $79
Knitting is a calming, creative, and portable art that lets you design things in just the right color and size. If you'd like to make useful handmade items while you watch tv, ride the bus, or listen to a lecture; if you need a creative outlet; or if you're looking for a meditative daily activity, then knitting is for you. In this two-session class, students will learn the four basic elements of knitting (plus a few extras) and will learn how to choose a pattern and yarn for their first project.
Supplies are included.
Wednesday, February 24th
- 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.
- Instructor: Carolyn Angelopoulos
- Registration fee: NU $49, Public $59
Tired of pants that just aren’t the right length? Come to this workshop and learn two ways to hem most pants. You’ll learn how to determine the correct length and the proper way to mark and pin the hem. Finally, you’ll sew up sample hems to keep for your reference.
Supplies are included.
Saturday, February 27th
- 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
- Instructor: Iliana Cardona
- Registration fee: NU $39, Public $49
Come create a handmade journal. We'll add pockets, foldouts, and use a variety of papers, scraps, and stickers to make it uniquely yours. Best thing is there are no rules, no wrong moves, no trying to make anything perfect, just a carefree space to create and play. You have a green light to use what you have on hand, cut, tear, fold, stick, write, scribble, and on and on. It is a brilliant form of self expression, self care, and relaxation and who doesn’t need a bit of that?
Supplies are included.
Food/Drink Workshops
Monday, February 8th
- 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
- Instructor: Lexi McKean
- Registration fee: NU $98, Public $118 (for two tickets)
Sip, savor, and connect during this guided tasting experience featuring carefully paired red and white wines, artisan cheeses, and decadent chocolates. The perfect recipe for a memorable date night.
Monday, February 22nd
- 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
- Instructor: Lexi McKean
- Registration fee: NU $49, Public $59
In honor of Chicago's 190th birthday in March 2027, explore the city's brewing legacy. Learn how historic breweries and Prohibition-era events shaped today's craft beer scene while sampling some of Chicago's most iconic and unique local brews!
Saturday, February 27th
- 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
- Instructor: Bradley Davey
- Registration fee: NU $49, Public $59
Join us as we explore the world of coffee in this hands-on tasting and brewing workshop. Over two hours, you’ll sample a lineup of special and experimental coffees, learn how flavor changes with grind, water, and brew method, and practice making your own perfect cups. No experience needed, just curiosity and a love of coffee.
Special Interest Workshops
Section B: Tuesdays, February 16th and February 23rd (2 Sessions)
- 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
- Instructor: Margaret Lo
- Registration fee: NU $39, Public $49
Students will learn basic self-defense techniques in an encouraging environment. Instructor Margaret Lo is a Shotokan karate instructor with many years of experience who is also certified to teach self-defense by RAD Systems, http://rad-systems.com/. The classes will address the psychological underpinnings of self-defense as well as basic escapes and strikes.
Saturday, January 30th
- 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
- Instructor: Steven Fischer
- Registration fee: NU $39, Public $49
Learn some tips and tricks for how we might use journaling to deeply reflect on life, to help us more fully understand ourself and others. This workshop offers exercises that help condition us to combine observation and creative writing in revealing ways. We'll also look at the ways diarists throughout time have used prose, video, audio, and art journals to process life experiences, find meaning, and document the world in which they live. Bring paper, pen of your choosing. You'll be writing. A lot!
Section A: Thursday, February 11th (Chicago Campus - Wieboldt Hall)
- 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. | Formal Lessons and guided play
- 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. | Open Play
Section B: Saturday, February 20th (Evanston Campus - Norris Center)
- 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. | Formal Lessons and guided play
- 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. | Open Play
- Instructors: Dennis Nguyen and Dalton Huey
- Registration fee: NU $15, Public $19
Come learn and play Hong Kong style Mahjong! This introductory course will focus on the basics of play to get you started. This will be followed by open play with coaching to immediately practice your new skills. Open to all, no prior experience is required. All materials are provided.
Saturday, February 27th
- 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
- Instructors: Amy and Dominic Esquibel (Owners of Botanik Culture, Inc.)
- Registration fee: NU $59, Public $69
Discover the joy of flower design! Join us to create stunning seasonal bouquets with the guidance of local florists. In this workshop, you’ll begin to master the basics of floral design, working with a variety of fresh, seasonal flowers and learning unique techniques to craft your beautiful bouquet.
Saturday, February 27th
- 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
- Instructor: Christine Wolf
- Registration fee: NU $39, Public $49
Whether you’ve known periods of overwhelm, trauma, or significant difficulty, it’s important to process these experiences in healthy ways. In this course, you’ll learn the evidence-based technique of expressive writing to help process difficult emotions to help you get “unstuck”. The practice of Expressive Writing, pioneered by Dr. James Pennebaker in 1986, is a remarkably straightforward and FREE way to acknowledge your most troubling memories and create a framework of language that can help to move unresolved thoughts out of your head and onto the page (or even into the air).
Tuesdays, October 13 - October 27 (3 sessions)
6:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Registration is free. Sign up here!
Build your financial knowledge and personal development skills in this three-part series presented by U.S. Bank. Attend the first session in person, then continue your learning through two convenient online sessions.
Tuesday, October 13th at 6:00 p.m: In-person in Norris
Smart strategies for stretching dollars: Join this session to empower yourself to maximize your dollars with strategies around budgeting, saving, managing debt, accessing resources, and building positive financial habits. We’ll share practical tips and help you discover where you can find additional support.
Tuesday, October 20th at 6:00 p.m: Virtual
Credit Wellness: How do you define credit wellness? Do you feel confident about your financial path? Build your knowledge about how credit works, what can impact your credit score, the different ways your score can impact lending decisions, and some tips on improving or building your credit responsibly.
Tuesday, October 27th at 6:00 p.m: Virtual
Take ownership series: Time management: We focus on the relationship we have with our most valuable commodity: our time. If you want to feel more empowered and take ownership of your own time to achieve the goals you've set for yourself, you will leave this webinar better positioned to move confidently into the future you envision for yourself.
Saturday, October 10th, 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Block Museum Plaza in front of the Block Museum. 40 Arts Cir Dr, Evanston, IL 60208
Sponsored by: the Norris Mini Courses, City of Evanston, and the Recyclery.
Instructor: The Recyclery, a nonprofit bicycle education organization.
Registration is free. Sign up here!
This workshop, City Cycling 101 will cover key skills needed to use a bicycle for transportation. This course is geared toward those who already know how to ride a bike and want to become more comfortable on the road. This is a mostly on-bike course, with the first portion focused on off-street drills and bike assessment skills, and the second part focused on on-street group riding.