The Learning Council
Our Mission: Enriching community through education, art, advocacy, food, agriculture and wellness for all. Sign Up for Our NewsletterSupport Us!
Help Us Complete the Essential Renovations of The Hearth​!
The priority renovations at The Hearth include commercial kitchen & bathrooms!
The commercial kitchen will be home to the TLC Kitchen Crew, which provides weekly locally sourced meals to the community by donation. It will also be used as a “teaching” kitchen for classes on cooking local/cultural/ethnic foods, herbal and wildcrafted preparations, etc.
Vision
The Learning Council is an educational hub for the North Fork Valley, connecting learners and educators to meet specific needs and empower personal growth. The outcomes of our programs encourage learners to give back to the community through service. Responding to the needs of our community we offer a variety of classes and learning opportunities for all ages and skill levels, continually broadening our course selection.
Diversity Statement
We believe in lifelong learning and education as a resource for everyone. We are committed to inclusion across race, gender, age, religion, identity, and experience.
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Upcoming Events
Climate Action Meeting
Nov 21 – Join Citizens for a Healthy Community at 6pm at The Hearth, 138 Grand Avenue, Paonia for a community climate action meeting.
West African Drum and Dance
Nov 20 – Etienne Tolno from Guinea will be leading West African Drum and Dance classes. He has been studying West African music since his early teens and drumming professionally with various companies in Guinea since his early twenties.
Thanksgiving Eve Punk Rock
Nov 23 – Experience a Thanksgiving Eve Punk Rock show featuring the Crashlanders, the Sep-Ticks and more at The Hearth!
Black Friday Stargazing
Nov 25 – With Black Friday Stargazing, experience a dark night full of stars and celebrate the night. Dress in warm layers.
Sunday Sanctuary
Dec 4 – Sunday Sanctuary is a magickal heart-centered community gathering. Presented by the School of Magic at The Hearth.
What’s in a Gift?
Dec 10 & 11 – What’s in a Gift is a two-day art class for 2nd through 6th graders. Create beautiful, fun projects to gift family and friends.
Theater as a Practice
Tuesdays, Oct 17-Nov 30 – Theater as a Practice: Through the art of puppetry and storytelling, children develop their sense of expression, social skills and interaction, speech, body language, self awareness, imagination, and creativity.
Evoke
Sep 25, Oct 30, Nov 27 – Evoke: meditation and movement with Solea Anani. Embodied Movement is a simple yet profound practice of moving meditation.
Firestarters
Thursdays, Oct 20-Dec 15 – Firestarters is a 10-week immersive series with local mentors who weave together storytelling, skills, animal processing, hide tanning and more.
Arbol Winter Market
Tuesdays, Nov 1-Apr 18 – The Arbol Winter Market will occur on designated Tuesdays from November 1 through Apr 18 – held at The Hearth in Paonia.
Day of Mindfulness
Nov 12, Dec 10 – The Day of Mindfulness will include sitting meditation, tea, Dharma talk or poem, walking meditation and sharing our reflections.
Senior Yoga
Wednesdays – Senior Yoga with Katy Goldsberry is a gentle therapeutic class for all bodies and abilities – at The Hearth.
Harvest for Health Monday Lunch
Harvest for Health Monday Lunch is prepared by Chrys Bailey, family and friends. 2nd and 4th Monday of each month. Pick-up – Trading Post.
Featured Activity
Community Lunch
Our cooking class utilizes local organic foods, to turn students on to the vitality, nutrition and flavor of our local bounty, while supporting local farms. The class prepares a community meal ($10 suggested donation or 1 hour of work in the kitchen).
We offer weekly meals attracting more community members each time, as well as, people from neighboring communities. We serve a minimum of 50 people each week lunch. This class teaches practical skills, service, and has a mentoring system where students will share their knowledge with each other while working together on a dish.