Education Feature: Canines core of CCC class

Forget about lions, tigers and bears.

Hillcrest Zoo will be educating children and adults about dogs, wolves and other canines during a free summer class at Clovis Community College.

“Dogs, Wolves and Other K-9s” is just one of many classes, some free, which CCC is offering this summer to keep young and young-at-heart minds learning during the three-month school vacation.

The one-time-only session is slated for 10-11 a.m. June 26 in room 183 of CCC.

“The purpose of the session is to teach responsibility and dog ownership,” said Mark Yannotti, a Hillcrest Zoo curator who has conducted the session for about five years and who has taught dog obedience classes.

“CCC asked me to do the program because kids are bored when they’re out of school, and we all need continuing education,” Yannotti said. “Also, summer is a good time to do this program because kids are around pets more. They have more time to spend with their animals and so we will go into all facets of pet ownership.”

Yannotti said he will also educate people about wolves and their hierarchies and how this may come into play when it comes to dogs as well.

Listed under CCC’s Kids’ College, summer classes being offered range from wheel-thrown pottery, poetry, swimming, tennis, basketball and volleyball classes to courses on “Internet Safety for Kids.”

“Our Kids’ College is very popular,” said Judith Spillane, the business and noncredit training coordinator at CCC. “We processed over 240 registrations last summer.”

Spillane said the number of classes offered jumped from 11 in 2006 to 19 this year.

“We have tried to offer more free classes so children whose parents cannot afford to pay can have something fun to go to,” she said.

The most expensive CCC summer fun class is the “Learn to Swim Stroke School,” which costs $160 and generally fills up pretty fast. Most other classes range from $10 to $50.

“Recycling and Composting for Kids” is another free class being offered.

Some of the classes, which charge a small fee, mostly for supplies, include:

“Fun With Papier-Mache”

“Birdhouse Building”

“Ceramics”

“Beginning to Intermediate Tap”

“Arts and Crafts”

“Ballet I”

“Picturing Poetry”

Information: 769-4760 or http://www.clovis.edu