Pretty much everybody in business these days knows that Facebook is a social media platform that cannot be ignored. Take Facebook for Business with Steve Veltkamp to get Steve’s perspective on working with Facebook and learn his tips to help you leverage your business exposure.

Steve also thinks that  Google+ is a potentially serious rival to Facebook. What should you pay attention and keep up on for your business? He’ll also talk about Google Apps which can make  your online time more effective

Microblogging is another small business tool that all businesses should know how to use. Learn Steve’s tips on using Twitter, Tumblr and other social media tools to really make a difference in your buisnesses exposure.

See all Steve’s May classes here. And be sure to join Steve, Barbara Winter, Tama Kieves and lots of other great CFU teachers at the third annual Un-Job Fair on June 2.

If you’re feeling stuck in your 9-5 or have been nursing big dreams to strike out on your own, CFU’s Un-Job Fair for aspiring entrepreneurs may be just what you’ve been looking for!

Created especially for the small business or solo-preneur, the Un-Job Fair is a daylong event with three keynote speakers and four breakout sessions  chock full of great speakers on important topics for entrepreneurs. The entire day is designed to give you lots of brain candy and practical pointers to starting and running a successful small business.

The keynote speakers for the day are Steve Veltkamp, owner of the BizShop, who has been supplying entrepreneurs with practical advice and great ideas for decades; Barbara Winter, author of the popular Making a Living Without a Job,   who is beloved by students for her witty and downright smart take on jobless living; and Tama Kieves, author of This Time I Dance! Creating the Work You Love, who delivers the most inspirational message about living and thriving in your true work.

Enjoy a variety of break out sessions on a variety of topics: social media for small business; franchises; protecting your intellectual property; blogging for business; small business law; choosing a business entity; and more!

Learn more about the Un-Job Fair…

Howard Berg is on record as the World’s Fastest Reader. He’s also a great teacher and genuine guy. We love having him visit CFU and share his reading and learning strategies. His classes get great reviews and students are often amazed at how much they improve their skills in a two or three-hour workshop.

Learn more about Howard’s classes at CFU.

And just for fun, see Howard speed reading on Fox News:

Koi by Impressions of the Garden teacher Gayle Bodine

Looking for art classes? We’ve got you covered!

CFU offers a great selection of art and crafts classes, most of which are perfect for the beginner because you don’t have to invest in a huge amount of equipment or materials to try out a new medium

We’ve always offered an array of great basic drawing and painting classes.

Anybody can learn to draw–really–it just takes some practice and skills which you can easily pick up and practice in Basic Drawing. Another good drawing class is Basic Sketching where you learn to quickly capture the essence of a figure or object.

In painting, we offer watercolor painting, acrylic painting, and oil painting with the Bob Ross method. You’ll walk out of these classes with some great work. Impressions of the Gardens is a really great way to actually walk outside and draw and paint in the Denver Botanic Gardens.

We have alternative technique painting classes too, such as collage

Watercolor Batik by Lydia Rea

paintings and watercolor batik painting. Both of these classes combine two fun techniques to make something entirely new. Best yet, the classes offer techniques that anyone can master and produced lovely results. Similarly, try Zentangle or Chinese calligrapy and learn a fun drawing techniques that can be therapeutic and meditative.

CFU pottery teacher Ingrid King throwing on the wheel. Photo by Lori Warner.

Moving into the 3rd dimension, we offer pottery classes, including throwing on the wheel, woodworking for beginner (make a bookcase or table), and glass workshops in fusing and glass blowing. If you’re interested in sculpture, try the Some Like It Hot class and work on creating a wall piece out of sheet metal.

Everybody knows that crafts are enjoying a renaissance. Crafts like knitting, crochet and beginning sewing are popular. We also have classes where you can embellish clothing in various ways with applique or with nuno felting to create unique, wearable art.

We add new classes regularly. If you’re an art lover or a crafty person, sure to browse our arts & crafts classes regularly and try something new!

While we don’t wish divorce on anyone, CFU does want to give you the tools you need if you do need to move in that direction.  Take a look at the classes here…

Read a student testimonial for Wendy’s class…

Money and Divorce are a volatile combination.  See what a student wrote about Wendy Spencers’ Take Financial Control of Your Divorce class here at CFU:

Generally, when one goes through a divorce experiencing feelings of confusion, fear and venerability are not uncommon. For many people this can turn out to be the most stressful time of their lives. With the prospect of so many changes, one can become overwhelmed and quite honestly emotionally lost. My divorce was no exception to this rule. Most of my confusion was based in my naiveté surrounding finances.

In an effort to take a crash course in finances, I signed up for one of Wendy’s classes through Colorado Free University. I was astonished how much material she covered in a short period of time. She was knowledgeable, patient and understanding with the barrage of endless questions presented to her. I finished that class which a much clearer understanding of how the financial world works.

After the class, Wendy presented the class with her card and the offer of a free consultation. Taking her up on her offer turned out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. Wendy had a way of making me feel immediately at ease. (Which is not an easy feat when one is at the bottom of a learning curve.) Wendy looked over my mediation papers and suggested addressing some very important issues that turned out to have a huge impact on my final settlement. Without this expertise and guidance, I have to say my future financial picture would have turned out quite bleak.

I can safely say, I owe my financial peace of mind to Wendy and her expert advice.  I would highly recommend her to anyone who is trying to traverse the unsteady terrain of divorce. 

R.H. Denver Colorado

Find Wendy’s class in our Money Smarts Section.

While there are all kinds of places that offer classes today, CFU is unusual because it is completely independent, freestanding, and self-sufficient and because of the vast menu of classes it offers.

Here’s the history:  In the late 1960’s over 300 free universities sprang up as an outgrowth of the Free Speech Movement. The idea was that everyone should have access to education and that many topics could be taught by teachers with life—as opposed to academic–experience. Denver’s version opened in 1969 on the DU campus, but moved offsite when the university administration worried that it was attracting outside agitators. In 1986 Denver Free University went out of business and Colorado Free University took up the mantel, but with less of a political and more of a community orientation.

By the mid-90’s there were about 30 remaining freestanding schools across the country and today only 10 have survived.  There are so many ways for people to get information today–the competition has been fierce. And, recessions are not kind to lifelong learning, which depends on people spending discretionary income for self-improvement.

Founder John Hand conceived the school as a learning network, and based it on the principle that communities have within them the resources to solve their own problems.  For everyone with a problem or need, there is someone else with a solution or answer.  Colorado Free University brings those people together.

Colorado Free University has brought great value to the metro community, helping people find new careers, gain skills to advance in their jobs, develop untapped talents, meet new friends, find the love of their lives, and just generally improve their lives.

Don’t forget what an uncommon treasure you have here at CFU!

There is no question that travel enriches life.  But, with the current economy and questionable future, many people feel as though they cannot  afford to travel.  Happily, there is a way to save a lot on travel expense and to have a fabulous experience at the same time–and that is through house exchanging. A person may use his primary residence, a condo, or an apartment. It may be in the city, the suburbs, or countryside. And it needs as little as one bedroom and a bathroom.

I have done 30 exchanges so far and look forward to many more in the future.  One of our best exchanges was in Paris.  We were near the Luxembourg Gardens, so in Paris but out of the tourist section.  People there did not speak English, so we visited many local restaurants and, after much bad-French and charades on our part, we were warmly welcomed by the French and served some of the best food we have ever experienced.  Since we were an exception to the rule (Americans actually living in a neighborhood of Paris not just on tour with 40 other Americans), we received hospitality normally not afforded to foreigners.

We had another great experience this past summer when we spent 6 weeks in a suburb of Melbourne Australia. We were just 3 blocks from the beach, where I walked almost every morning watching the sun rise over the Tasman Sea.  The people there were so open and friendly, and the animals were something out of a storybook from childhood:  kangaroos, koala bears, cockatoos, etc … all in the neighborhood. No need to visit a zoo.

We arrange to meet many of our exchangers. Either we stay in the USA until they arrive, or they meet us in their country. One of the most fun groups was a family who came from the south of Paris–a family of two parents in their 40′s and their two teenage sons.  It was delightful getting to meet them after months of emails.  And, while they were in our home they made friends with the neighbors and everyone took turns having backyard bar-be-ques.

The Italians from Padua (Podova), near Venice, were besotted with Colorado.  They love everything about our area of the USA, except the food.  You rarely find a bad or even mediocre meal in Italy … and Olive Garden is not even near their tastes or quality. But our dry air, the mountains, and friendly people really sold them on the fact the Americans are not such a bad lot … if only they could cook.

While home exchanging is a great way to travel, it isn’t for everyone. I’ve found it best to arrange exchanges through one of the sites online.  A person should check out at least a couple of these sites to see which one feels best to them, and offers more of what they are looking for, such as more possible exchangers overseas or domestically.

My class, Home Exchange, Should You Dare?, is designed to answer the many questions that come up when thinking about swapping homes. Just a few are:

• Do you have to let the exchangers use your car?
• What do you do about insurance?
• What do you do about your pets?
• What should you do with valuables and antiques?

Let me help you decide if this adventure in travel is right for you.

I’ve always been rather hit or miss when choosing a bottle or sampling a new beer–but I’ve found that beer or wine tastings both introduce me to new flavors and help me make better choices every time.

Charlie Gottenkeiny is our in-house beer expert. Charlie is just an amazingly warm, fun host and an unbelievable resource on beer.  He’s been teaching all about Belgian beers for some time, but this spring and summer is adding German and British beer tastings to his offering.  You will have a great time, and learn to tell you IPAs from your Altbiers from your Trappists.

Ashley Hausman

Ashley Hausman is CFUs resident sommelier. Don’t miss her Spanish wines class this spring or summer because in the fall she’s going to change it up. She also teaches a food and wine pairing class that is so helpful to understanding what regions and flavors will enhance your menu rather than fight with it.

Another great wine tasting also includes chocolate–what a combination! It’s quite amazing how certain chocolates and wines go togther and bring out the best of both. Julie Pech teaches this class which has always gotten fantastic reviews.

Explore upcoming beer & wine tastings at CFU.

Chris Thomas started offering classes for free at CFU after the huge real estate collapse. Chris is in the mortgage lending business and he was aghast at the bad practices in the industry. He created the “How to Not Get Ripped Off When Buying a House” class as a way to help home buyers navigate the process and avoid bogus claims, fees or promises. He also teaches a free class on all you need to consider to get a solid, fair home loan.

Norm Replin is a realtor who helps buyers evaluate the condo market. Come to his free class and learn whether  a condo suits your home ownership needs, including home owner associations costs and how you can get the best deal. The condo market has been in a slump for a while–but if a condo suits you, it can be the best time to make a great deal!

Norm also teaches a class on what you need to consider when selling a home. What’s the best way to make your home shine so you can get the best deal in the shortest amount of time? Take this class to find out.

There’s no tuition for these free classes, but you do need to register to attend so we know how many people to expect.