This program offers participants hands-on explorations in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Projects include building with Legos, constructing paper airplanes, experimenting with food science, making slime, gardening, studying weather, and collecting items from nature. Participants also track and count various types of birds seen in the winter landscape at Our Place, both in the garden and from the room overlooking our garden and bird sanctuary. Participants can expect to learn about STEM and local birds while sharing experiences with friends.

This is a vocational and service program at Three Crowns Park in northwest Evanston. Participants engage with residents in many ways while learning vocational skills tied to working in the service sector. Participants and volunteers take residents for walks inside and in the neighborhood, lead chair exercises, play word games, and read to the residents. Participants can expect to build friendships with residents while learning vocational skills and making a contribution to our community through service.

Community Lunch is mostly about having fun with friends while eating out at local restaurants every week. Participants negotiate with friends on which restaurant to choose, aiming for variety. After choosing a restaurant, they plan their order, fill out a budget form, and make sure they have enough money to pay for their selections. They place their orders at the restaurant, pay, and keep receipts so they can track their expenses. Participants can expect to strengthen friendships, practice independent planning and ordering, learn how to navigate in a restaurant and mostly have good conversations. After lunch they take a long walk – outside if the weather is nice and at the fitness center track if it’s cold or rainy.

Participants select recipes and get hands-on training in preparing, cooking, presenting and serving everyday foods for their friends at Our Place. They prepare healthy lunches that are served to all participants and staff at Our Place that day. Participants can expect to learn how to prepare simple meals that they can make at home, share those meals with friends, clean up after cooking and eating and expand their appreciation for healthy foods.

This program combines music, rhythm, and movement for a good workout while having fun. Participants can expect to get a good workout while improving coordination and endurance and expanding their love of music.

Participants build cardio endurance, strength, and flexibility while participating in circuit training at the Wilmette Fitness Center. Participants can expect to improve their physical endurance, technical exercise skills, goal setting, teamwork, and communication skills.

This program offers participants an opportunity to explore nature from our own garden. We will plan the summer garden, choosing the herbs, vegetables and flowers we will plant. We’ll choose plants for the recipes we cook in our culinary and healthy snack programs and to attract birds, beneficial insects and butterflies. In early May we will prepare the garden beds and plant seeds and seedlings which we started indoors under a grow light. Participants will continue to build their birdwatching skills by tracking and counting the types of birds that come to our garden during different seasons. We’ll keep records so we can compare year to year and see if we are attracting more birds and a wider variety of birds. Participants can expect to learn about the plants and birds that thrive in our area as they develop record- keeping and garden maintenance skills.

Participants learn the fundamentals of golf while enjoying a beautiful afternoon at the Wilmette Golf Club. The Club trainer and volunteers teach the rules, techniques, and etiquette of golf, using the driving range and putting green. Equipment provided. Participants can expect to become proficient in the basic techniques and etiquette of golf while enjoying a day on the course. Seasonal.

Kitchen Kinetics focuses on healthy living through nutritious food choices and exercise. Each week the participants hone their skills in the kitchen cooking healthy foods, practicing food safety and cleaning up. They then discuss the value of exercise and get fit with a workout routine. Participants can expect to improve their understanding of healthy food choices, experience how good healthy foods can taste, and learn to appreciate a good workout.

A hands-on training in how to use all the services offered by our public libraries. The program is onsite at the Winnetka Public Library with library staff providing instruction and support. Participants will become proficient in accessing the services of public libraries and will end the session with their own library card to their local library. They will be comfortable and confident users of library services and know how to use a wide range of online and in-person programs. They will be able to practice using online services through the Wi-Fi at Our Place.

Music and Movement is a program that allows participants to explore the world of musical theater and dance. Each week participants focus on one musical, movie, or show as they use dancing and acting to choreograph dance routines for the chosen musical numbers. Participants can expect to build confidence and creativity through expressive dance and acting as well as teamwork and performance skills.

Participants travel to the Northbrook YMCA, where they begin with a warm-up in the water followed by aquatic exercises focusing on cardio endurance, strength training and pool safety. The program ends with a fun closing activity to cool down - and if there’s time, a dip in the hot tub. Participants can expect to improve their swimming skills, confidence in the pool and overall fitness.

Participants join in aquatic activities while learning pool safety at Jane's pool, a heated and secluded pool close to Our Place. The program begins with a warmup in the water followed by exercises and relays that focus on cardio endurance, strengthening and teamwork. Participants end with a sharing activity about their day and a meditation. Remember to bring your swimsuit and a towel. Participants can expect to improve swimming skills and their comfort in the water while being part of a team. Swimming is outdoors only in the summer session.

Unwind is a relaxation program that explores a variety of techniques to calm the mind and body. Every program starts and ends with relaxing music and deep breathing. Activities may include progressive muscle relaxation, coloring, yoga, guided meditations, mindful walks, and more. Participants can expect to discover their favorite ways to relax and unwind.

Our vocational program focuses on the skills required to be a good worker and to sustain a job. We discuss the soft skills that make someone effective in a job, including how to act in a work environment, focus, following directions, being part of a team and socializing appropriately with work colleagues. We provide hands-on training in work settings. Currently we run the New Trier Township Food Pantry, where participants process and sort all food donations and stock the pantry that is open to the public. We also assist seniors at Three Crown Park with exercise, brain games and walks. Participants can expect to improve their ability to function effectively in a workplace, learn job skills and give back to their community.