Education
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The Learning Centre at 6 St Joseph House
- opening the door to new possibilities.
6 St. Joseph – www.6stjoseph.ca – is a welcoming community committed to supporting people who are challenged by issues of homelessness and livelihood.
We offer a series of creative programs – workshops, classes and events – that inspire conversation and discovery
6 St. Joseph welcomes people from all walks of life who want to share their talents and offer courses or activities as a way of contributing to the community.
The Yellow Door Learning Centre offers new ways for people to learn in a hospitable community setting. Our courses bring fun and fulfillment back into the experience of acquiring new skills and understanding.
The Learning Centre fosters “engaged learning.” The focus is on the unique talents of each individual, and our goal is to awaken people to new possibilities in themselves and to encourage a sense of purpose and meaning in our lives.
Many people who attend do not have access, or perhaps have not had the inclination to participate in conventional learning programs.
Courses are free. Programs at 6 St. Joseph are made affordable because many of the facilitators of the courses and activities are contributing their services at no cost.
For further information, please contact Darlene Desveaux
Ph: (416) 923-8836
Email: ddesveaux@6stjoseph.ca
Yellow Door Learning Centre Programs
Our programs fall into three streams:
| Three Program Streams | Three Themes |
| ArtLife | Sparking the Imagination |
| LifeSkills | Hands-on Learning from the Heart |
| Wellness and Compassion | Connecting with Purpose and Meaning |
Stream 1
ArtLife
VISUAL ART
A1
The Artist in Everyone – Learning to Draw & Paint with Confidence
With Dan Buckley
This introductory drawing and painting class supports aspiring artists in the pursuit of some technical facility for seeing and rendering a variety of subjects. Each week Dan suggests a new subject and the class works on it in a variety of media: acrylic paint, chalk pastel, pencils, etc. This supportive environment makes it easy for newcomers to dip their toe in, while providing a creative atmosphere for the more seasoned artist. Drops-in are welcome. A great starter course! All materials, acrylic paints, pencils, chalk pastels, are supplied; though feel free to bring your own.
A2
Mandela Sensory Art – Crafting a Personal Symbol
With Judith Mullett
Mandela, meaning “wholeness and circle” symbolizes a safe refuge of inner awareness, and is used by many cultures for understanding and personal growth. The Mandela is about centering a person’s being and is used as a vehicle for exploring art, science and religion. This workshop integrates the nine archetypes for inner discovery and understanding. The goal is to create an individual Mandela comprised of a journey into self, using different media and materials. All materials supplied.
A3
Illuminating Our Lives through the Art of Living in Colour
A Water Colour Painting Adventure
With Stephanie Barwick
Embark on an 8-week water colour painting adventure through the colours of the charkas (energy centres in our body). This journey gives you a deeper appreciation for an understanding of colour and how it affects your life. We explore many alternative approaches for living our lives more creatively and harmoniously and we also have a lot of fun in the doing of it! No artistic background needed! Attendance in the first class is mandatory. All materials supplied. To register, contact Stephanie directly, 416-714-7149.
A4
Urban Art – Using Found Object to Create Personal Artistic Works
With Nicholas Ladkin
Participants are guided to understand and practice artistic expression using found materials in the urban setting. Objects are used from the downtown area and the shores of Lake Ontario. The course empowers the participants to explore various mediums, carving, painting, and sculpture, among others.
A5
Acrylic Painting
With Kate Hollett
Award winning artist/film-maker Kate Hollett teaches the basics of painting: using tools, mixing, colour theory, and different styles and techniques. Participants are encouraged to experiment and explore a wide variety of expression with paint. The course intends to inspire the creative spirit through the learning process of technical experimentation and basic training. Each class involves the complete art process of using learned technique, experimentation, creative exercises and individual expression.
A6
Easy Watercolour Techniques
With Bob Allen
Bob Allen guides you through basic techniques to create beautiful watercolour paintings. Using Bob’s sketches as a template and as a starting point, students create original art pieces that are ready to be framed. Experiment with different brush styles without apprehension or fear of not knowing how to draw. Each class gives a true feeling of accomplishment.
A7
The Art of Fly Tying
With Ross Bordh
An exciting workshop that focuses on a series of techniques designed for the novice and newcomer alike. Learn to create fish flies and explore the exciting world of Fly Fishing. A creative course for dedicated outdoors lovers.
A8
The Magic Pencil: Anyone Can Learn to Draw
With Lee Sjostrom
Lee Sjostrom is a self-taught artist who shares her learning and self-teaching experience with others. This course eliminates the myths around what it takes to do realistic drawing. Learn how to differentiate positive and negative space in a potential composition. Practice pencil drawing using objects, pictures, and live people. Access the right side of the brain and tap into your creative powerhouse. Let go of performance anxiety and striving for perfection — realize that no one can draw a straight line – you need a ruler for that!
A9
Fun with LAVEH: A Painters Delight
With Lindsay A. Veh
This watercolour course is designed for maximum fun. A chance to be free, inspired, and uninhibited! Watercolour painting has a reputation for being tricky, as the medium of water is so active and complex. However, in this class you learn how to manage and anticipate this, so you can enjoy the process, have fun, and find success in a carefree atmosphere.
A10
Artful Expressions I: Creatively Think Outside the Box
With Mae Woo
Working with different mediums, participants create a personal keepsake in the form of a box.
A11
Artful Expressions II: Casein Painting
With Michael Kupka
Michael introduces you to casein paint, a medium rich in historical significance, and how to use casein paint on a variety of surfaces
A12
ART- REUSE – Art from Recycled Materials
With Imelda Suzara
LIGHT BULB ORNAMENT: Learn to reuse old incandescent light bulbs that are being banned and replaced with fluorescent bulbs. Collect old bulbs and convert them into colourful painted Christmas ornaments for your tree. SHOEBOX LETTER BOX: How to use old shoeboxes. Convert empty cardboard shoe boxes into colourful letters boxes to keep your correspondence. METAL CAN PEN HOLDER: How to use old metal cans. Convert old soup cans into decorative pen holders for your desk.
A13
Drawing for Beginners
With Michael Cavanaugh
Learn to draw as easily as reaching to pick something up! If you are new to drawing or need a refresher, here’s the perfect opportunity to learn the fundamentals, including line, shading, perspective and proportion. Work at your own speed in a supportive and friendly environment with others just like you. Attend one class or all on them, you are sure to take away some useful drawing tips.
A14
Brushstrokes
With Patrice Stephens-Bourgeault
This class teaches you how to SEE. Training the eye to truly see an object is the most important step in the drawing process. Patrice teaches you how to visualize what you are going to paint before you begin, so that your hand becomes an extension of your eye and mind. Seeing objects in different ways opens our mind to new possibilities. The results are striking and remarkable
A15
Quilting Circle
With Judy Becca
Join the quilting circle for a chance to learn this beautiful craft. Judy Becca guides you through the basics of sewing and quilt making, with everyone getting an opportunity for ‘hands on’ participation. Each member contributes an equal share, and the end result is beautiful and lasting.
A 15
The Tecumseh Collective: Exploring Native Arts
With Phil Cote and Rebecca Baird
Come and enjoy this series of inspiring evenings with Phil Cote and Rebecca Baird. Explore the beautiful facets of Native Art. These workshops are open to all members of the 6 St. Joseph House Community and are free of charge.
A 16
Art as Empowerment
With Bogos Kalemkiar
A17
Beauty Inside & Outside: Portraits & Landscapes
With Sima Tajdini
MOVEMENT
A18
Poetry in Motion – Inner Expression Through Words & Movement
With Naomi Hendrickje Lauder
Poetry in Motion is creative expression through words or verse in a poetic or narrative form about a given theme, followed by creative movement and exercises to music reflecting this theme. The course develops and enhances an individual’s inner expression through journaling and emotional exploration that allows participants to collectively discover their own artistic capacities.
A19
Dialogue in Dance: Telling a Different Story – Classical East Indian Dance
With Kirran Bakhshi
Experience the beautiful art of Classical Indian Dance! This interactive workshop focus on the formal dance forms and classical choreography of East Indian dance performance. Learn unique hand gestures used by dancers to express feeling and narrative. This course allows you to express stories through movement, allowing your movement to become the embodiment of the imagination and grace.
THEATRE & STORYTELLING
A 20
The Art of Storytelling & How to Tell Your Own Story
With Molly Sutkaitis & Hildy Stollery
Join an introductory course in the fundamental techniques of story telling. Learn how to present your stories effectively to a live audience of one or many. Topics include: the origins of storytelling; listing types of stories; how one generation passes their stories onto another younger generation; how to unleash the creativity within each of us through storytelling; how storytelling can improve our confidence in social environments; assembling the elements of our own story to be able to tell it to others.
A 21
Introduction to Playwriting – A Playwright Shows Her Hand
With Helen Posno
Participants learn to write a creative play and the various levels of discernment presenting dramatic scenes and a full play. Curriculum includes in session 1) developing atmosphere; 2) character delineation; 3) character interweaving complexities; 4) plot progression and building tension; 5) story windup, rehearsal and presentation of the finished product.
A 22
Boggle! Word and Reading Club
With Bonnie O’Brien
Do the Boggle! Word and Reading Club for fun and to practice reading and reading speed. Guided word games are easy and friendly for beginners. Everyone shares success.
A 23
Performing Workshop
With Linda Carter
Be part of a theatre production from start to finish. Facilitated by Linda Carter, this course offers the opportunity to explore performing from many vantage points: theatre games to improve your confidence and self-esteem; vocal exercises to improve your articulation and projection; and improvisation activities to sharpen your mind, and transform your inhibitions.
A 24
Creative Writing Workshop
With Ted Atkinson
A25
Mining the Vortex
With Helen Posno
This line drawing experience opens our perspective from outward to inward horizons, and concludes with a final display of all the work accomplished. Enjoy new vistas as the hand beguiles the eye.
MUSIC
A 23
The Soundgarden Project
With Gabrielle Grach
Join the Soundgarden for a fun and informative musical journey. Have you ever wondered about the songwriting process? Are you an aspiring musician who needs some advice? Do you just have a true love of music? Come, listen and enjoy this class.
A 24
Understanding Popular Music from Ragtime to Hip-Hop, Volume 1
With Whitney Smith
Popular music exerts an enormous influence on our lives, and has throughout the 20th century. This course explains how what we know as popular music came to be, primarily through Irish, African and European art music traditions. All styles from folk, ragtime, blues, jazz, swing, pop, rock’n’roll, soul, funk, rhythm’n’blues, reggae, hip hop, among others, are explained and demonstrated by Whitney on guitar, piano and through recordings. No musical experience or knowledge necessary.
A 25
Discovering Your Voice with Karaoke
With Paddy Aldridge
Stream 2
LifeSkills
L1
Empowering Individuals with Addiction Challenges:
Developing New Life Skills & Relationships
With Liam Carey
The goal of this course is to empower individuals enough to want to change. Reading and writing abilities are discussed. Participants learn how to express feelings in helpful ways. Drawing pictures of people’s faces deal with the subject of feelings. In the case of those struggling with addictions, many individuals do not like their lifestyle but feel forced to endure it. This workshop is a stepping-stone to other life skills workshops and recovery programs. After attending about two months of further life skills courses the hope is for Pre-Employment Preparation.
L2
Who Am I? Discovering Our Meaning & Increasing Our Self-Worth
With Catherine Stampe
Participants are encouraged in their search for finding their own meaning and developing confidence and self-esteem. The philosophy of self-love may sound simple, but the process, which this course deals with, is a focused one. Individuals in the group work together to seek discovery of who they are, find what is important and how to be balanced, complete and at peace for ourselves alone.
L3
Joyful Living Workshops
With Roslyn Rus
Join us for an uplifting session of joie de vivre! It is our true nature to be joyful, and this endless, self-empowering, transformative Joy is available at any time, for truly positive effects! In this informative and interactive workshop, you learn how to make every day a joy-filled one! This inspiring time includes activities such as: relaxation warm-up, music, art, cartoons, storytelling, script writing, along with gratitude and reflective exercises.
L4
Becoming Who You Are – Mind Body Spirit Wellness Work
With Ann Phillips
Finding Your Self — asking ‘Who am I?’ is an approach to finding our true path and healing ourselves. Protecting Your Self — learn to protect and nurture who you really are. Enhancing Your Self — find the power within to be who you really are. Following Your Path — touch your essential core, identify who you are, discover your personal path
L5
Becoming Your Self, Following Your Path: Mind Body Spirit Wellness
With Ann Phillips
Finding Your Self – Asking ‘Who am I?’ is a step to finding our true path and healing ourselves. Learn techniques for researching the self and finding out agreements you’ve made with yourself, your family, and society that are not really you. Protecting Your Self – Learn to protect and nurture who you really are. Continue finding out about yourself and your path, develop and protect your new sense of self. Enhancing Your Self – Peel back layers of the onion surrounding your essential core as you reveal your true self. Find the power within to be who you really are. Following Your Path – Touch your essential core, identify who you are, discover your personal path. Learn to keep mind, body and spirit aligned to reach your true purpose.
Stream 3
Wellness & Compassion
W1
Tools to Release Stress
With Robert Harris
Learn how to ‘STILLPOINT’. Enter zones of absolute calm. Experience deep inner release, restoration and rejuvenation. Come gain the benefits of this easy to learn technique. Learn where to cradle the head ‘just so’ to produce immediate results. This workshop presented by Robert F. Harris, co-director of The Cranial Therapy Centre in Toronto, promises to be an uplifting and rewarding experience. Robert has been a therapist for thirty years and a Craniosacral Therapy Instructor for 18 years.
W2
Gratitude Practice: Making Thankfulness a Way of Life
With Rita Citron
Grateful people tend to be more tolerant, love more and give more. In this course a different theme is introduced each week, for example: thanking ourselves, our bodies, thanking people in our lives, noticing big and small miracles, the gift of giving, learning from adversity, developing mindfulness, accepting and appreciating each moment. People share their stories, and we record them in The Book of Gratitude. Journals, along with instructions are also given to individuals if they want to keep a “gratitude journal” at home. Extensive psychological studies in the field of positive psychology have consistently shown that practicing gratitude through journal entries and groups result in a multitude of benefits: greater life satisfaction, better mood, health, energy, resilience.
W3
Breathlines – www.breathlines.org
With Laurie Edwards –
Breathlines is a contemplative practice that generates images and stories from lines laid down blindly on paper. Its foundation is meditation with mindful breathing. Breathlines manifests as primal images, spontaneous in form, and brilliant with colour. This is a healing practice developed by Laurie Edwards and learned as mystery painting from Paul Hogan, co-founder of Sri Lanka’s acclaimed Butterfly Peace Garden. Laurie has refined and elaborated his own practice, and has shared it with hundreds of people in Canada and around the world. All are welcome.
W4
Practical Hands-On Healing: Discovering Self-Healing
With Angelo Corriero
Learn how to achieve immediate deep relaxation, relieve pain, awaken inner peace and activate your own healing abilities. Through a series of simple yet powerful hand positions, you learn to feel, sense and find the not so subtle power of your own healing potential in just minutes. Angelo Corriero is a healer and medical intuitive who utilizes his gift of healing and ability to see the human aura to facilitate healings in others. For more information, www.angelocorriero.com
W5
Pilates
With Elenna
Create a fusion of mind and body with the targeted movements of Pilates. This exercise is low impact but it still challenges your muscles, aligns your spine, and improves flexibility, balance, and posture.
W6
Kundalini Yoga
With Jai Jot Lafayette
Jai Jot Lafayette, a Toronto-based holistic practitioner and teacher, is pleased to offer beginner yoga classes. Kundalini Yoga is a physical and meditative discipline comprised of a set of simple movements that use the mind, the senses, and the body. This class focuses on the body’s physical potential as a pathway to spiritual growth. Kundalini translates from Sanskrit to mean “that which is coiled”. Focus is on the chakras of the body and the potential of kundalini energy, a powerful life force lying dormant in our bodies. A great way to exercise, stretch, strengthen, de-stress, feel refreshed and more mobile. Your body will thank you!
W7
Mindful Movement
With Jan Shepard
Mindful Movement is a gentle fusion of micro-moves, funky grooves and meditation to help you discover your greatness! De-stress and lighten up; laugh and feel more mobile; gently release attitudes and blocks; meditate on yo9ur greatness; recharge confidence builders, and even have fun!
W8
The Art of Finding Yourself
With Debra Bentzen
Relax and tune into yourself. Explore feelings and discharge them by drawing and writing them out. Gain insight about what is really going on with you. Access abilities and discover new interest. Examine the roots of your destruction patterns. Confront your creative blocks and learn to love your whole self.
W9
Holistic Creation: The Focus Zone Approach
With Aleksander Kupisz
This course benefits those who are serious about developing new habits and attitudes while leaving old ones behind them. The goal of this course is to open up to life, to see that you are an unlimited being, and learn to make progress every day, little by little. The topics covered include: developing easy to follow habits, “slowing down” the mind, focus zone chi gong and isometrics, basic meditative techniques, dealing with difficult people and situations, increasing self awareness and self confidence in career and creativity. All are welcome.
W 10
Qi Gong
With Jennifer Arndt
This practice takes the form of movement, breathing, silence and holding positions. It benefits all systems of the body including; the nervous, circulatory, reproductive, endocrine and digestive system. The opening of the heart is seen as the highest form of practice and at the center of Qi Gong. True compassion, for oneself and others, is one of the key principles. In order to transform the body in a profound way, there must be an opening of the heart.
Qi Gong is an ancient Chinese practice. Qi means breath as well as energy. Gong means work, attainment and skill and suggests anything that entails time and energy to achieve. Therefore, Qi Gong can be translated as energy work or breath work. It allows the individual to develop and manage their own energy, and this skill becomes invaluable when working towards remaining centered amongst the ever changing stresses of life. Thus Qi Gong helps a person manage their energy, it corrects imbalances and alleviates the stress of daily life.
W 11
Introduction to Compassionate Communication
With Natalie Zend
Learn a language of the heart as we often respond to others and ourselves out of fear, guilt or shame. Compassionate Communication offers us a language to bypass blame and defensiveness and responds from the heart. You’ll discover a way to communicate that focuses attention on: the concrete actions we are observing that are affecting our well-being; how we feel in relation to what we are observing; the needs, values, desires, etc. that are creating our feelings; and the concrete actions we request to enrich our lives. With this focus, we are more likely to get what we are seeking—a flow between ourselves and others based on a mutual giving from the heart. This course builds on the teachings of psychologist Marshall Rosenberg and the Center for Nonviolent Communication, please visit: www.cnvc.org.
W 12
Introduction to Logotherapy
With Brian Deery
Introduction to the Meaning-Centred Therapy of Viktor E. Frankl – Logotherapy – strengthens trust in the unconditional meaningfulness of life and the dignity of the person. It regards the search for meaning as the primary human motivation and it is a way for people to look at possibilities for concrete meaning in their own life situations. Viktor E. Frankl stated: “It is not a question of giving patients a meaning in existence, but rather of fostering their ability to find meaning in existence; in other words, we broaden the patient’s perspective until he or she becomes aware of the full spectrum of personal and concrete potentialities for meaning and value.”
W 13
Meditation
Based on the teachings of Benedictine monk John Main, Benedictine Meditation is a contemplative tradition that calms our minds and makes it easier for us to pay attention to the reality around and within us. It opens us to our higher mind and the voice of intuition. We can consciously choose meditation as a way to become more aware of who we truly are. See www.wccm.org
W 14
Reiki Clinic
With Debra Bentzen
This Japanese technique reduces stress and promotes healing and relaxation. It is a holistic approach administered by “laying on hands” and is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us.
W 15
Yoga Stretch: Liberation Through Movement
With Jeremy Taylor
Energize the body. Awaken the mind to allow you to take more control and experience more pleasure in moving ahead with your life’s purpose. We spend a tremendous amount of time sitting and thus missing the rejuvenating power of movement. This class guides you through warm up movements and meditation designed to promote well being and peace of mind.
W 15
Martial Wellness Through Tai Chi
With Kohai Ann Phillips, 3rd Level Niei Chi instructor,
Tai Chi is a complete workout, which helps to increase flexibility, promotes relaxation and inner peace, improves focus and mental concentration, enhances circulation, helps the functioning of the internal organs, develops your posture and calms your mind. Martial art training is an excellent mind, body, spirit path to self empowerment, holistic health and total wellness.
W 15
Kundalini Yoga for Addictions
With Melanie Woolsey
Melanie Woolsey is an experienced yoga teacher who is committed to translating yoga into an accessible, meaningful practice that leads to revolutionary change in the whole person as well as extending into their professional and personal lives. In these sessions, Melanie concentrates on overcoming addictions. All are welcome.
Other Programs
O1
Native Perspectives on Environmental Protection and Spiritual Values
With Danny Beaton
Native Activist and Environmentalist Danny Beaton is a Mohawk who shares his insight of 20 years studying with Native elders of North America. His goal is to bring native values and culture to students. Throughout Native culture there is a constant connection to our sacred Mother Earth and the spirit world. This course explores the culture of respect for the natural world, and practice giving thanks to the forces that give us life. To learn more about Danny, visit his website: www.dannybeaton.ca
O2
Building Image: Photo Collage Course
With Helen Posno
Learn how to take photos of landscapes and buildings, while seeing them in a different light. Using these images captured on film; learn to crop and arrange prints to build different images. The results are truly amazing. See how the geometric lines of buildings and wonderful shapes found in nature can be placed in a collage to reveal new images and evoke powerful emotions. Each one is special and genuinely unique.
O3
The Sunday Café
The Sunday Café is a place where meaningful and cooperative dialogues occur around questions that participants perceive to truly matter. In some cases these dialogues may form the basis of a new Yellow Door Learning Centre course. Each Café is usually facilitated by a member of the 6 St Joseph House community, though we welcome facilitators and participants from everywhere! For more information on other styles of deliberative group gatherings, see www.conversationcafe.org and www.theworldcafe.com. Let us know if you would like to host as Sunday Café.
O4
Chess & Sudoku: Games, Puzzles & Logic
With Paul Takano
This course leads you through the basic chess moves and rules for beginners and intermediate players. Learn various strategies to improve your game. Sharpen your memory, and improve your logic and deduction skills with interesting, easy, and addictive Sudoku puzzles.
O5
Reale Support for Small Business
With Deborah Reale
Reale offers a networking group for small and home based business. Join a place to find support while you are growing your business.
O6
Artisanal Eco-Chocolate Making
With Chocosol Traders
Gain hands-on experience in a community kitchen. Participants take active part in pedal-powered organic chocolate production. A positive attitude, good hygiene, and a willingness to help out are prerequisites for this course