Iowa Western Community College

Friday, January 9, 2026 6:00pm – 8:00pm at the Council Bluffs Campus – Looft Hall 
Garden Bed Planning with Tom O’Brien, owner of Gardens on Glen, is an engaging and informative class designed to help gardeners of all levels maximize their growing space and harvest potential. Participants will learn how to design efficient garden layouts through proper plant spacing, explore the benefits of companion planting for natural pest control and soil health, and understand the principles of crop rotation to maintain long-term fertility. Using visual aids and real-world examples, Tom will guide attendees through practical strategies for creating productive, sustainable garden beds. This session encourages questions and discussion, offering participants personalized insights for planning their own thriving backyard gardens.

Friday, January 9, 2026  6:00 PM – 9:00 PM – Student Center 
Prepare to transform flour, water, and yeast into an extraordinary culinary creation. Join Chef Tasos for an exceptional, hands-on baking experience where you will uncover the intricacies of authentic artisan bread.
In this engaging and interactive course, you will knead, shape, score, and bake your way to achieving unparalleled bread perfection. Master the art of dough preparation and fermentation, and discover the significance of an optimal flour blend. We will guide you in crafting loaves of professional bakery quality that will undoubtedly elicit inquiries regarding their origin.
Menu • Rosemary & Roasted Garlic Focaccia • Dutch Oven No Knead Bread • Ciabatta

Discover the buzz about beekeeping! This hands-on class is perfect for anyone curious about starting their own hive. You'll learn the basics of beekeeping, including bee biology, hive setup, maintenance, and how to harvest honey. Led by experienced a beekeeper, this course provides practical tips for keeping your bees healthy and your hives thriving. Whether you're looking to produce honey, support pollination, or simply enjoy a rewarding new hobby, this class will help you get started with confidence. No prior experience required just bring your curiosity and enthusiasm!

Friday, January 16, 2026 6:00 PM-9:00 PM-Student Center 
Embark on a culinary adventure to the breathtaking Mediterranean coasts without leaving Council Bluffs! Join Chef Tasos for a vibrant, hands-on cooking class that will transport you to the heart of Greece, Tuscany, and Morocco. You'll create dishes bursting with the bold, sun-drenched flavors of this iconic region. Get ready for a feast of flaming cheese, flaky pastries, and succulent meats – Each bite is a dance for your taste buds! Menu: Fresh Homemade Naan Bread, Saganaki – Flaming Greek cheese, Spanakopita – Buttery, golden pastries stuffed with spinach and tangy feta, Soutzoukakia: Greek baked Meatballs in Tomato Sauce, Seared Salmon with Rosé Pan Sauce – Tender, flaky salmon bathed in a luscious, aromatic rosé sauce.
Scratch-Made Baklava 

Friday, January 23, 2026 6:00pm – 9:00pm  Council Bluffs Campus – Looft Hall 
Indoor Culinary Mushroom Cultivation with Tom O’Brien, owner of Gardens on Glen, is a hands-on workshop that introduces participants to the fascinating world of home mushroom growing. Students will learn the essential environmental factors—moisture, temperature, airflow, and substrate composition—that influence healthy mycelium growth and successful fruiting. Using an All-in-One Mushroom Grow Kit, attendees will practice inoculating their substrate with mycelium spores, ensuring proper sterilization and contamination prevention. Tom will guide participants through each stage of the cultivation process, from setup to harvest, offering practical tips for maintaining ideal indoor growing conditions. By the end, students will have the skills and confidence to produce gourmet mushrooms right at home.

Friday, January 23, 2026 – 6pm – 8pm – Kinney Hall
Discover the joy of watercolor painting in this hands-on class designed for all skill levels. Each month features a new theme like landscapes, florals, or abstract textures-while introducing techniques such as color mixing, brushwork, and layering.
Whether you're a beginner or brushing up on your skills, this class provides a creative, supportive space to explore and grow.
Taught by Vivian Kvam, an experienced educator and creative professional with a background in media, branding, and visual
storytelling. Vivian brings an encouraging and approachable style to the classroom, making art fun and accessible for all.
OPEN TO AGES 12 & UP
Monthly Topic: Valentines Day 
 

Friday, February 13, 2026  6:00 pm – 8:30 pm    Council Bluffs Campus – Student Center 
Come hang out with Chef Tasos and friends for a super fun, hands-on pasta-making class! You'll totally level up your cooking game as you discover how to whip up authentic handmade pasta. We'll cover everything, from rolling out that silky dough like a pro to mastering the art of filling and shaping delicious tortellini. Every single step, from kneading and shaping to simmering and saucing, will be a total celebration of traditional flavors.
Menu • Spinach & Cheese Tortellini in Brown Butter & Sage • Tortellini in Brodo – Tortellini in Broth, Bologna Style • Sicilian Ricotta Cake
 

Friday, February 20, 2026  6:00pm – 9:00pm  Council Bluffs Campus – Looft Hall 
Join Tom O’Brien, owner of Gardens on Glen, for a practical, hands-on class that teaches the fundamentals of starting seeds indoors to jumpstart your spring garden. Participants will learn how to successfully germinate popular crops like peppers and tomatoes, mastering key elements such as soil composition, moisture control, lighting, and temperature. Tom will demonstrate techniques for sowing, labeling, and caring for seedlings to ensure strong, healthy transplants ready for outdoor planting. Using individual seed-starting kits, attendees will gain experience setting up trays, managing humidity with dome lids, and troubleshooting common issues. Each participant will plant a selection of seeds to take home and continue nurturing toward a productive garden season.

Saturday, February 28, 2026  6:00PM – 8:30 PM   Council Bluffs Campus – Student Center 
Ever wanted to master Neapolitan pizza? This is your chance! We'll teach you the secret to that perfectly crunchy and airy dough, whip up some homemade sauce, and even do a little tasting. You'll go home with dough ready for its second rise, any leftover pizza and calzone (if there are any!), and recipes to seriously impress your friends and fam.
Menu • Pepperoni Pizza • Caprese Pizza • Calzone with Ricotta filling

Friday, March 6, 2026  6:00pm – 8:00pm  Council Bluffs Campus – Looft Hall 
Join Tom O’Brien, owner of Gardens on Glen, for this hands-on workshop designed for gardeners who want to take the guesswork out of pruning fruit trees & managing berry canes. Under his guidance, participants will spend the evening learning exactly what to cut, what to keep, and why—so their fruit trees and berry patches become healthier, more productive, & easier to manage. Through live demonstrations & step-by-step instruction, attendees will explore essential principles behind winter pruning, including how to identify diseased or unproductive limbs, recognize structural elements like leaders & scaffold branches, & understand how proper pruning improves airflow, light penetration, & overall plant vigor. The class also dives into cane cutting for berry crops, showing how removing old canes rejuvenates the root system & increases future yields.

Friday, March 6, 2026 – 6pm – 8pm – Kinney Hall
Discover the joy of watercolor painting in this hands-on class designed for all skill levels. Each month features a new theme like landscapes, florals, or abstract textures-while introducing techniques such as color mixing, brushwork, and layering.
Whether you're a beginner or brushing up on your skills, this class provides a creative, supportive space to explore and grow.
Taught by Vivian Kvam, an experienced educator and creative professional with a background in media, branding, and visual
storytelling. Vivian brings an encouraging and approachable style to the classroom, making art fun and accessible for all.
OPEN TO AGES 12 & UP
Monthly Topic: Spring & Easter

Saturday, March 7th, 2026  6:00 pm – 8:30 pm   Council Bluffs Campus – Student Center 
Join us for “An Evening in a French Bistro”, an immersive culinary experience in our kitchen. This class offers hands-on instruction and demonstrations, teaching you to craft classic French dishes, from savory sauces and perfectly seared proteins to an elegant dessert. Discover the romance and refinement of French cuisine in an accessible and engaging way. Perfect for a romantic evening, friends, or fellow food enthusiasts, this event promises shared camaraderie, Parisian-style dining, and the joy of French cooking without leaving town.
Menu • French Onion Soup Gratinée • Steak Diane with Mushroom Sauce • Potatoes Au Gratin (Dauphinoise) • Fresh Berry Crème Brûlée

Saturday, March 14th, 2026 | 6 pm – 8:30 pm   Council Bluffs Campus – Student Center
Ready to bring your favorite Indian restaurant dishes into your own kitchen? We're diving deep into those amazing, complex flavors and exploring the vibrant spices that make Indian cuisine so special.
Menu • Cucumber Raita • Butter Chicken • Saag Paneer • Naan Bread

Friday, March 20, 2026  6:00pm – 9:00pm  Council Bluffs Campus – Looft Hall 
Join Tom O’Brien, owner of Gardens on Glen, for an in-depth, hands-on workshop exploring the traditional and practical art of fruit tree grafting. Participants will learn how grafting enables gardeners to combine different tree varieties for improved pollination, greater fruit diversity, and extended harvest seasons—all while saving valuable space in the garden. Tom will demonstrate key grafting methods, including proper cutting, alignment, and binding techniques using grafting knives and tape. Attendees will practice making clean graft unions and securing them with clothespins to encourage successful growth. The class will also cover selecting compatible rootstocks and scions, aftercare tips, and troubleshooting common issues. Optional young trees and scion wood will be available for purchase.

ZOOM – Monday, March 30, 2026  6:30 PM – 9:30 PM 
In just a few hours, you can learn enough secrets of the trade to give you years of musical enjoyment.  Learn to play piano the way professionals do-using chords. The chord method is LOTS of fun and dramatically easier to learn than reading notes.   Fee includes the online book, online recorded follow up lessons, a recording of the class and also an optional live periodic question and answer session.   Class is held online using zoom and is partly hands on instruction and partly lecture demonstration.  Ages 13+

ZOOM: Tuesday, March 31, 2026  6:30PM – 9:30PM 
In just a few hours you can learn enough about playing the guitar to give you years of musical enjoyment, and you won't have
to take private lessons to do it. This crash course will teach you some basic chords and get you playing along with your
favorite songs right away. Fee includes the online book, online recorded follow up lessons, a recording of the class and also
an optional live periodic question and answer session. Class is held online using zoom and is partly hands on instruction and
partly lecture/demonstration. For ages 13+.

Friday, April 3, 2026  6:00pm – 8:00pm  Council Bluffs Campus – Looft Hall 
Join Tom O’Brien, owner of Gardens on Glen, for a creative and practical class on maximizing your garden’s productivity through container and vertical gardening techniques. Participants will learn how to grow a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs in limited spaces using stackable planters and compact, container-friendly plant varieties. Tom will demonstrate how to layer soil properly, arrange plants for optimal sunlight and airflow, and maintain consistent watering and nutrition. The class will also explore ways to extend the growing season indoors or on patios long after the first frost. Each participant will plant young starts in their own tiered container to take home and continue cultivating.

Friday, April 10th, 2026 | 6 pm – 8:30 pm Council Bluffs Campus
The plant-forward movement is huge, and it all starts with you! Learn some awesome plant-based recipes and make veggies the star of your plate. Menu • Avocado Toast with Grilled Asparagus and Tomato • Grilled Zucchini Kebob w/ Chamula • Honey and Cumin Roasted Carrots with Farro and Ricotta    
 

Friday, April 17, 2026 – 5:30pm – 7:30pm – Kinney Hall
Discover the joy of watercolor painting in this hands-on class designed for all skill levels. Each month features a new theme like landscapes, florals, or abstract textures-while introducing techniques such as color mixing, brushwork, and layering.
Whether you're a beginner or brushing up on your skills, this class provides a creative, supportive space to explore and grow.
Taught by Vivian Kvam, an experienced educator and creative professional with a background in media, branding, and visual
storytelling. Vivian brings an encouraging and approachable style to the classroom, making art fun and accessible for all.
OPEN TO AGES 12 & UP
Monthly Topic: April Showers

Friday, April 24, 2026  6:00pm – 8:30pm   Council Bluffs Campus – Student Center
Risotto Milanese is a total Italian classic, packed with saffron and parmesan flavors. You'll learn how to nail a great risotto every time. And then there's Tiramisu – Italy's signature dessert with that delicate combo of cream, chocolate, and coffee that always hits the spot.
Menu • Risotto Milanese • Seared Chicken with Fresh Herbs • Tiramisu
 

Friday, May 29, 2026  6:00pm – 9:00pm  Council Bluffs Campus – Looft Hall 
Join Tom O’Brien, owner of Gardens on Glen, for a hands-on workshop exploring the rewarding practice of cultivating mushrooms outdoors. Participants will learn how to prepare growing beds using wood chips and sawdust spawn, manage moisture and shade conditions, and integrate mushroom patches into existing garden spaces. Tom will explain how outdoor mushroom cultivation not only yields delicious, nutrient-rich, sometimes perennial-like harvests but also enhances soil health, boosts microbial activity, and supports companion plants. Attendees will gain step-by-step experience inoculating their own substrate and understanding the life cycle of fungi. Each participant will prepare a take-home mushroom starter setup, ready to establish a thriving outdoor mushroom bed.