Iowa Western Community College

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 Room 066
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

This class will meet on Tuesday's and Thursday's, the class will not meet on 3/17/25 or 3/19/25.     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!

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 Room 066
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.

This hands-on class guides new and experienced beekeepers through the complete honey harvesting process from start to finish. Participants will learn how to assess hive readiness, safely remove frames, and use essential tools such as smokers, uncapping knives, and extractors. The class also covers best practices for filtering, bottling, and storing honey, along with practical tips for keeping equipment clean and protecting hive health during and after the harvest. Whether you are preparing for your first season or looking to sharpen your technique, this session offers clear steps, demonstrations, and plenty of time for questions.

This course teaches new and developing beekeepers how to prepare colonies for a successful Iowa winter. Participants will learn how to assess colony strength, manage mite loads, ensure proper food stores, and configure equipment for cold-weather survival. The class covers insulation options, moisture control, entrance management, wind protection, and how to monitor colonies without disrupting the cluster. We also explore common overwintering challenges in the Midwest and practical steps to minimize losses. Whether this is your first winter or you want to refine your approach, this session provides clear guidance to help your bees emerge healthy and strong in spring.