Photos courtesy of the Kirkwood Washington Regional Center.

This week area elementary and middle school students were able to take courses at the Kirkwood Washington Regional Center.

Topics covered a variety of subjects from technology, to art, to cooking, to welding, to storytelling. In one of the first classes of the day from 9-10 a.m. students put on aprons, washed their hands, cut pound cake and strawberries and then learned how to make strawberry shortcake on a straw – once complete they got to enjoy their snacks. In the class titled Ghostly Stories students read, heard, wrote, and watched folktales and stories. After an episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark, one student said he was learning about suspenseful storytelling. Meanwhile, down the hall in Pet Vet, students had a chance to see animals in person including rabbits, dogs, birds, snakes, and a chameleon. Student Aliza Hoyle said, while holding a young green chameleon, “I’m going to go home and tell my mom I got to touch a chameleon.” The five-day program allows students to take a variety of classes and learn in a hands-on environment.