SCF begins ‘Parrish After Dark’ in January, offering personal and professional classes

While it might be years away from building a campus in Parrish, the State College of Florida has announced its debut in the community, starting with classes on digital marketing, retirement planning and creative learning.

SCF will officially launch its Parrish After Dark program in January, hosting each class at the Parrish YMCA, 12214 US 301 N. The non-credit courses are for personal and professional development, meaning they don’t count toward a college degree.

State Rep. Tommy Gregory, R-Sarasota, recently filed a $9.5 million request to help SCF begin construction on a Parrish campus. His bill was referred to an education committee on Monday morning.

In the meantime, SCF surveyed locals and planned the new classes, an effort to establish itself in the area.

“Bringing more services, bringing more infrastructure and, certainly, bringing a college campus to this area is of the utmost importance,” said Mimi Sheffer, a member of the Parrish Civic Association’s board.

Sheffer will lead the first Parrish After Dark class, “Social Media Marketing for Small Business,” from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Jan. 14. The three-hour class is $99 and will focus primarily on Facebook.

“We know many people have side gigs or second jobs they’re working, either from their homes or out of their cars, you know, skin care and lipstick, that kind of thing,” she said.

More of those businesses take shape in Parrish every year, and their owners often use social media to advertise — likely with mixed results.

“If they aren’t doing it right, they’re just wasting time and creating a lot more work for themselves,” said Sheffer, who is also the founder of CEO Tip Talks, a company that helps with marketing, branding and public relations.

The second class, “How to Showcase Your Small Business at Exhibitions, Festivals and Conferences,” is scheduled 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 15.

Instructors from the Bradenton Area Convention and and Visitors Bureau will lead the class, which costs $69.

A two-session class, “Planning for Retirement,” is scheduled 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 21 and Jan. 23. The instructor is a certified financial planner with more than 20 years of experience, and the registration cost is $79.

The fourth class, “Techniques to Improve Your Memory,” is scheduled 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Jan. 22. The cost is $49 and the instructor is Lori Roth, according to a news release.

“Participants will learn new and creative techniques to quickly commit important information to memory,” it states.

SCF also has conversational Spanish and French classes planned for upcoming months.

To learn more and sign up for a class, visit scf.edu/ccdenroll. The college is also available by phone at 941-752-5203 and 941-363-7203.

This story was originally published November 27, 2019 at 11:51 AM.