Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays, February 17 – March 5, 2026
Time: 6:00 – 8:30 pm
Cost: $130.00
Where: Taylor Hall 101
Co-Instructors: Maryo Ewell and Michelle Bivens
Take the mystery out of Grant Writing! This practical course will help nonprofit groups write effective, fundable proposals. You will create a proposal for a project idea. You will also receive resources and samples that you can reference after the class ends.
Dates: Thursdays, February 26 – April 23, 2026 (no class March 19)
Time: 6:00 – 7:30
Cost $130.00
Location: Taylor Hall 201
Instructor: Susan Wyman
In this 8-week course, you will learn to grow your own vegetables and overcome the challenges of our cold climate and short growing season. Local farmer Sue Wyman provides techniques, tips, and tricks to grow great vegetables in the Gunnison Valley. Learn about varieties, seed starting, transplanting, direct sowing, frost protection, deer & rodent control, pest management, amendments, compost teas, worm composting, and more.
Date: Saturday, March 7, 2026
Time: 8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Cost: $160.00 (including materials costs of $57.45)
Location: Tuck Garage - WCU 110 Odom Ave Gunnison, CO 81231
Instructor: Nickie Thompson
Get certified in essential, life-saving techniques! Whether for professional requirements or personal preparedness, this course will equip you with the skills and confidence to respond to emergencies. Course covers: Recognizing and managing life-threatening emergencies, performing CPR on adults, children, and infants, Proper use of Automated External Defibrillator (AED), basic first aid for injuries and sudden illnesses. Participants who successfully complete the course will receive an official certification card from the American Red Cross.
This course explores the environmental impacts of the clothing and textile industry and offers practical solutions for minimizing individual impact and consumption. Participants will learn the foundational skills of sewing, garment repair, and upcycling, giving them the opportunity to extend the lifespan of their existing wardrobe. Through hands-on techniques and skill-building practice, this garment care course creates the opportunity for participants to step away from the toxicity of fast fashion and overconsumption. Join this course to discover how making mindful, sustainable choices can redefine style and create positive change for the planet. This course is perfect for anyone interested in reducing their environmental impact through practical, creative opportunities.
Instructor: Megan Yost
Dates: Tuesdays, Feb 11, Feb 25, March 11, April 1 and April 15, 2025 – 5:30 – 7:30 pm
Location: WCU Library 101
Cost: $60.00
Dates: Thursdays, April 9 – May 14, 2026
Time: 8:00 am to 12:00 pm.
Location: WCU Library 101
Instructor: Paul Duba
Cost: $250.00 (Optional 2-credit WCU ROE 297 course, additional $360.00)
The course will help you crack the code for leading groups that face uncertain and complex challenges. You will learn how to create space for a team to persist in creativity, resourcefulness and innovation. The course also works to bring business, hospitality, education and civic leaders together to help make teamwork happen, anytime, anywhere.
Spring Semester 2026:
Dates: Tuesdays, February 10 – April 21, 2026. (No class March 17)
Time: 2 pm to 6 pm
Western’s certified nurse aide (CAN) course will provide students with the skillset and credentials needed to complete the state-mandated written and skills test. Testing is not included in the course and must be completed within 24-months of course completion to obtain state licensure as a CNA.
Those eligible for CNA courses at Western:
The CNA course has a maximum of ten (10) registrants who will be offered a spot in the course. Any subsequent registrants will be waitlisted and contacted in order of their registration submission, assuming a spot opens.
Time Commitment and Location: February 10 – April 21, 2026. No class March 27, 2026.
This is a ten-week course. In-person skills will be hosted at the Gunnison High School Pathways (600 N 8th Street, Gunnison, CO 81230) on Tuesdays from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. All students will meet in person skills training on the first and last first day of class. For the Tuesdays in between, students will be assigned to one of two groups, and each group will attend a skills lab every other week on alternating schedule.
Details about group assignments and meeting dates will be discussed during the first-class meeting.
Clinical rotation experiences will be held over three different weekends. The course instructor will collaborate with students to assign specific rotation dates and times after the course begins.
All clinical rotation experiences will be hosted at Gunnison Valley Health Senior Care Center (1500 W Tomichi Ave., Gunnison CO 81230). To inquire about specific course date ranges, please email CNA@western.edu.
Tuition and Fee Structure
Tuition and fees must be paid in full one-week prior to the start of the course. Students that withdraw before the course begins will be reimbursed 50% of their tuition and fees. Once the course has commenced, students who withdraw or are dismissed from the course will not be offered any reimbursement of tuition or fees. Grades will be reviewed on an individual basis for students who are dismissed or withdrawal from course.
In addition to the application information, participants enrolling in the course will need to email the following four items to CNA@western.edu to start the course.
Additional Requirements
Prior to the beginning of the course, all participants will need to complete a background check through Castle Branch. Students are responsible for their own background check. Fee for individuals under the age of 18 is $47. Background fee is $61 for students 18 years. Necessary information and billing for the background check will be managed by Castle Branch. Once enrolled you will be emailed directions on how to complete your background check.
Full payment for the course is required by close of business one week before the course commences. Students who do NOT pay by this deadline will be disenrolled from the course.
Questions about billing? Contact Center for Learning & Innovation at 970-943-2885 or email center@western.edu. Questions about the course? Contact cna@western.edu.
Register now! Many classes fill quickly. Classes may be canceled if minimum enrollment is not met at least three business days before class begins. Register as soon as possible to ensure a place in the course(s) you want.
The Continuing Education Unit (CEU) is a nationally recognized method of quantifying the time spent in the classroom during professional development and training activities. Ten hours of instruction = 1.0 CEU. One hour of instruction = 0.1 CEU. CEUs appear on your Western Colorado University transcript; however, they are not college credits and do not fulfill degree requirements.
Center for Learning & Innovation offers a $100 credit for Western faculty/staff per semester. This credit does not include Continuing Education Units cost, credit costs, material fees, tour course fees or outdoor program course fees. This credit does not apply to student employees.
Some classes are offered for graduate credit (510 level). Students must have a bachelor’s degree to register for graduate credit courses.
Mail request to:
Center for Learning & Innovation
303 Taylor Hall
1 Western Way
Gunnison, CO 81231
Prerequisites for some classes listed in this brochure are mentioned in the course descriptions. Students who enroll in graduate credit must be within 12 hours of receiving their undergraduate degree or must already have graduated.
Center for Learning & Innovation staff will send out an email confirmation as reminders of class dates and times. Participants will be notified if there are changes, such as location, time, date, or instructor. If classes are canceled, notification will be made as soon as possible.
Payment for classes is due with registration. Check or cash payments are accepted with registration. AFTER you have received your Registration Confirmation, please call the Cashier’s Office at (970) 943-3003 to make a payment with a Visa, MasterCard, or Discover card. Checks that are returned for non-payment are assessed a $20 service charge.
Seniors, ages 62 and older, may register for Center for Learning & Innovation non-credit courses at half price. This discount will be applied at the time of registration and may not be combined with any other discounts. Course fees payable to another agency, materials fees, or courses which involve travel do not qualify for discounts. The Center for Learning & Innovation is a part of the Colorado Statewide Extended Campus. State funds were not used to produce this document.
Transcripts for credit courses can be obtained by visiting www.parchment.com
Undergraduate credit classes offered through the Center for Learning & Innovation are based on semester credits and have the same academic expectations, including class time, as those offered through resident instruction.
Visit the Cashier’s Office page to learn about available payment options.
Call: (970) 943-2885
Email: center@western.edu
The Center for Learning & Innovation reserves the right to cancel classes and to make changes when warranted. Participants will be notified via email if a class is cancelled and will receive a full refund.
Students have an opportunity to evaluate class content and their instructor at the conclusion of the class. Input from students is important, as it helps improve future classes. Evaluations are anonymous.
Students attending the Center for Learning & Innovation classes are not required to be immunized or sign an immunization waiver.
Classes which present a degree of risk may require a signature on a waiver of liability. Waivers will be e-mailed with registration confirmations. Please return these to the Center for Learning & Innovation prior to the start of your course.
Photos of students and instructors in various classes are often taken to promote Western Colorado University Center for Learning & Innovation. Such photos are used in schedules of classes, flyers, and other marketing pieces.
Drops from a course will result in a refund if they occur prior to the week before the start date (unless otherwise specified). Non-attendance or non-payment does not constitute a drop. Full refunds are not given after the last day to drop. All drop requests must be in writing to the Center for Learning & Innovation at center@western.edu
Males who are 18 years of age or older, born after 1960, and who are not permanent residents of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands or the Northern Mariana Islands MUST be registered with the Selective Service to comply with Colorado law and to register for credit classes. Individuals not in compliance are subject to penalty of law and to withholding of transcripts.
Director of the Center for Learning and Innovation
Assistant Director of the Center for Learning and Innovation
Western Colorado University
Taylor Hall 303
1 Western Way
Gunnison, CO 81231
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