District 196 Community Education

Help keep our community clean and beautiful. Project Explore has adopted Valley Middle Park on the northern border of Valley Middle School. We'll meet to pick up litter. Tools are provided, bring work gloves if you'd like and dress for the weather.

Swim laps at your own pace to keep in shape all season long! Register for the full session or for the day(s) you wish attend for $13 per day. Aquatics Adult Fitness classes are open to middle school age students accompanied by an adult.

Dip your toes into life as a kindergartener. Sing songs, listen to stories, and strengthen your fine motor skills by creating art. Time will be spent working on kindergarten readiness skills; letter knowledge, counting, following directions and social and behavioral skills. Your adventure will be guided by week-long experience full of discovery, fun and excitement. Please pack a beverage and nut-free snack lunch daily.

Hop on board for a full day of adventure and learning in Southern Minnesota. Our first stop is the Oxbow Park & Zollman Zoo along with the Oxbow Nature Center. We will have a 45 minute guided tour of the Zoo and Nature Center. The Dr. Paul E. Zollman Zoo houses over 30 species of wild animals native to Minnesota. In the nature center you will learn about animal life, natural history, outdoor recreation skills and ecology. Following our tour you will have time to explore the zoo, park, nature center exhibits and go on a walk. Bring a bag lunch and we'll meet at the picnic tables at noon. The park, zoo and nature center are connected and located just outside of Rochester, MN in Byron. Early afternoon we will hop back on the bus and head to Faribault for a guided tour of the Faribault Woolen Mill. Learn about this historic mill that started in 1892. Faribault Mill endures as one of the last vertical woolen mills in America. As you tour the mill, you'll learn about the history of the Faribault Mill and its importance to the local community. You'll also get a behind-the-scenes look at the machinery and tools used in the manufacturing process. This tour is about an hour long. Afterwards you can visit the gift shop. You may want to bring money for souvenirs at the gift shops. Make sure to bring a bag lunch and beverage.There will be coolers available for you to store your lunch if needed. Bus departs East Lake Elementary School at 8:30am! Caregivers need to register for a space on the bus!

Join us for an exciting cross country camp designed for runners entering grades 7–12! Train alongside experienced coaches and motivated teammates in a supportive and challenging environment. Whether you're building a base for the season or looking to improve your speed and endurance, this camp offers structured workouts, technique development, team-building activities and plenty of fun. All levels are welcome—from first-time runners to seasoned varsity athletes. Lace up and get ready to run!

Want to improve your soccer skills for the upcoming season? Learn through a variety of training methods. Emphasis will be on individualized ball and technical skills with advanced instruction on team systems. Develop agility, speed and quickness through team continuity and flow drills.

Learn how to properly shoot a bow or fine-tune your skills. Shoot straight with top-of-the-line equipment, including new compound bows. In addition to shooting techniques and safety, strengthen personal skills including responsibility, discipline, concentration and self-confidence. Both boys and girls are encouraged to enrich themselves through this National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) and stay on target for life, one arrow at a time. All equipment included.

Parents With Babies Only Non-Separating Babies sure bring big changes to every family! Join other parents of infants and learn how to make the adjustment to 'being a family.' This will be a relaxing and informative class. You can ask your questions, and we will share ideas with you about building a solid base for your family. We will also have time to sing songs and play some games.

One-Time Event for parents with children ages birth through prekindergarten Celebrate summer in our backyard. Are you not sure if you can commit to a weekly class? We will provide the beautiful backyard that includes a playground, grassy hill, nature space, outdoor arts area, weekly teacher-led activities and room to run. We can embrace nature and use the outdoors to elevate our health and well-being. Indoor space available if we have inclement weather. Event will be held outdoors at the Dakota Valley Learning Center, 4679 144th St. W., Apple Valley, and requires weekly registration to participate.