News Releases

Annual Clark College Cooking & Wine Open House and Green Resource Fair
Showcases Local Green Resource Providers

The event will be held on Saturday, March 19
at Clark College at Columbia Tech Center

VANCOUVER, Wash. – Clark College Corporate & Continuing Education will host its second annual Cooking and Wine Open House and Green Resource Fair on Saturday, March 19 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The event will be held at Clark College at Columbia Tech Center and will feature cooking demonstrations, local wineries and green community-based organizations, Community Supported Agriculture, Whole Foods Market demonstrations, gardening tips and a film screening.  Clark College is located at 18700 SE Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver.  Driving directions and parking maps are available at www.clark.edu/ctc.

The event, which is free and open to the public, is held annually to bring together resources that are in line with Clark College’s Cooking and Wine School. The focus includes healthy eating, hands-on learning opportunities, sustainable practices and an emphasis on local choices. Event organizer and Program Manager Tracy Reilly Kelly designs cooking and wine classes for all levels of enthusiasts.

“People are looking for both beginning and highly complex cooking techniques. There is a strong interest in ethnic cooking and in learning to use healthy alternatives like whole grains and more vegetables,” says Reilly Kelly. “At the Cooking School, we sought to expand our continuing education program to include innovative offerings, linking subjects like world culture and nutrition with an opportunity to learn and practice from accomplished professionals.”

Last year’s event drew more than 150 people to Clark College at Columbia Tech Center. The building was completed in 2009 and features a kitchen classroom for Corporate and Continuing Education’s noncredit enrichment classes as well as providing catering space for conferences.  College officials are pursuing Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification for the energy-efficient building.

By featuring local resource providers such as Columbia Springs Master Composters, WSU Extension, local agriculture producers such as wineries and community supported agriculture, the Open House & Green Resource Fair demonstrates Clark College’s commitment to the region. “Cooking whole foods at home, shopping for 'locavore' products and gardening are all components of the lifestyle we treasure so much in the Pacific Northwest,” states Reilly Kelly. “We are proud to be a part of that movement.”

For additional information, contact Tara Cox, Marketing and Communications Manager, Clark College Corporate & Continuing Education at 360-992-2925 or tcox@clark.edu

Clark College Corporate & Continuing Education is the region's premier provider of classes, seminars, certificate programs and training opportunities, serving the residents and businesses of Southwest Washington. The department is dedicated to providing a variety of lifelong learning, personal enrichment and professional development training for individuals reentering the job world, moving up the corporate ladder or simply interested in acquiring a new skill.

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