By Brooke Curley
PIMA – The skills of sewing and cooking are quickly becoming a lost art, but luckily Andrea Robinson is coming to renew the knowledge.
Opening her studio at 211 West Center Street in Pima adjacent to the Taylor Freeze restaurant, Robinson intends to begin classes on ceramics, sewing and home economics on Thursday. She told Gila Valley Central that she began this school because she has a passion for educating children in the nearly-gone arts of cooking and sewing.
“These classes have been taken out of the majority of the schools because of budget cuts,” Robinson said. “And we have a huge home schooling influx of children and we have charter schools now and these guys don’t get any of that, and I feel really passionate about them getting these well-balanced curricular activities to do. They need a break up between the regular activities in school, I think. And I also believe that these skills are becoming a lost art, and it’s really important that our children get these life skills that they need. I’m really passionate about that.”
Robinson said classes are filling up fast and that individuals in the community have been interested in even bringing in their younger children into the studio so they might learn these skills as well.
“We took a step back and decided to do a junior’s class,” Robinson said. “I’m also getting a lot of calls for adults who want to take classes.”
The junior class will encompass very basic techniques from each area of the larger classes with a slow and steady learning curve for younger students. Because adults have become interested in participating in taking the studio classes, Robinson said she will offer a wide range of courses.
Brooke Curley Photo/Gila Valley Central: Andrea Robinson, owner of Electives Studio, said the studio is all about learning and having fun while doing it.
“We’re going to have a calendar for classes, cooking classes and sewing projects,” Robinson said. “We just decided we’re not going to shut the doors to any idea.”
Robinson is also working on registering her school for being compatible with Arizona tax credit. Through the Arizona tax credit program, a child may be sponsored by an individual. The individual would pay for the classes through the program, and then be reimbursed by the government at tax time.
Registration for each child per class are $55 for the first initial semester. After the initial beginning semester, the registration fee is $33. Classes are three days a week, Thursday-Saturday. Each class will be 1.5 hours long and will cost a parent $20 per week. If parents pay for the entire month of classes in advance, each week’s cost for one class would be $15. To register, call Robinson at 480-427-8174 or stop by in person.
“We’re all about fun,” Robinson said. “Come by and see what it’s all about.”
