Those of us in high school know that this is the perfect time to explore, branch out, and discover our passions. Those of us who are graduating this May know that senior year is the perfect time to develop different interests before we head off to college. Whether you’re a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior, Colorado Springs is filled with informative workshops to help you develop skills you’ll use for the rest of your life.

The Adduce Foundation is a non-profit foundation providing opportunities for young people interested in the arts. Presently focused in the Colorado Springs community, The Adduce Foundation offers high school juniors and seniors art workshops as well as possible college scholarships. The best part about Adduce workshops? They’re FREE. All you have to do is apply, and when you’re accepted you’ll receive free materials and guidance, as well as the opportunity to earn scholarships you can put towards the college of your choice. Coming up this month is a cell phone photography class, where you can learn photography fundamentals with nothing but your phone. In March, you can take a class about significant American art movements, and in April you can take “The World of Encaustics,” “Totems in Clay,” “Raku Firing,” and more. Visit http://adduce.cottonwoodcenterforthearts.com/workshops/ for more information.

For those of us who are more tech savvy, the Colorado Springs Business Education Alliance offers workshops that deal with understanding technology, and building towards one day owning your own small business. Their Excel workshops teach students about complex formatting, charts, formulas, and filtering of the computer program Excel. Similarly, their workshop titled “Startup Basics,” teaches students what goes into owning a business. They also have workshops that deal with mastering computer programs like Microsoft Word and PowerPoint. The majority of these workshops are free, and others range from 15 to 20 dollars. Visit http://www.springssmallbiz.com/Resources/bea.htm if these workshops sound interesting to you.

Another place to look for student workshops is at your local library. On February 26^th a fundraising workshop is being offered through the Pikes Peak Library District, which will be held at Penrose Library. The workshop will gives tips about fundraising tactics, perfect for students who are volunteering for community organizations, or saving up money for college. Visit http://ppld.org/nonprofit-workshops for more information.

There are plenty of local workshops being offered in the upcoming months, so continue to check these sites as well as the internet frequently for new updates. Workshops often times cost little to none, and can be extremely beneficial to younger and older students alike.