The NBSS continuing education programs are designed for amateurs and professionals who seek to strengthen their technical understanding and develop new skills. Lectures and demonstrations provide opportunities to learn from experienced makers from near and far and certificate programs provide focused training.
GIVE THE GIFT OF CRAFT
Not sure what to give your craft-loving family and friends. NBSS gift certificates can be used toward purchases in the NBSS store or continuing education workshops and are available for purchase in any amount. BUY NOW.
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- Workshop student in the shop.
workshops and short courses
NBSS offers workshops and short-term courses in bookbinding, calligraphy and related arts, jewelry and metals, carpentry and home repair, marketing, woodworking (hand skills and machine skills), musical instruments and locksmithing. New workshops are constantly being developed. Unless otherwise noted in the catalogue or course description, all workshops accommodate beginner to advanced students. The student/ teacher ratio rarely exceeds ten to one.
View workshops by interest area:
Woodworking
Bookbinding and calligraphy
Jewelry making
View current workshops, lectures and short courses using the interactive workshop calendar.
NBSS Workshop students can earn college credit through the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt) Continuing Education program.
certificate programs
North Bennet Street School and Massachusetts College of Art and Design offer a joint Furniture Design Certificate Program. Students who enroll in this program benefit from the unique expertise of both institutions.
Instructors
North Bennet Street School workshops are taught by accomplished professionals and master craftsmen, including many who are graduates of NBSS full-time programs. Lectures, demonstrations, and bench exercises are combined to provide students with a range of information and practical experience.
For more information about instructors, click here.
Facilities
Workshops are held year round at the North Bennet Street School Boston location. Additional workshops are held at the Arlington, Massachusetts facility. Some summer workshops are offered in the Mount Lebanon Shaker Village in New Lebanon, New York. Classes scheduled between September and May are offered Monday through Friday, Saturdays, evenings and over long weekends. During the summer, workshops are held on week days, in air-conditioned classrooms. Class hours are 8:30 am - 4:30 pm for most daytime classes, and 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm for evening classes.
registration
Workshop students are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until maximum enrollment is reached. Although there are no formal application deadlines for most workshops, we advise early registration as some courses fill quickly. Payment of the full registration fee is required to hold a spot in a workshop. Some workshops have pre-requisites; course description indicate if there is a pre-requisite.
materials and tools
Materials are supplied by North Bennet Street School for most workshops. The course descriptions indicate if there is an additional cost for materials. North Bennet Street School provides bench space and shop supplies. In most cases, students bring their own hand tools. Tool lists are sent with confirmation of enrollment.
Refund Policy
If North Bennet Street School cancels a workshop, individuals who are registered are notified five days prior to the start of the class and a full refund is issued. Registration fees received after a workshop is filled are returned with a full refund.
Vacancies due to cancellations can be hard to fill even if there is a waiting list. To offset the costs of these vacancies, individuals who cancel with notification at least 14 days prior to the start of the workshop will receive a refund of the fee/tuition paid less a $100.00 cancellation fee. Refunds are not possible for cancellations received within 14 days of the workshop start date. If NBSS cancels the course, full refunds are made.
For individuals who cannot attend a class and wish to transfer to a different course, the fee/tuition paid less a $100 transfer fee is applied to a future class to be taken within one year of original registration. Transfers must be requested more than 14 days before the start of the workshop. If registration fee is not used within one year, it is forfeited.
Students who register for three-month intensives make a deposit to hold a space. The balance is due one week before the class begins. Half of the deposit is refunded if we receive notification 30 days prior to the start of the course. No refund is possible for later cancellations. If NBSS cancels the intensive course, full refunds are made.
Contact Us
Megan O. Kenealy
Director of Continuing Education
617-227-0155 x102
Accreditation
Workshops and other continuing-education programs at North Bennet Street School are NOT accredited.