If you’ve used ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini for emails or brainstorming, there’s a lot more these tools can do. This small-group, hands-on workshop is for those ready to go beyond the basics and make GenAI a true partner in their work. Practice techniques that separate casual users from confident, capable ones: build multi-step prompts that solve problems; create custom GPTs, Gemini Gems, or Claude Projects tailored to your goals; and use GenAI to test ideas, analyze options, and tackle complex challenges. You’ll leave with a personalized GenAI workflow to use immediately, saving time, sharpening decisions, and boosting creativity—perfect for anyone who’s completed AI Made Easy or has similar experience and wants to level up their skills. Please note: Smartphones are not suitable for this class. Please bring a your fully charge laptop or tablet.

Feeling like AI is moving faster than you can keep up? You’re not alone—and you’re not too late. Get comfortable using today’s top tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini through guided instruction and plenty of in-class practice. Learn how to make AI work for and with you, and walk away with skills you can use right away for everyday tasks—organizing, writing, meal planning, and more. Discover how to ask AI the right questions and apply its power to work, volunteering, and daily life. It’s like having a genius personal assistant. No tech experience required. Please note: Smartphones are not suitable for this class. Please bring a your fully charge laptop or tablet. You must install ChatGPT on your device before coming to class. Instructions can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u5od2FiGdVNnZnRUTNxDgTuKGnZt5rtKQa0A8hr_4GI/edit?usp=sharing If you have trouble, come to class 15 mins early and we will help you.

Create clean, professional designs for the office or your small business, or add fun personal touches to springtime parties and social events, all using the free, web-based graphic design platform Canva. Register for the level that fits your skills, or take both for the full Canva toolkit. No design experience required. Beginner: New to Canva? We’ll start with the essentials—templates, layouts, fonts, colors, images, and exporting for print and digital use. Advanced Beginner: Already familiar with the basics? Learn more advanced techniques, including brand kits, multi-page designs, collaboration tools, and time-saving workflows.

Learn how to pay for college without losing your mind—or your savings. Get a clear understanding of the entire college financial planning process: estimating true costs, decoding FAFSA and financial aid formulas, maximizing merit scholarships and tax credits, and building a smart funding strategy with savings, 529 plans, cash flow, and long-term planning. Ideal for parents, grandparents, or any adult heading back to school. Gain practical tools and easy-to-use worksheets to make confident, stress-free decisions about planning and paying for college.

With both humor and knowledge, two local attorneys and estate planning specialists will address the fundamentals of estate planning. Essentials: Estate planning is for everyone, not just the wealthy or elderly. Learn how to plan for incapacity with tools like health care proxies, advance directives, and powers of attorney. Discover strategies to avoid probate court and its costs, and understand how trusts can protect assets, reduce taxes, and simplify estate administration. We’ll cover how to reduce capital gains taxes for your heirs, and examine Massachusetts estate tax laws, learning how to minimize this “death tax”—often by as much as $150,000 to $300,000. Prepare for Long-Term Care: This class builds on the foundational concepts of Estate Planning Essentials. As we get older, many of us wrestle with important questions: Do I want to age in my current home or move to a new living environment? What will my health needs require? What can I afford? What resources are available to me to help accomplish these goals? This class will focus on leveraging both human and financial resources to provide for your best possible life and care. Learn about various long-term care strategies and the pros and cons of each. We will discuss reliance on family members for care needs, reverse mortgages, long-term care insurance, public benefits through MassHealth, various estate planning techniques (using wills, trusts, and lifetime gifting), protecting assets for children and other heirs, and pulling together a team of advisors to help you navigate your long-term care goals.

Planning for a loved one with a disability comes with unique considerations and opportunities. This session introduces strategies to create a secure, meaningful future. Learn how to structure a Special Needs Trust to protect benefits, manage taxes, and allow family contributions. Explore selecting the right trustee, including the potential role of siblings, and how to build oversight and support into the plan. We’ll also cover non-legal tools, such as assembling a support team and creating a “memo of intent” to guide future caregivers. Designed for parents, caregivers, and family members who want to ensure their loved one thrives.

Is your Mac desktop so cluttered that you can’t find anything? Learn how to tame the chaos and make your files easier to locate and manage. We’ll cover different file types, the difference between and pros and cons of local storage versus the cloud, and how to move files efficiently. You’ll also get strategies for managing a Mac that’s running low on storage space. By the end, you’ll have the confidence to keep your digital life under control.

Get the tools to take charge of your money as soon as you start earning it. Learn how to track and manage expenses, create a budget, and work toward larger goals like buying property or returning to school. This workshop gives you the foundation to make confident financial decisions and build lasting financial habits—so you control your money, not the other way around.

The economic and investment landscape has changed significantly in recent years, and many near retirement need to understand how to prepare for the future with less risk and volatility. Positioning assets properly creates confidence as people transition into retirement. We will explore strategies for developing a hierarchy of spending and investing, aiming for better outcomes regardless of market performance. Learn how to manage your 401(k), 403(b), and pension as retirement approaches, and what to consider with target date funds. Discover why investment strategies must change in retirement, when a Roth IRA makes sense, the truth behind annuities, common retirement pitfalls, and alternatives to protect your nest egg from long-term care costs. While this class is essential for those nearing retirement, applying these strategies sooner can improve both retirement outcomes and overall financial health.

This beginner-friendly introduction to Python is for learners with little or no programming experience. You’ll get hands-on practice with core concepts and move on to projects like data visualization, simple GUIs, and basic object-oriented programming. The instructors’ The Curious Zombie’s Guide to Python online platform supports your learning in and outside of class—and makes picking up Python so easy, even a zombie could do it.

Making the right choices about how and when to access your Social Security benefits is more important than ever amid market volatility and unexpected losses. Learn how to maximize this key piece of the retirement puzzle and integrate it into your overall strategy. Topics include the current state of Social Security, benefit timing, spousal and divorcee options, buy-back and tax reduction strategies, and coordination with state and federal retirement plans. This class also covers recent benefit changes, special considerations for the self-employed, and new rules for municipal, state, and federal employees. This is particularly relevant given the Social Security Fairness Act, implemented in January 2025, that removed the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO).

Get one-on-one help with your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Windows computer. Focus on a specific software application (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, email, Facebook, etc.) or receive more general assistance, such as how to organize and find your files, delete unneeded items, and more. Please call, 781-316-3568, or email the ACE office, communityed@arlington.k12.ma.us, to learn more and register for a two-hour in-person or online

Vacation homes often hold a family’s most cherished memories, but transferring them to the next generation can be tricky and may lead to conflict. Adding children as co-owners during your lifetime can result in unexpected tax consequences and expose the property to their creditors. This class will cover planning strategies for a smooth transition, including selecting owners, dividing usage time, making decisions about repairs and upkeep, and exploring options to fund future costs. Bring your toughest questions to get expert guidance on preserving your vacation home for generations to come.

This one-evening class, led by a state-certified Medicare counseling professional, is designed for those who are either planning to enroll in Medicare or are already on Medicare and would like to better understand this valuable but complex program. You’ll learn how the four parts of Medicare work together, including information about when and how to enroll in Medicare or change the coverage you already have. We’ll address how much Medicare costs, what benefits are covered, and the possibilities of getting financial assistance with this program. Each student will receive a SHINE Information Pack about Medicare with listings of the different options available in Massachusetts.

Whether you are just starting out or looking to deepen your expertise, this fast-paced course covers the fundamentals of investing, from asset allocation strategies to online investment research and the selection of securities. Gain a deep understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of mutual funds and ETFs, and learn how to build diversified equity and fixed-income portfolios. Discover the pitfalls of Target Retirement Funds and the inherent risks of bond ETFs and bond mutual funds. Develop your skills as an amateur equity analyst and learn to assess the performance of professional mutual fund managers and advisors.