Frequently Asked Questions
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Q. Why is this series of courses called Bucket Courses?
A. The series focuses on “everything you want to learn before you kick the bucket.” The name is meant to evoke the wish that many people have to learn more about things they may or may not have learned about earlier, from physics to history to music. The Bucket Courses seek to provide college-level courses in a variety of fields.
Q. What is the Community Education Council (CEC)?
A. The CEC is a collaboration among a number of educational institutions in Grinnell focused on providing community education. “The mission of the Community Education Council is to coordinate community education in the Grinnell community. The council is comprised of, but not limited to, representatives of Grinnell College, Grinnell Regional Medical Center, Grinnell Newburg Community Schools, Iowa Valley Community College, Mayflower Community, Grinnell Area Art Council, and Drake Community Library. These principals assist each other in their respective community education endeavors and combine their resources to present educational opportunities not otherwise available to the community.”
Q. What is the connection between the CEC and the Bucket Courses?
A. The Bucket Course program is one of several of the Community Education Council's projects. The Bucket Courses are self-supporting.
Q. When and where are the Bucket Courses held?
A. The Courses are held from 10-11:30 pm on each Wednesday morning during two semester-like terms. The fall term begins in September and ends in November or December; the spring term begins in January and ends in May. The classes are held in the Caulkins Community Room of the Drake Community Library, Grinnell, Iowa.
Q. How long have the Bucket Courses been going on?
A. The Bucket Courses began in 2009.
Q. How much do they cost to attend?
A. The three- or four-session courses cost $15 for the whole course. The one-shot, “Open Wednesday” courses are free.
Q. How are the presenters compensated?
A. The presenters are awarded a certificate of thanks and sometimes a poem is read in honor of their course. They receive no monetary compensation.
Q. Why can I view some courses on YouTube but not others?
The presenters control whether or not their course will be put on YouTube. Sometimes presenters use material that is copyrighted by others, and sometimes their presentations involve as yet unpublished work. When they present this material in a course to people in the room, they can use it because it is considered “fair use.” But putting a course on the internet is different from presenting it to a class, so sometimes the presenters may limit the way we distribute the course.
The videos began being posted on YouTube in 2013; they are available through this page: http://www.grinnellcecbucketcourses.org/previous-courses.html.
The courses are regularly recorded on DVD, all of which are available for check out at Drake Community Library.
The videos began being posted on YouTube in 2013; they are available through this page: http://www.grinnellcecbucketcourses.org/previous-courses.html.
The courses are regularly recorded on DVD, all of which are available for check out at Drake Community Library.
Q. How can I register to attend a Bucket Course?
A. Click HERE to view current courses and register for a course online--it's quite simple.
Q. Does the course go for a whole hour and a half each time?
A. The courses typically last for an hour and a half with a ten to fifteen minute break in the middle. Refreshments are catered by Mayflower.
Q. What’s an Open Wednesday?
A. An Open Wednesday is a one-day class presented free of charge and not requiring registration.
Q. Who is in charge of the Bucket Courses?
.A. A planning committee plans the courses, advertises them, sets up the room and the videotaping, and posts the videos on You Tube (available through the Grinnell Bucket Course web page). See members of the committee on this page
Q. What happens to the money that attendees pay in tuition for each course?
As part of the Community Education Council, the Bucket Course Planning Committee (BCPC) uses the money it raises to benefit community education in general.
Since 2010, the BCPC has received in income over $46,000. It uses those funds for a variety of purposes.
The comfort of our attendees is important to the committee. Each week attendees have access to coffee, tea, cookies, and other baked goods to cheer them before the presentation and during the mid-class break. These goodies are provided and delivered by the Mayflower. Since 2010, the cost of these refreshments has amounted to over $25,000.
In addition, the committee has contributed to funding many facility upgrades at community education venues. At the library it has helped to fund a headset for the speaker, a riser with steps that allows the presenter to be seen by all, a high resolution projector, a defibrillator, a loop system to improve sound for people with hearing aids, a chair dolly, and a camcorder. In addition, it supported the building of the Loft Theater at the Stewart Arts Center. These donations amount to over $8000 since 2010.
Recently the BCPC has donated seed money for a book purchase fund at the Drake Community Library (DCL). This fund, named in honor of long-time Bucket Course student Art Heimann, was established with a $250 donation by the BCPC; among other purposes, the money will be used to purchase books recommended by our presenters. The BCPC and the DCL invite others to contribute to this fund.
Of course, the BCPC has used its income to pay its own expenses. Between making copies, producing DVD’s, maintaining a web site, buying and distributing promotional pens, and purchasing supplies, the committee has spent just over $5000 since 2010.
Since 2010, the BCPC has received in income over $46,000. It uses those funds for a variety of purposes.
The comfort of our attendees is important to the committee. Each week attendees have access to coffee, tea, cookies, and other baked goods to cheer them before the presentation and during the mid-class break. These goodies are provided and delivered by the Mayflower. Since 2010, the cost of these refreshments has amounted to over $25,000.
In addition, the committee has contributed to funding many facility upgrades at community education venues. At the library it has helped to fund a headset for the speaker, a riser with steps that allows the presenter to be seen by all, a high resolution projector, a defibrillator, a loop system to improve sound for people with hearing aids, a chair dolly, and a camcorder. In addition, it supported the building of the Loft Theater at the Stewart Arts Center. These donations amount to over $8000 since 2010.
Recently the BCPC has donated seed money for a book purchase fund at the Drake Community Library (DCL). This fund, named in honor of long-time Bucket Course student Art Heimann, was established with a $250 donation by the BCPC; among other purposes, the money will be used to purchase books recommended by our presenters. The BCPC and the DCL invite others to contribute to this fund.
Of course, the BCPC has used its income to pay its own expenses. Between making copies, producing DVD’s, maintaining a web site, buying and distributing promotional pens, and purchasing supplies, the committee has spent just over $5000 since 2010.