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Mt. Desert Island Adult & Community Education



Personal Finance

in Lifelong Learning

Adulting 102: Money Grows

Free

with FAME Finance Authority ME

Calendar Mar 19, 2025 at 6:30 pm, runs for 1 week

This is a live, online class.

So, you’re on a budget, managing a bank account, and wondering about the next steps in your financial journey. In Adulting 102, we will look at the differences between saving and investing, and if you are ready to invest, how to get started. Other topics will include protecting your assets (insurance), advanced budgeting, and understanding the role economics plays in our financial life.  Join Steve Kautz, Financial Education Programs Specialist from the Finance Authority of Maine for this 1-hour virtual workshop as you take the next steps into adulting.   

Quickbooks: Basic Accounting Principles and QB Online

$89

with Val Landry

Calendar Apr 1, 2025 at 8:30 am, runs for 3 weeks

During these three sessions, you will learn basic accounting principles and how to apply them to setting up QuickBooks online for a small business or organization.   The design of the course is that you'll attend the class and also do 2-3 hours of work between sessions which greatly enhances your learning. For this workshop, you have the option to receive a yearlong subscription to QB online.  Upon registration, the survey provided will provide information about this opportunity.  This is a live online class using ZOOM.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey included in your automated receipt so the instructor can tailor the course to meet your needs. 

You will want to have Microsoft Excel on your computer for this workshop and many people find it helpful to have two monitors though it is certainly not necessary to benefit from the sessions.  There are two ways to accomplish this: 1) attach an external screen to your computer (contact our program if you need technical assistance with that); 2) use two computers (one for Excel and the other for the ZOOM meeting.  

Val is a lifelong business educator and academic advisor focused on helping enrich and enhance students' educational and life purposes. He is experienced in college management and, as an adult educator, having taught at the Mid-State College and Kennebec Valley Community College. His teaching experience covers over 45 years in the areas of computer applications, accounting, and Quickbooks training workshops.

Spring Into College Savings: The Alfond Grant and Maine’s College Savings Program

Free

with FAME Finance Authority ME

Calendar Apr 2, 2025 at 7 pm, runs for 1 week

This is a live, online class.

Joining us – College Savings Superstar Alfond Foundation member, Caroline Palmatier  

Maine families have access to two valuable programs to assist with saving and paying for education after high school: the $500 Alfond Grant and Maine’s College Savings program. While these initiatives offer great benefits, understanding each of their features can sometimes be challenging. Whether you’re a parent, guardian, or student, this session will provide you with information to make the most of these valuable resources. Join us to improve your understanding and take steps towards a successful educational future! 

Microsoft Excel Advanced

$89

with Val Landry

Calendar Apr 3, 2025 at 8:30 am, runs for 3 weeks

This is a live online class using ZOOM.

During this session, you will learn how to hide data, split and freeze a window, create ranges, understand the name manager, learn additional functions, copy and paste special, sort data, and learn the power of filters. Some examples of using Microsoft Excel as practical tools including the amortization table, 20 top functions companies want their employees to know, and pivot tables. The design of this course includes 2-3 hours of work with the software between sessions to gain maximum benefit from the sessions.    

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey included in your automated receipt so the instructor can tailor the course to meet your needs. 

You will want to have Microsoft Excel on your computer for this workshop and many people find it helpful to have two monitors though it is certainly not necessary to benefit from the sessions.  There are two ways to accomplish this: 1) attach an external screen to your computer (contact our program if you need technical assistance with that); 2) use two computers (one for Excel and the other for the ZOOM meeting.  

Val is a lifelong business educator and academic advisor focused on helping enrich and enhance students' educational and life purposes. He is experienced in college management and, as an adult educator, having taught at the Mid-State College and Kennebec Valley Community College. His teaching experience covers over 45 years in the areas of computer applications, accounting, and Quickbooks training workshops.

Excel Power Tools

$89

with Val Landry

Calendar May 1, 2025 at 8:30 am, runs for 3 weeks

This is an online class using ZOOM. 

Power Query allows you to import and shape data.  It has an easy to use interface, powerful tools to import and clean data.  

Power Pivot allows data modeling and calculations.  It easily handles millions of rows of data and has modeling tools for efficient data storage and analysis. 

Power BI (Business Intelligence) is a complete business intelligence tool.  It features incredible visual options, has simple built-in interactive options, fantastic graphs and allows easy sharing of data. The design of this course includes 2-3 hours of work with the software between sessions to gain maximum benefit from the sessions.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey included in your automated receipt so the instructor can tailor the course to meet your needs. 

You will want to have Microsoft Excel on your computer for this workshop and many people find it helpful to have two monitors though it is certainly not necessary to benefit from the sessions.  There are two ways to accomplish this: 1) attach an external screen to your computer (contact our program if you need technical assistance with that); 2) using two computers (one for Excel and the other for the ZOOM meeting. 

Val is a lifelong business educator and academic advisor focused on helping enrich and enhance students' educational and life purposes. He is experienced in college management and, as an adult educator, having taught at the Mid-State College and Kennebec Valley Community College. His teaching experience covers over 45 years in the areas of computer applications, accounting, and Quickbooks training workshops.

Student Loan Repayment Strategies and Pro Tips

Free

with FAME Finance Authority ME

Calendar May 7, 2025 at 6 pm, runs for 1 week

This is a live, online class.

There are many different facets to the student loan program that can be powerful in helping you achieve your financial goals but also can be confusing. If you are struggling with your payments, did you know there are several income-based repayment plans as well as deferment or forbearance? Did you know you could get .25% off your interest rate if you sign up for auto-debit on your federal loans? Do you know you can work towards loan forgiveness now if you work for a non-profit, government or tribal agency? Whether you have recently graduated from college or have been repaying your students loans for a long time, join us to learn how to best manage your student loan repayment. Join Nikki Vachon, College Access Counselor from the Finance Authority of Maine as she shares pro-tips and answers questions. 





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