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 4 Spring Class have been canceled - Talk Across the Table Bridge, Quilters, Poets, Art Lovers,

Introduction to Pickleball, Advanced Beginner Pickleball

YHC campus map highlighting location of the ICL classroom and Goolsby center.   YHC-Campus-Map.pdf

Current Courses

    • April 01, 2026
    • May 20, 2026
    • 8 sessions
    • Inspire Fitness Studio - 108 Brasstown Creek Rd, Young Harris, Georgia
    • 0
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    Course Instructor - Shauna Belt

    Course Fee - $50.00

    Piloga is the perfect fusion of Pilates precision and yoga flow. This class is designed to build core strength, improve flexibility, and enhance mind-body connection through a seamless blend of dynamic Pilates movements and grounding yoga postures.

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    Shauna Belt 200 HR YTT Yoga Renew Certification,  Pilates Instructor ISSA Certified, Group Fitness Instructor Issa Certified.  Shauna is a true believer in the benefits of Yoga and Pilates.  She is very passionate about teaching people how to be more flexible and balanced.  Come join her on the mat!


    • April 02, 2026
    • May 21, 2026
    • 8 sessions
    • ICL Classroom - 862 Main Street, Young Harris
    • 2
    Register

    Course Instructor - Chris Hall

    Course Fee - $25.00


    This class will cover tips to improve your game using various strategies for the different stages of the game. This class will also go into detail on quickly learning the new card.  We will cover card strategies, National Mah Jongg League rules, general advice, statistics and strategies on the Charleston, early-game, mid-game and end-of-game play. It is advisable to be experienced in the game before attending this class - this class is not for beginners.


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    Chris moved to Murphy, NC full-time in 2016 after retiring from the US Army.  She learned the game that year and has enjoyed playing regularly ever since learning the game.



    • April 23, 2026
    • May 21, 2026
    • 5 sessions
    • Art Studio - 1942 Old Hwy 64 W, Hayesville, NC
    • 4
    Register

    Course Instructor - Billie Shelburn

    Course Fee - $30.00

    Materials Fee - $20.00 per class

    There are many ways to use pen and ink, micron pens, and other forms of markers with watercolor paintings.  Incorporating the two basic elements can be suggestive and complete an idea you are trying to achieve.  Specifically embellishing certain areas to make them more important, or just using marks in certain areas can complete and enhance your painting.  Come and enjoy learning to use the two forms together to express your ideas.  All materials needed will be provided for $20 per class paid weekly to insure similar results.

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    Billie Shelburn is a contemporary studio artist and fine art instructor in painting, drawing and mixed media. Billie’s works are comprised of representational, impressionistic and mixed media styles.  Her paintings have won National, International and Regional awards.  Billie was inducted into the National Organization for Women in Arts in Washington, D.C. and has served on the Executive Boards of Georgia Watercolor Society.  





    • April 28, 2026
    • May 19, 2026
    • 4 sessions
    • ICL Classroom - 862 Main Street, Young Harris
    • 21
    Register

    Course Instructor - Heather Welch 

    Course Fee - $25.00

    This course examines how the female body was understood and represented in Early Modern England. Drawing on midwifery manuals, medical treatises, and sensational crime pamphlets, these texts collectively reveal how women’s bodies became sites of medical authority, legal investigation, and moral anxiety. Through close analysis of primary sources, the course considers how print culture shaped—and was shaped by—changing understandings of gender, power, and the body.  

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    Heather Welch holds a PhD in History from Georgia State University and has taught at University of North Georgia, Georgia State University, and Kennesaw State University. She has lived in Towns County for 18 years. Currently, she works at the Mountain Regional Library System. Heather considers herself a lifelong learner and feels very passionate about helping others find enjoyment in learning.



    • May 13, 2026
    • June 03, 2026
    • 4 sessions
    • ICL Classroom - 862 Main Street, Young Harris
    • 6
    Register

    Course Instructor - Art Frenz

    Course Fee - $25.00

    Looking for a fun and challenging card game? Join us for Double Deck Pinochle! Experience the excitement of this classic card game, no experience necessary! Whether you’re new to the game or looking to sharpen your skills, join us and enjoy the game.


    Art and his wife Diane retired in 2009 and moved from Florida to the North Georgia Mountains and enjoy the change of seasons and the mountains. In 2010 they joined ICL and have since served various positions on the ICL board. They and their Welsh Springer Spaniels currently live full-time in Blairsville. They enjoy camping, genealogy, and cooking. They have two sons, one in Florida and one in Alabama and five grandchildren.



    • May 18, 2026
    • May 21, 2026
    • 4 sessions
    • Gun Range - Meet at Ingles in Haysville in Parking Area
    • 1
    Register

    Instructor - George Gaines

    Course Fee - $35.00

    Materials Fee - $195.00 

    It is mandatory that students have taken a previous ICL course from

    Dr. Gaines that had a live shooting component.

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    All four days, students will meet in the parking area next to the gas station of the Hayesville Ingles grocery store on US 64 E.  It is recommended that you arrive around 8:30 AM in order for us to drive to the range at 8:45 AM.  

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    This class is taught over four (4) consecutive days, which means you will experience four full days of shooting.  This format closely resembles that used by Dr. Gaines and the late Haim Geri in training students in the Israeli Shooting Method. Geri was the chief firearms instructor at Israel’s IMI Academy for Advanced Security and Anti-Terror Training.  In Israel he trained thousands of Israeli Security Officers.  As a team in the US, Gaines and Geri trained thousands of civilians and law enforcement officers to handle firearms safely and protect themselves and innocent civilians from life-threatening attacks. We shall be prepared for the worst and pray that we will never have to use a firearm in self-defense. This course is dedicated to the late Haim Geri.  Memory eternal.

    Although the range shooting area is covered and protects from precipitation while loading/unloading pistols, our shooting will be outdoors, so bring rain gear just in case.  No open-toed shoes or sandals are allowed.  Wear shirts with a reasonably high collar to avoid hot shell casings.  Range etiquette will be discussed during the first day’s class.  There is one offering of this class this term.

    Range sessions will be held at a nearby private range, which is only a short drive away, and may last a bit longer than two (2) hours, if required. Since our time at the range is reserved, no spectators are allowed on the property.

    At the range, the instructor will provide students with 9mm semiautomatic pistols and ammo.  Students may bring personal pistols to the range, but it will be up to the instructor to determine if/when student guns may be used.

    This course relies heavily on live demonstrations, and students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to perform same at the range.  A Gaines Tactical Training Certificate will be awarded to those who complete the course.

    A fee of $195 covers the cost of materials, water, firearms use, gun cleaning, ammo, targets, and  insurance for four full days of shooting. This is payable by cash/check on first day of class. Students will be asked to sign a customary release, much like that used in public/private commercial ranges. At the range, students are required to wear safety glasses and hearing protection.  Howard Light electronic headgear is what I use, and it runs around $35 to $60.  This type of gear allows you to hear range commands while cutting out the loud retort from firing.

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    George grew up in Pensacola, Florida and has lived and worked throughout the United States and Europe.  He graduated from The University of Alabama and later earned his doctorate at the University of Georgia (1971).  His early career was spent teaching in the Louisiana State University System. 

     In 1980 he began working in the private sector in marketing research for major corporations such as Southern Company, The Gallup Organization, Research International, and IPSOS.  During this time, he served as the International Accounts Director for Pratt & Whitney, UPS, Pepsico, and later for The Coca-Cola Company. 

    His last corporate assignment was Director of Consumer Insights for Outback Steakhouse International, where his duties included extensive marketing communication research in Latin America, Asia, and Europe. 

     Following his retirement in 2013, George pursues his lifelong commitment to teaching firearms safety.  He is an NRA Certified Instructor and Chief Range Safety Officer as well as a USCCA Training Counselor.  He presently is Director of Open Enrollment for the US Branch of Israel’s IMI (Israel Military Industries) Academy for Advanced Security and Anti-Terror Training.


    • May 19, 2026
    • 2:00 PM
    • June 09, 2026
    • 4:00 PM
    • Zoom
    Register

    Course Instructor - Stephan Banakas

    Course Fee - $25.00

    Registration Password Required

    Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) - a very basic introduction to photo processing in PhotoShop - will be a series of four classes to be conducted electronically through Zoom off campus.  The classes will be on these four dates: May 19, 26, June 2, 9.  The time for the class will be 2:00 – 4:00.

    Participants will be required to have the latest version of PhotoShop available.  We will not be working with any processing software other than PhotoShop and Adobe Camera Raw, not Lightroom or Elements.   

    The focus of the class will be to introduce you to the basic and essential suite utilized to process your photographs known as Adobe Camera Raw, which is found within PhotoShop.  All classwork will begin with RAW images that will be provided. The class sessions will be recorded.  After each class is completed a copy of the recorded session will be provided to each student for a limited time.

    This course is very basic and is intended to provide a solid foundation for further image processing in PhotoShop. It is required before students are eligible to take more advanced PhotoShop courses.

    You must have taken previous photography classes with Stephan Banakas. A passcode will be required to complete your registration.

    Morton Overlook in the evening


    Stephan Banakas is an avid fly fisherman and wildflower/landscape photographer.  He is originally from Pensacola, FL. where he worked as a police officer until he retired in 1999.  He now lives in Hayesville with his wife, Diane, and their two cats Gordon and Maggie.


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