CE FAQs
We offer a variety of classes, ranging from one-day workshops, weekend intensives, multi-week classes, and a three-month intensive for furniture making. Community Education currently offers classes in the following disciplines: book arts, carpentry, jewelry making, musical instruments, and woodworking. View all classes and register here.
To stay informed of Community Education updates, please sign up to receive emails from Ҵý Street School.
Students must be ages 18+ by the class start date to attend adult CE classes. No one under 18 years old is permitted to register for an adult class, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Our Teen Craft & Trade Intensives are designed for high school students ages 15-18 years old.
Please visit our Community Education webpage to register online. Registration is complete once payment is received in full.
For classes that offer payment plans, the full balance must be paid before the class start date. To pay by check or another source of funding, please email ce@nbss.edu.
Class registration fees are per person.
When you register for a class, you’ll also gain access to a student account on our registration platform, CourseStorm. Your student account allows you to update your personal information, change your password, remove a saved credit card, and view the classes you are registered for.
We accept all major credit and debit cards for CE class registrations.
If you plan on paying for a class by check, please contact ce@nbss.edu to confirm class availability before mailing your payment.
Checks may be sent to:
Attn: Community Education
Ҵý Street School
150 North Street
Boston, MA, 02109
Please make checks payable to:
Ҵý Street School Community Education. Include the class title, class start date, and your phone number and email with the check. Registration is not complete until payment is confirmed.
We currently offer payment plan options for CE classes with a class rate of $500 or more.
Registrants see clear indicators when a class offers a payment plan and can choose during checkout whether to pay in full or over time. If they select a payment plan, the outlined class deposit is charged immediately and the remaining payments are charged automatically to their debit or credit card on file.
Registrants receive an email receipt after each payment, including the amount charged and the remaining balance.
The schedule is based on the deposit and the balance-due date, and it adjusts automatically as the class approaches. For example, a $200 class with a $50 deposit might be offered three $50 installments every two weeks to an early registrant, while a registrant who enrolls closer to the class date might be offered two $75 weekly payments.
Automatic charges are issued on Fridays. If a charge fails, the registrant receives an email with a link to update their payment method. If the payment information is not updated within a week, CE staff will follow up to get updated payment information.
Yes, we are able to work with employees using employer funds to pay for a CE class. Please contact us at ce@nbss.edu before registering for a class so we can discuss your employer’s payment arrangements and determine the best way to proceed.
There are currently no scholarships for NBSS Community Education adult classes. If you have been awarded a scholarship or have funding that you think may be applicable, please contact ce@nbss.edu. Some examples are:
- Veterans Association Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Benefits.
- Veterans Association Post-9/11 GI Bill® Benefits (for the Three-Month Furniture Making Intensive only).
- AmeriCorps Education Award Funding.
Full and partial scholarships are available for our Teen Craft & Trade Intensives. Program applicants should indicate their financial aid needs when submitting an application for the program. Need based financial aid will be awarded as funds remain available.
We now offer the ability to store class credits in your CourseStorm student account.
If you already have a CourseStorm student account, your available class credit balance will automatically be applied at checkout. If you do not have a CourseStorm student account or your class credit balance does not appear at checkout, please contact ce@nbss.edu for assistance with redeeming your class credit.
Class credits are automatically applied at checkout. If you have a class credit balance, it will be applied to your registration before any other payment method is used.
Please note that students cannot currently opt out of using their class credit towards their next registration. Once a class credit has been added to a student account, it is non-refundable.
Community Education is not currently selling gift cards. However, if you have an existing gift card, you may apply it toward your class registration.
If you already have a CourseStorm student account, your available gift card balance will automatically be applied at checkout. If you do not have a CourseStorm student account or your gift card balance does not appear at checkout, please contact ce@nbss.edu for assistance with redeeming your gift card.
Gift cards are automatically applied at checkout. If you have a gift card balance, it will be applied to your registration before any other payment method is used.
Please note that students cannot currently opt out of using their gift card balance toward their next registration. Once a gift card has been added to a student account, it is non-refundable.
Gift cards to the Ҵý Street School Store can be purchased , but are not redeemable towards a Community Education class.
NBSS gift cards are valid for 7 years from the purchase date.
Waitlists are managed for each individual class event. To join the waitlist for a class that’s full, find the waitlist sign-up button for that specific class webpage. You will be directed to sign in or create a user account for our registration system, CourseStorm. If you want to be on the list for other dates that the class is being held, please sign up for each instance individually.
If a spot opens up, the next person on the waitlist for that class event will receive an email invitation to register from our registration platform. Upon receiving that notification, you can complete registration or decline the invitation and be removed from the waitlist for the class. The registration invitation will expire after 24 hours, and if we have not received a response, an invitation will be shared with the next person on the waitlist.
If a short notice class cancellation is received we will contact everyone on the waitlist for the class and the spot will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.
Directions and transportation information can be found on our Visit page. We do not offer parking onsite.
We recommend checking for alerts and updates before you travel on .
NBSS does not have housing accommodations. Tips on where to stay can be found on our Visit page. Affordable short and long term housing can be found on websites like Airbnb.
Occasionally, classes require students to bring some of their own tools and supplies. The online class listings will either have a link to a Supply List or will note that all supplies are provided. We recommend saving your receipts for supplies in the event that a class is cancelled or the incorrect supply is purchased.
This is a general list of how to dress for the shop environment though some classes will share more specific requirements in the class listing, please contact Community Education if you have any questions.
- Closed-toe, comfortable, and protective footwear (sneakers or boots)
- No loose clothing
- Long pants suggested
- No loose jewelry
- Long hair must be tied back
Classes generally include an hour-long lunch break, with shorter breaks throughout the day as needed. You are welcome to bring your own snacks and lunch. Please check with your instructor regarding any restrictions on eating during class.
Microwaves and mini refrigerators are available on campus for student use. Your instructor will let you know where they are located at the beginning of class.
There are many options to purchase food, coffee, and snacks nearby. The North End of Boston is most well known for Italian food and pizza, but being located in downtown Boston, there are options for just about every type of food within a short walk. Here are some of our community favorites.
We are not able to offer individual or group tours of our Community Education classroom spaces. Please visit us online through our virtual tour or join us for our annual Open House & Winter Market event.
We do not allow individuals to shadow any Community Education classes or programming. We limit class attendance to registered students to ensure a comfortable learning environment, maintain class sizes, and respect the privacy and experience of all participants.
We are not able to offer private lessons at this time. To express interest in future private lessons or private group classes, please email ce@nbss.edu.
If you are in search of private instruction we recommend submitting an inquiry to our Hire a Student or Grad form.
Please email ce@nbss.edu to cancel your registration and provide a reason for doing so. Cancellation requests for in-person classes received at least 14 days before the class start date will be refunded less a 10% cancellation fee. Refunds are not given for cancellations received within 14 days of the class start time.
Cancellation policies for our Three-Month Furniture Making Intensive classes are listed separately on that webpage under the “Cancellations / Withdrawals” section.
Cancellation policies for our Teen Craft & Trade Intensive program are listed separately on that webpage under the “Cancellation and Refund Policy” section.
Once class is in session, NBSS does not offer refunds or make-up class sessions for missed classes due to student circumstances, including illness, travel, and family or work commitments.
Classes that have not reached 50% enrollment at least 10 calendar days before the start date will be canceled. Registered students will be notified by email and receive a full refund of their tuition, less the CourseStorm registration fee of $2.49.
In the event you can’t attend class due to illness, please let us know immediately by emailing ce@nbss.edu. Due to the variety of conditions under which this may take place (timing, class length and duration, symptoms, etc), all instances of illness will be handled on an individual basis. In general, we will adhere to our standard refund policies. (See above under “How do I cancel my registration?”)
Once class is in session, NBSS does not offer refunds or make-up class sessions for missed classes due to student circumstances, including illness, travel, and family or work commitments.
For more information and guidance on respiratory illness (Covid-19, influenza, RSV, etc) please visit our Health & Safety page.
Please note that inclement weather cancellations will be based on conditions in the Greater Boston area. If you intend to travel from outside the Greater Boston area to attend a class, please review our full refund policy.
Community Education inclement weather cancellations are announced no later than 9:00 pm on the day before the scheduled class. Students will be notified by email of inclement weather cancellations using the email address and phone number provided during registration. Students can also check local news stations for school closings or call 617-227-0155 x 300 for a recorded message.
In the event a Community Education class or session is canceled by NBSS, we will work to reschedule a makeup session(s). If that is not possible, students will have the option of receiving a prorated refund or class credit for the canceled class session(s).
Registration for Community Education classes is non-transferable. Students may not transfer registrations to another section of the same course, to a different course, or to another individual to attend in their stead.
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