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Photo from last year’s Free School at UW Oshkosh.

Residents of the Fox Valley are invited to the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh’s campus for a day of free classes.

Free School will be held from 1 to 5 p.m., Saturday, March 10 at UWO’s Sage Hall, 835 High Ave. The event will feature free classes on topics related to sustainability, health, social justice and community building.

This is the third year the Free School event will be held on the UW Oshkosh campus. The event is organized by the Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC). New this year, an “express yourself room” with craft supplies and children’s activities will be provided. The Free School also includes an unscheduled classroom, in which volunteers can spontaneously offer classes on the day of the event.

Past events drew between 100 and 2oo people, organizers said.

There is no charge for the classes, snacks or supplies. The spirit of “freedom” also permeates the course offerings: instructors are students, professors and community members who have donated their time and expertise free of charge. Classes range from Greening Your Kitchen to Tae Kwon Do, Introduction to Islam, Skin Healing Herbs and Lotions. The theme of sustainability–broadly construed to include environmental concerns, health, community building and social justice–governs the day.

“It’s clear that we need to build better, stronger, more sustainable communities,”said Laura Hartman, faculty adviser for SEAC. “But the knowledge, skills and community connections to get there seem hard to come by. The Free School says: collectively we have knowledge and skills, so let’s teach and learn from one another.”

Parking on campus is free on Saturdays, but participants are encouraged to use public transit, bike or walk. Free snacks and kids workshops are provided as facilities permit. The event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Hartman at hartmanl@uwosh.edu or (920) 424-0768 or check out Free School’s Facebook page.

Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to contribute calendar items, campus announcements and other good news to UW Oshkosh Today.