Learn, make, move, play, improve, explore, taste and more...NCE has a class for you!
NCE Middle School Programs
Needham Community Education’s NCE Elementary program offers a wide array of after school classes at each elementary school at the end of the school day.
Summer Explorations 2026
Health and Wellness
Exercise and recreation classes
Fine arts and crafts
DYI, home, garden and skills classes
Humanities and science programs
Investment and financial planning classes
Parenting programs
Learn to play a game or improve your game skills
SSAT, SAT prep, PSAT prep, and prep school, college and grad school application related programs for students and parents.
Special events
NCE Elementary After School Classes for Broadmeadow Students
NCE Elementary After School Classes for Eliot Students
NCE Elementary After School Classes for Mitchell Students
NCE Elementary After School Classes for Newman Students
NCE Elementary After School Classes at Sunita WIlliams
NCE Kids' Late Afternoon and Evening Classes
NCE Kids Virtual Classes
Private Music Lessons
Looking for a fun, screen-free early release day activity in Needham? Our Early Release Day Pottery Workshops give students a chance to explore real ceramic clay while having a blast with friends in our welcoming studio.Students learn beginner-friendly hand-building techniques and create functional pottery that we fire and glaze to be waterproof and food-safe.
2/4: For this session, it’s game time! Students will sculpt their own clay tic-tac-toe boards with themed game pieces — think stars vs. moons, blueberries vs. strawberries or cats vs. dogs. After firing + glazing, they’ll take home a playable, handmade game set that will last for years to come!
3/18: This session invites students to design and create their own handmade vases. Perfect for spring flowers! They’ll learn to sculpt, shape, and decorate their piece, which will be waterproof after glazing + firing. A fun, hands-on way to explore pottery basics while making something beautiful to display at home
*Students will need to get themselves to the Pottery with a Purpose studio in Needham.
178 Crescent Rd, Suite 1Needham, MA 02494
Samantha (Sam) Hoff, a Needhamite since birth, is a self-taught ceramic artist and founder of Pottery with a Purpose. Pottery with a Purpose is a socially conscious, woman-owned small business, focused on individual (and community) well-being through mindful clay crafts that give back to a cause*. Her DIY Pottery Kits offer a creative outlet and a way to relax, while making a functional and eco-friendly product from the comfort of one’s home (or picnic blanket). In Sam’s spare time, she enjoys telling her two dogs how adorable they are, traveling, yoga, and hiking. She holds an undergraduate degree and an MBA from Babson College. She started Pottery with a Purpose to bring hands-on joy to your school, living room, office or local brewery. No wheel of kiln required.
For more info visit, potterywithapurpose.com.
Samantha Hoff
