7 Benefits of Enrichment Classes for All Ages

Editor's note: This post was originally published in August 2023 but has been updated as of August 2025. In the updated post, you'll get:

• A clear answer to "what are enrichment classes and why do they matter?"
• 7 benefits of enrichment classes you can use to articulate the value of your program
• Tips to leverage these benefits to drive donations, market your classes and camps, and inspire your internal team

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Many of us think of "education" as the thing that happens in school. But (fortunately) learning isn't limited to school grounds and a person's education doesn’t have to stop when the bell rings. In fact, humans are constantly learning, whether that’s through formal classes or informal exploration.

Enrichment classes offer a particular avenue to lifelong learning, allowing people to unlock personal growth, build new skills, and connect with others. These programs can take many forms: adult ed classes, workshops at local makerspaces, theater camps, afterschool programs, artist’s lectures and more. What they have in common is the benefit they bring to learners, organizations and communities.

What are enrichment classes? Typically non-credit, these fun, engaging classes can cater to learners of any age or interest of learners in your local community.

Below, we explore 7 benefits of enrichment classes. You can reference and leverage these points to encourage donations, promote your programs and inspire internal teams by reminding them of the importance of their work.

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What are enrichment classes?

Enrichment classes are non-credit and typically outside of core academic subjects like math and reading. Arts-focused classes are a staple of enrichment because many people want to be creative, but schools and work places may not give them many chances to do so. In fact, by high school, the average student gets just 33 hours per year of arts-based instruction.

These classes can cater to any age, interest, or skill level. The common theme is that the majority of learners come from the local community. While community colleges may offer some enrichment classes, so do museums and theaters, libraries, independent businesses, and nonprofit organizations.

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Benefits of enrichment classes for your community

Enrichment classes fill needs that for-credit courses and other educational programming just can’t. They’re more broadly accessible than college courses and usually don’t require prerequisites or long-term commitments. Enrichment classes also strengthen your community and your organization’s place within it. Here are a few of the ways enrichment classes benefit learners and their communities.

1. Connect people who might not meet otherwise

Enrichment classes have an amazing way of bringing people together. Servers and software engineers bond over a shared love of painting. Kids from the local middle school act alongside their homeschool peers in summer theater camp productions. Retirees and young parents swap stories while learning collage. These connections enrich everyone. They lead to lateral thinking, unconventional partnerships, and a sense of connection.

Sociologists recognize the importance of the “third place” — a place other than work and home where people can connect and construct community. For adults, these spaces offer a social outlet and an opportunity to build soft skills. For kids, third places improve academics, promote interpersonal skills, and improve behavior regulation.

2. Improve soft skills and confidence

Many learners look to non-traditional education to help them find a new job or earn a raise in their current one. Industry-specific and certificate classes are an obvious choice but enrichment courses help learners improve essential soft skills. From creativity to communication, problem-solving to public speaking, enrichment classes present fun challenges that help learners improve their skills.

Lifelong learning has been shown to boost confidence and build soft skills like creativity and communication.

Learners don’t leave these skills in the classroom. They bring them out into the community. Plus, lifelong learning has been shown to boost confidence and self-esteem. It also gives people hope and purpose, which can help them be more resilient in the face of work and life stressors.

Consider the young professional who feels so socially awkward at work that she struggles to get the support she needs for her projects. The comparatively lower-stakes environment of a set design class can help her practice interpersonal communication, asking for what she needs, and working on a team. As she gains confidence in that "third space", she'll likely gain confidence at work.

3. Prevent the dreaded "brain drain"

Enrichment classes can keep kids from backsliding during summer breaks. Research has shown that kids can lose an average of 20-27% of their school-year gains during summer vacation. Keeping them engaged and learning can help prevent some of these losses.  

The same principle can help seniors in retirement. Research has shown that seniors can improve their cognitive health by learning something new. It’s more effective than just socializing.

So your enrichment program can benefit both the oldest and youngest members of your community.

4. Give every learner the chance to shine

Some people thrive in traditional learning settings but a lot of smart, innovative people struggle. Students who have a hard time with math or reading in school may excel in classes focused on arts or performance.

Those who hate sitting through a whole class period may blossom in a dance or gymnastics class. Giving people the opportunity to engage with these types of classes can help children and adults build confidence, self-esteem and self-efficacy. 

To get a better understanding of the different kinds of learning and where your program fits in, check out our free resource, A Complete Guide to Types of Learning and Why We Need Them All.

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Benefits of enrichment classes for organizations

Different types of organizations also benefit from offering enrichment classes. For theatres and performing arts centers, for example, enrichment classes allow your patrons to engage with your organization in a new way and allow you to attract new people. Here are a few of the ways enrichment classes can benefit your organization.

5. Claim your place within a wider community

Offering enrichment classes helps your organization establish a clear place within the wider community. When people in your community know they can access your courses and camps as an additional source of education, they can see—in a particularly tangible way—the value you offer to the community. This makes them more likely to support, donate, and lobby on your behalf.

Many community colleges have begun offering non-degree credentials that address the needs of local employers and industries, benefitting both individual job seekers and industries looking for skilled workers. Nonprofits and other organizations can do the same. And if you want to expand your reach within the community, you might consider forming partnerships with local businesses.

6. Bring in new customers and keep existing customers engaged

Universities have long used enrichment programs as lead magnets for higher investment programs. Arts and community ed programs can take a page out of their playbook. 

Enrichment classes can help attract new people to your museum, theater, gallery or nonprofit. They give students an interactive and accessible way to engage with you. Even offering a free course can pay off in the long run.

Engagement leads to more engagement. It’s a self-supporting cycle. The more people engage with and enjoy what your organization has to offer, the more likely they are to attend, donate, volunteer, and advocate.

7. Engage young people

Nonprofit organizations are often looking to engage younger people in their communities; it's essential to build connections with "the future" for long-term financial health. When you offer enrichment classes and camps, you create opportunities for young people to interact with your organization. As previously mentioned, many young people are seeking connection and creativity, exactly the kind of experience that an enrichment class can provide.

Consider the 10-year-old who attends your Intro to Textile Arts Class. In a few years, they’ve worked their way up to your Fiber Sculpture class. Along the way, they’re more likely to attend exhibitions and other events and bring their family along. When they reach adulthood, they may choose to become a donor or even bring their own children to your programs, and it all started with that first enrichment class.

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Use these benefits of enrichment classes to market your organization

You can leverage these benefits of enrichment classes to get people excited about the work your organization is doing. Use them to enhance your course descriptions by clearly outlining the benefit to students. Or send out a newsletter or social media post outlining the benefits of your specific enrichment classes for your community. You might even use them to convince boards and donors of the value of your education program.

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