Adrienne is a wonderful teacher. She is always positive and encouraging while still challenging you…read morebut making it fun. She came highly recommended by a friend and i couldn't agree more. She is as an excellent piano teacher.

Adrienne is a wonderful piano teacher. We have known her for years and can highly recommend her…read more She has taught my son and myself; her experience with both kids and adults is excellent. The classes are easy to follow and she's always well-prepared. We're very happy with her services.

Enrolling our child into the Language and Music International program proved to be one of the best…read moredecision for our family. Originally we were drawn to the Spanish emersion element with the talented Maria Emilia, but we quickly learned it was so much more. The personalized attention to the children's learning styles, sense of community, variety in programming, flexibility and responsiveness is one of a kind. If you are searching for a place that values the linguistic, academic and social emotional development of your scholar, you may want to check them out!

Our daughter has thrived here over the past 6 years that she has been a student in the primary…read moreschool and Spanish immersion program. The school environment focuses on students' social emotional learning and their individual learning styles, allowing the kids to learn in fun and engaging ways. The school's non-traditional style means small groups, individualized learning, and opportunities for the kids to explore what they are interested in. This environment has really suited our daughter and has allowed her confidence, independence and love of learning to flourish.

This program is an exceptional opportunity to improve your spoken English…read more You'll start with basic pronunciation but will go very deep quickly. Sarah strikes a good balance between fun and learning, so you'll have a lot of insight without getting bored at the sessions. The materials included a handbook and the access to a well-structured web site. If you don't have much spoken practice, I'd recommend this program even if you're proficient in written English.

Sarah is great at what she does. I was in law school and interviews can get fairly stressful. Sarah…read morenot only helped me on my accent but also on the substance of my interviews. Besides being always responsive to and available for my emergency sessions, She has also given me numerous tips on the cultural things in America so I can make conversation flow more naturally, which eventually led to a job offer. I strongly recommend Sarah, especially for international students who are still in the process of interviewing.

Our 4.5 year old is in her second year at MLA. We are so grateful that she has been able to safely…read morecontinue to grow at school with her friends and teachers during this strange year, adding proper mask wear & care, mindful hand washing, and other health-and-safety focused skills to her practical life toolkit! We don't speak Japanese at home, but we incorporate songs and phrases that she has picked up from school, and we sometimes watch Japanese movies and videos, learning together casually at home. Similarly we don't aggressively augment her learning of letters or math, but instead follow her lead regarding what she is working on and enjoying at school enough that she wants to do it at home, too. It's been wonderful to see her drawings develop naturally, to overhear her speaking with her toys in Japanese, and to know what she means when she wakes us up to say she's "peko peko" every morning. As she's gotten older, we hear more about what she's learning and it is always with such true confidence, contagious enjoyment, and deep understanding: cycles of a pumpkin and a flower, details of different planets and their temperature, and how to cut out a heart (& not waste the folded paper with the outline!). She has always loved to do things her own particular way, which we have encouraged within the boundaries of safety and kindness -- it's clear that her teachers similarly support (and enjoy!) that individuality, while thoughtfully guiding her towards opportunities for growth in herself and collaboration with others. Clearly I could go on forever--we love this hidden gem of a community so much! Thank you, MLA!

We originally chose MLA because it is a dual-language Japanese Montessori school. While already…read morefamiliar with the Montessori approach for learning, what we did not expect was dedication of the school's director, Yoko-sensei, to your child's emotional as well as educational development. We also appreciate how the director is willing to offer-up constructive and honest feedback about your child. Our daughter's other schools were quick to say "she's doing fine" - minimizing amount the personal attention they would have to give. That is certainly not the case with MLA - they go out of their way to address your child's individual needs. MLA is so important to us that when we moved to another city 30 miles away, we chose to commute a total of 90 minutes each day just to keep her there.

This is a newer school in Oak Park so I was a little nervous at first. The class sizes are small so…read morethe teachers are very attentive. Pricing is better compared to some in the Chicagoland areas. My daughter is taking Japanese classes here and so far so good. She really likes her teacher which I feel is important. The space also promotes learning, rugs and pillows everywhere but also small classrooms for teaching. On the weekends the environment is very quiet. Had a chance to write this review while sipping complementary coffee while waiting for my daughter. The staff here are always so welcoming!

I am Cynthia R.'s husband. We signed up for the whole summer back in January and have the email to…read moreprove it. When we showed up with our daughter for day 1 of the 2nd 6 weeks, we were shocked when they said we had not enrolled. Then they lied to us and said the session was full; we had a friend call the next day and found they had room. It wasn't until after repeated calls and emails that the director (does not deserve this title) informed us it was due to our child's behavior. We were only notified once of any issues and we immediately addressed them. In addition, we asked every day how things were and were always told "good" and "fine" and were never again contacted about any behavior issues. If we had been, we would have dealt with them but the lies and deceit are so very unprofessional and unethical. We have filed a formal complaint with the BBB of Chicago and have done the same with the Village of Oak Park. Our child did love Academia and is heart broken, is this how an institution of child learning acts and behaves? Buyer beware with this place!!

I've seen a lot of good reviews, so no doubt this place used to be great, but right now it's either…read moreclosed or they have huge issues with their automated systems. I tried multiple times to get in touch with them to ask about cost and schedules but all I got was automatic replies both via phone and via email - kida like the last person that commented here. It's quite disappointing.

Rating them one star just because their process to even remotely try to start your Spanish class is…read moresooooo long and probably automated. There were automatic emails that kept coming to me to try to convince me to take the course when all I wanted to do was get started. When I finally got the email to take an assessment to determine my level and find out about cost and schedule, the process stopped. I haven't heard a thing from anyone in weeks. Oh well, I'll just use an app or YouTube.

My three year old takes a preschool class once a week with Jenny. We've been going for a few…read moremonths now and she is fantastic! She is so patient and kind with the little ones! He does art projects, sings songs, plays instruments, games, etc. Jenny even plays the guitar! I can already tell that he is soaking up so much. Paper Lantern is such a little gem in Oak Park. I would highly recommend this program to parents interested in immersing their toddlers and kids into a new language.

I met Jenny last summer (summer of 2016) when I needed a translator to help me talk to the mom of…read moremy Chinese foreign exchange student. Jenny went out of her way (literally out of her way... we had to meet in Chinatown) for a very last minute meeting - she rearranged her schedule to accommodate my impromptu request because we had a small window of time before my student's mom was returning to China. I thought Jenny was very professional and she was also super sweet. Her rates were beyond reasonable. I would highly recommend her or her business to anyone.

We have been absolutely thrilled with the caliber and quality of Intercultural in Oak Park. The…read morecommunity we've created with other parents, the support we feel from the school administration and teachers, and the leaps we've seen both our kids make academically, emotionally, and socially are all reasons we've stayed all the way through kindergarten for both kids. The Spanish immersion was a no-brainer, but the Montessori method was new for us - I truly credit this method in helping shape our kids into little world citizens who are independent, inclusive, curious, and kind.

Um, I was sad after reading the first review. Not knowing what sort of experiences others have…read morehad, my daughter seems to love it at Intercultural. It's a wonderful departure for her from regular day care, and I love the fact that she is getting a healthy dose of the Japanese language every morning. The teachers communicate well and are good at sending home what the children have been working on. My daughter just started at the beginning of November and is happy every morning that she attends school as opposed to not wanting to go to her previous day care. Obviously I don't have as much experience with the school as others do- I am interested to hear what others think. I give it 4 stars simply because it is super expensive. (As are all private schools of quality) We're shelling out a lot of cash monies to read a bad review of this place..... eeek. Thought I'd update my review - Feb. 08 - my daughter does not attend this school any more. We took her out at the end of last school year. She seemed to be the one kid who couldn't handle not understanding the language. She wouldn't talk to, or hardly look at the (Japanese) teachers. It made me sad to take her out because I really wanted her to have the early understanding of another language. She also seemed to dig the Montessori learning techniques. She's super happy at her new school and seems much more comfortable. comfortable

Triton College loves to flash their slogan: "There's a place for you." But for students like me,…read morethe truth is ugly -- there's no place here unless you're willing to be chewed up by their broken system and blamed for problems they created. I came to Triton determined to break cycles. I would've been the first person in my family to earn a degree. I worked my way down to just four classes away from finishing. Four classes from changing everything. But instead of support, Triton gave me roadblocks, mixed-up advising, and endless financial strain. I'm a full-time single mom. I work, I take care of my child, and I go without to make this education happen. I already live with food insecurity, already wonder how I'm going to pay bills and still make sure my kid eats. Every dollar and every hour matters. And still, Triton acts like none of that matters. Their advising system is a complete failure. You can ask three different staff members the same question and get three different answers. When you follow their guidance and it turns out to be wrong, the blame falls on you. Their mistakes become your bill -- extra classes, extra books, extra tuition. Time and money I couldn't afford to lose, gone, because they can't give consistent answers. They love to brag about resources and "access." But in reality, access here means limited hours, endless red tape, and confusing processes that make you feel trapped. When you ask for help, you get brushed off. Push harder, and you're treated like you're the problem. Meanwhile, the college has every system in place to protect themselves but none to protect the students. It's like Triton profits off students' confusion and desperation. They trap you into paying for classes you shouldn't need, charge you for their own mistakes, and leave you holding the blame. I've already skipped meals to pay for gas to get to class. I've already sacrificed sleep and time with my child to study. And still, Triton found a way to take more. On top of tuition and fees, I had to purchase the tools necessary for my program -- tools that should've been provided by a place of instruction. I spent money I didn't have just to participate in my own classes. Only after I submitted a formal complaint did Triton finally supply tools for students to use on site. That's not support -- that's neglect. And it proves that unless students speak up and fight, Triton won't take action. The stress this school has caused me isn't just about education -- it's about survival. I was so close to finishing, so close to being the first degree earner in my family, and Triton made it feel impossible. That's something I'll never forgive: they don't just block progress, they crush hope. And yet, I need to be clear -- not everyone at Triton is part of the problem. The only reason I haven't given up completely is because of Lena Musa and Kenneth Davis. They are the only two people in my program who treated me like my education and my life mattered. They gave real answers, real guidance, and real respect. Without them, Triton would've broken me completely. Triton College needs to stop selling slogans and start owning up to their failures. Students deserve support, not punishment. We deserve guidance, not confusion. We deserve a system that helps us succeed instead of one that bleeds us dry. Until that happens, Triton is not a place for you -- it's a place that will leave you broke, blamed, and broken.

Belinda in the financial aid office assisted me today and made me feel so comfortable about this…read moreprocess of enrolling back in school after not attending since 2015! I really appreciate her help!

This organization is now called Beyond Hunger and is so vital to this community, especially during…read morethe economic downturn associated with the COVID crisis. https://www.gobeyondhunger.org Please donate pantry staples, if you can. Beyond Hunger is especially in need of canned fruits, vegetables, soups, and canned meals like Spaghetti-o's or ravioli in a can at this time. Check the website for drop off times. Or collection days/times, if you need assistance with food. Great organization!!!

I love it!! So grateful for anything given even food I don't like but I make it do what it do. Good…read morehealthy food here every month! Staff is exceptional and so nice!! I would love to give back abs volunteer here one day!