I thought I'd make good of my 8 year old's ipad addiction and sign him up for a coding class. I…read moresigned up for a brief tour while my son got to work and he came out asking to come back. The last thing my family needs is another activity, but I like the flexibility of Code Ninjas. We signed up for a monthly membership for 4 hours. You sign up ahead of time for a day/time that works for you so that you don't have to commit to the same time every week. As of now the options are 4, 5 or 6pm on the weekdays and 9, 10 or 11am on Saturdays.  I've learned that you just need to sign up at least a week ahead to grab the day/time you want. I would love to see more time options on weekends- later on Saturdays and Sunday times too. My son has been 4 times so far and seems to love it more each time. He submits the actual work he's doing so that I can see it and actually play the games he's creating. His 5 year old brother absolutely loves playing his big brothers games and is begging me to sign him up for coding too. They do have a class for junior coders, but it's more of a builder class (I believe on Sat mornings) vs coding on your own. The work they do is graded by senseis and they progress to new levels similar to how it works in karate (yellow belt, etc). That keeps him and his peers extra motivated, although he seems motivated by the work itself. He's also already asking about doing a roblox camp next summer and while we have time to decide on that one it's something we'll definitely check out.

They will opt you in for classes that they did not tell you about. You will get charged monthly if…read moreyou are unaware.

We highly recommend Digital Adventures with its wonderful programs, and especially the teacher…read moreMr.Jim. The classroom is engineered to be easily adopted by young kids set in a play-based environment. My 4-year-old boy can easily adapt to the new learning. Mr. Jim and the founder/staff are nice, patient and great. We are impressed by the program as the parents. It was not just us, our kid loves and rates DA the best among all his other STEM enrichments by comparison. We have also helped spread the word to our parent communities. Overall, very good program, and excellent business!

My son really enjoyed this class.. we are staying for another class now! (2hours)…read moreHighly recommend this place.. very friendly.. clean.. just positive vibes!!Love it!

I just want to add that after re-opening during this time of COVID-19, they have done a great job…read moremitigating infection risk at their summer camps. They require the kids to wear their own masks, provide shoe covers and face shields, put up walls between computers and spread them out, limit class sizes, check temperatures on arrival, require parents to fill out a form asserting their child is not infected or exposed to infected people (to their knowledge), and keep parents outside during pick-up/drop-off. Also, my son said they made him wash his hands 5 times today haha. They are doing everything I could think of and more to help us feel safer and prevent the spread of coronavirus. Oh, and my son still likes the classes too.

My son loved digital adventures! For a long time I've wanted my son to get out of the consumer…read moremindset and shift to the developer mindset. I believe that shift is now underway D.A. does a phenomenal job of integrating the fundamentals of coding with his favorite video games, Roblox and Minecraft. The prices are also quite reasonable. I was very impressed with my son's progress and we were looking to give him a more specialized focus in terms of his interests and strengths with the classes they offer. I was so impressed seeing the 4th graders code full robotics applications after only 1 year of these classes. My son also enjoyed bonding with the kids there, and seem to enjoy working with them more than the kids at his school. He made some friends. I highly recommend this place.

We have our two little girls, ages three and six, at the GEMS world Academy, and we could not be…read moremore happy with our experiences there! The quality of the education has really spoiled us for going anywhere else, and communication from teachers and administrators is amazing, they always hear our concerns and respond, to such an extent that we don't email them on nights or weekends because we know we will hear back from them too soon! Additionally, my husband and I had concerns about putting our children in private school, but the value of this educational institution is truly outstanding. Highly recommend!

When we began looking at schools for our kids (then age 8 and 9), we were seeking a school with an…read moreemphasis on a more global and interactive educational experience rather than a curriculum focused on teaching to take tests. We wanted them to learn how to think and process information rather than to memorize. We also wanted them to have a more global understanding and what it meant to be a member of a global community and interact with a diverse student body. We found that, and more, within GEMS World Academy ~ Chicago. The teachers are among the top of their fields and know how to get the best out of their students. The Field Studies help them engage and interact with the outside world and apply their learnings in real-life settings. Our kids engage with a diverse group of students, parents, and educators. It's exciting to enter their lobby and hear a mixture of different languages spoken at any given time. We're entering our third academic year at GEMS and my kids look forward to going to school every day, something I couldn't say when they were attending their former school.

To know Hackstudio is to love Hackstudio! And that really is the key- to get to know this unique…read moreprogram. SO much more than just a place for kids to 'make things' (although with the amazing facilities that includes a professional looking wood shop, craft supplies, various computer technology and lots of interesting spaces to dream, create and build- there's a great chance your kids will be making some cool stuff) it's more of an incubator for young people to learn how to support and be supported in their own personal paths. Kids are grouped roughly by age, and then work alongside adult mentors who help guide them through their projects or 'quests'. It's a really neat program and our child who is on the timid/shy side has really blossomed in this class that supports her love of creativity and learning while boosting her self esteem. She adores this class and the friends she's made there and can't wait to go every week. I highly recommend- and if you are interested in joining make sure you speak with the staff who can better explain the awesome ideas at play here- it's so much more than just a place to make things! A+++

Hackstudio is one of the coolest after school programs I have ever experienced. In the program,…read morechildren pick their own goal and work through the process to accomplish their own "definition of done." Hackstudio teaches resilience, persistence, and teamwork. My most favorite thing about it is that my child said "Mom, it's a judgment free zone." How amazing to have a creative space with amazing adult mentors who create a supportive environment where children PRACTICE EMPATHY through doing -- not just talking about it. I highly recommend Hackstudio -- we love it!

I saw the ad for this opportunity on Facebook. We attended along with a friend of my son. My son is…read more5.5 and his friend Dominick is 6. Both boys enjoyed the computer work and did not want the session to end. They do birthday parties as well as a monthly membership with one session a week. Parents stayed in a separate room with clear glass so we could watch the kids. After the session ended the boys came out to where the parents were and showed us the games they had built. There was lots of individual attention and there were only three kids in the session. I'm not sure if we will sign up for lessons now because baseball season is beginning but a definite option for the winter when it's cold.

Stopped in because my son is interested to learn coding. The place is amazing. The Elmhurst…read morelocation recently opened. It was nice to see the "teachers" are high school students from the neighborhood and they are able to work with 7-14 yr olds. My son took a 30-minute trial class and we signed up on the spot. My son can't wait to come back.

Northside really is an exceptional place. I was a part of the first class to complete four years in…read morethe high school, and I can say, without a doubt, that Northside had the kind of impact on me that I don't think I could have had elsewhere. The staff at this school is remarkable not only because of their depth of knowledge on various subject, but because of the fresh approach that they take to education and the compassion that they show their students. It was my experience that the teachers at Northside didn't punch out as soon as the bell rang (or the music played). As for the overall environment, this school has always been extremely progressive in it's approach to the arts and it's dedication to pursuing them. The open mics used to be something of legendary quality for Chicago high school students, and that tradition has been carried on by the annual arts festival the school presents. I found myself completely prepared for college, but more importantly, completely prepared to go after the things in life I wanted to explore personally and artistically. Northside always treated me more like a human than a statistic, which is rare in the CPS. If I ever made the mistake of procreating, I'd be sending my kid here.

Northside College Prep is an excellent and rather unusual high school. It's a Chicago public…read moreschool, with selective enrollment. Students must apply, have a great academic record, and score very well on an entrance exam in order to be accepted. All academic classes are taught at the honors or AP level, which provides the challenge needed by motivated students. My daughter is a freshman here, and so far I've been very impressed with the curriculum, faculty, and teaching methods. The schedule resembles that of a university: each academic class meets twice a week. Every Wednesday is dedicated to an alternative learning program called "Colloquium" which gives students an opportunity to sample a variety of subjects. The administration is well organized and supportive of the staff. In addition, there are very strong parent organizations that contribute to the life and health of the school community. If you know of an academically gifted grade school student, I would highly recommend that you consider NCP when evaluating high schools.

I stumbled upon BCR and Miss Beth via the Chicago Public Library's Instagram and have been…read morefollowing her since. She offered a couple of short, in-person classes in February 2024 so I signed up and packed up the kiddo. Beth is kind, enthusiastic, and has a deep love of teaching and literacy that's palpable. My baby was about 7 months when we were going to this class so not super mobile but had fun with the song-singing and stories. I came away with some tips for how to help my daughter become a reader--or even before, to help teach literacy skills in a way that actually help children learn. I'm planning to purchase access to one of her online courses to continue learning the best way to guide my little one through her exploration of language. I also find the Instagram helpful for reinforcing best practices and educational content for me as a parent.

What a great group, can not say enough about the weekly virtual class with Ms Beth. Our daughter…read morelooks forward to class each week, even started to pull her tea set out while the stories are read. A full 30 min of reading, songs and stories made for a nice appointment during the week. Not only do the little ones benefit but they host a weekly parent night at 8 pm where the teachers go over tips for building good readers and language development. Take a look at the offerings they carry, there is bound to be something for your little reader.