I came here for a Health Literacy workshop and it was a wonderful experience. Their instructor,…read moreSharon Allen, was wonderful and she was able to keep us all focused, but also taught us a few valuable skills that we can take to our workplace. The classroom was large and even from the back, you could see the videos and powerpoint presentations. Lunch was also provided. In addition, the center also provided free books (on random topics). I really enjoyed taking a class here, and I hope to take another class in the future. These are the services they provide: 1. Adult students who want to find free classes in reading, writing, and speaking English or information on getting their GED 2. Literacy instructors who want to become more effective teachers Program managers who want to build a stronger literacy program 3. Parents who want to help their children become better learners 4. Policymakers who need information from the literacy field to inform their decisions 5. All New Yorkers who want to participate in building a more vibrant, prosperous community

Claire's writing workshop is incredible. She really helps me get my creative juices flowing in a…read morefun informal class. Great if you are working on a book, a writing project or just want to tap into your writing potential and creativity. Looking forward to them starting up again. Claire makes writing fun!

Claire is a fantastic teacher for writers at any level. I'm consistently impressed by her ability…read moreto come up with new ways of thinking about any piece of writing I show her. She's also wonderful at coming up with exercises to practice particular writing skills or engage with different aspects of the writing process. I'm not usually into exercises, so I've been really surprised how inspired I've been by ideas that have come to me through processes she's suggested. Personally, she's a warm, unintimidating, and extremely engaging teacher. Highly recommended!

Maria is an excellent teacher. I highly recommend taking her one on one class. She is…read moreknowledgeable, has great patience and is very kind. He knows this program. I highly recommend taking her class.

I am in marketing and use Photoshop almost every day for work, I used to struggle with everything,…read moreespecially being an amateur photographer, I used to have a hard time keeping the integrity of my work intact. Well, a friend recommended Maria Ferrari's Photoshop class and wow- I learned so much in those few days. The best part is Maria is so knowledgeable (its kind of like she wrote the software) that she answered all of my questions and gave me quick tip cheat sheets that I keep handy. I am now the Photoshop "know-it-all" in my office and everyone is thinkin' I'm an expert- loving it!

I think our first safari was "Iconic New York", which was not only instructive but also fun-- and…read morewe came home with a stunning number of wonderful images. Prior to that we'd been on other photo trips with noted photographers like Ken Rockwell, but NYC Photo Safari offered much more detailed "hands-on" instruction and feedback about our shots. It was a very fulfilling experience and after three hours we had more great shots than we ever got during three days of shooting elsewhere. Since then we've gone on almost all of the safaris; e.g., Iconic NY Parts 1&2, Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park and Composition Boot Camp. The pictures we captured were good enough that we've printed and sold many of them. Another interesting aspect of these tours is that they attract interesting people from all over the world. A few months ago we completed a recent nighttime 3-1/2 Bridges Tour that involved taking just about every mode of transit NYC has to offer. Again it was a superb time and yielded a bevy of presentation-quality, marketable images.

On September 15th,16th and 17th 2017 I was fortunate to have attended Manhattan Photo Boot Camp - 3…read morefull day session. Each day, the photo sessions started at 12:30 pm and ended approximately 10:30 pm each evening touring every part of Manhattan in every direction. It sounds like alot but each day just flew by. The instructors were incredibly professional and patient. They imparted their vast photographic knowledge, taking their time to explain the composition and reason/purpose of each shot. It was a lot of information and I definitely grow as a photographer. I want give big thank you Zim, who took her time to answer all of my question not matter how insignificant. She help me "think outside the box" to examine some of my preconceived ideas and in a new light (no pun intended...not). Thank you, Thank you Zim for opening eyes and ears and to new ideas and images. Your generosity and support was very much appreciated. Anyone who is thinking of taking a 3 hours or 3 day session with NYC Photo Safari, you will not be disappointed. Enjoy !!!

The boyfriend was deeply interested in learning how to increase his reading speed, so when we saw a…read moregroupon for Iris Reading, we snatched it up and scheduled ourselves for the next available class. I should've known I was in trouble when the instructor's first and feeble words were, "Um, so, um, we are going to, um lounch (did she say lunch? lounge? Oh...launch) this session to, um, make you read faster." If I had a penny for every time she inserted a conversation halter into her lecture, I could've won back all the money I paid for this session and spent it on something better. If it sounds harsh, let me continue. She wielded the class with all the authority of a good substitute teacher at best, often trying to incorporate analogies that only confused us more. As one of (too) many examples, she was trying to expound the importance of improvement through practice, and her brilliant comparison was (and I'm quoting verbatim because I actually took this down in my notes, it was so incredulous): "When you play basketball, for instance, to get good, you have to first learn to...um....what's that called...?" "Dribble?" a helpful voice supplied from the audience. "No, not that," she replies thoughtfully. "Put the ball in the basket?" suggests my bemused boyfriend, the basketball player. "Nono," she says with confirmation in her eyes. "When you want to get good, you have to learn to play...is it called defense? Or is it OH-fence? You have to learn to do that." (awkward silence ensues, looks of befuddlement exchanged around the room) Later in the session, when we finished a drill and she asked us to calculate our speed in words per MINUTE, one of my classmates confusedly asked, "Wait, shouldn't we divide our speed by 2 since this was a 2-minute drill?" Her response was a resounding but utterly perplexing, 'No! Because the number of lines is the same! And then you divide the lines by the number of words. Or, no, multiply, I think." She then proceeded to have a gentle argument with him about why he was wrong when the light must've suddenly gone off in her head. She sheepishly agreed with him and chuckled awkwardly while admitting, "Math isn't my strongest point. I went to law school!" What was she trying to say? That common sense isn't a prerequisite for law students? There might have been a few people who applied their best efforts for the full duration of the five hour class, but they are those with either superhuman interest in speed reading (to the point where they could overlook our instructor's lack of knowledge about basketball, and math, and...speed reading) or a love for bumbling, rambling adjuncts. The rest of our class became increasingly inattentive as the session progressed, especially after she fended off most questions by referring to some nebulous "later on in the session" moment, when everything would come together and make sense for us. Yeah, we're still waiting for that. In spite of it all, I gave the class two stars because by the end of it, many of us were surprised to find that the applied strategies did actually improve our reading speed (albeit at the precious cost of comprehension, which is an impossible sacrifice in my opinion), and there were pockets of time throughout the session when we learned something of actual interest. Ultimately, I was dismayed to find such discrepancy between my experience and those of other yelpers, and could only chalk it up to the fact that everyone else seemed to have taken the class with Paul Nowak, the brains behind the program, while I took it with one of his (seemingly) C-students. I would've loved to have taken the class with Paul instead, but there's unfortunately no way of knowing who will be assigned to teach the class. It's like a game of roulette, and I had a bad spin. The content itself is sound, and the strategies work, but the vehicle through which that knowledge was conferred needed some serious improvement (maybe she needs to work on her...um...defense? OH-fence?).

I just took the Iris Speed Reading workshop in NYC, having been referred to it through some…read morebrowsing online, and my experience was quite positive. The 5-hour class (10:00am-3:00pm) was structured in this basic way: 1. Background on speed reading: what exactly does Iris mean by "Speed Reading"? What are the 3 dimensions of reading and how can we improve on each? 2. Evaluations: what is your current reading speed when reading material of average "range" (material of average complexity)? 3. Drills: a variety of drills that help to increase reading speed primarily by helping us unlearn the 3 Bad Habits of reading. 4. Mind Mapping and Multiple Reading Process (MRP): how to use mind mapping to improve your understanding of a given text, and how to use MRP for any structured, non-fiction text to maximize gains. Our facilitator, Todd L., was friendly, fun, and knowledgeable, keeping us engaged us in the material. Our class of 12 (including myself and excluding our instructor) included people from a variety of industries and locations, but our common theme was that each of us had sought out Iris Reading because we believed reading faster would be of great benefit to our careers and lives in general. My takeaways in terms of what is necessary to continue improving reading speed are: to spend around 15 minutes every other day doing 2 of the drills we were taught, and to put these speed reading concepts into practice as often as possible. I've provided 5 stars for this review because I believe what we've been taught is very valuable--but I feel compelled to add a reminder: that speed reading is a skill that must be practiced. I believe this class will benefit people who are interested in improving how they read, and who are willing to invest the time outside of this class to improve or maintain their reading skills.

Amazing absolutely amazing place for young students. I am an English teacher and I have a student…read moreof low income. My school sponsored him, and Artura taught him so much and perfected his sketching, shading, and charcoal skills. Wonderful school I would suggest it for absolutely anyone. And they really do care because I was kept updated on my students progress while he was in the program.

I work here so my review might be a bit biased, but Penumbra is amazing! You can get your tintype…read moreportrait taken (although expensive, I highly recommend, it's a beautiful process). There are two gallery spaces and always something showing in them. There is also Highlight Studios on the 4th floor which is one of the very few studios with a skylight (beautiful natural light). They also have alternative processes/photography classes that you can take and a beautiful rare books library. If you want to visit you must make an appoinement, you can't just show up.

I have taken several classes at the Penumbra Foundation and I'm always pleased with the results and…read morethe professionalism of the Staff there. It's always a great learning experience as it relates to various forms and mediums of Photographic Art.

Mikelle from 383 Design was a great find to help me get back in to my flat sketching. She is a…read moregreat teacher who is inspiring and very knowledgeable about the process and business. She made me feel confident and assured that I can succeed. But mostly she help me understand the program and have fun doing it.!!! I can't wait for the next class!!! If you get a chance to take her class, please do so!!!

Mikelle from 383 Design Studio is an absolute gem…read more I took a private, online course with her because I figured why would I pay a CAD Studio $175 per project when I could learn how to do it myself, from 383DS for $50 an hour? As the saying goes: "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for life." Well Mikelle taught this lady how to fish. I think it helps to know that I know the basics of Photoshop and next to nothing about Illustrator and she was still of immense help to me in guiding me through the work I needed to accomplish. Not everyone who knows something can excel at teaching it but Mikelle is excellent. I would not hesitate to use 383 Design in the future.