I took a class here as a teenager and it was top notch! I have talked to many students who have…read moretalked classes here recently, and you know what, they can't speak highly enough about it! Yes, the rumors are true! It's just as good now as it was 45 years ago! Hats off to all the great teachers for encouraging all the students from around the world (yes, I knew a young woman from Italy who attended classes back in 2005!). A big standing ovation to all the teachers keeping this great institution world class all these decades later! You are the greatest!

Continuing Ed "intro" courses are not worth it. Don't bother unless you've already mastered the…read morebasics elsewhere because you will not be taught any techniques here.

I am a current parent of a 3rd grader and a 5th grader. My kids both started here in kindergarten…read more A couple of years ago we switched my oldest to another school, Skinner West, but we brought her back to Franklin this year. We realized during that two years that there is so much that is truly unique and special about this school, and that the environment here cannot be beat. We just love this school. It had a principal change in 2015, and while that can be scary to parents it has been a wonderful experience. The teachers are caring and collaborative, the education is deep and differentiated, and the administration keeps everything moving safely and strongly. The principal and assistant principal are truly advocates for the teachers and staff, as well as the children and families. This makes the learning environment feel like a natural partnership, with everyone doing their parts in a well-oiled machine. The Friends of Franklin, a fundraising not-for-profit group, raises enough money to pay for kindergarten and early primary grade aides, as well as much needed infrastructure to keep the school competitive in these rapidly changing times. This year's addition of Promethium boards shows how much this small school's parent groups work together to ensure their children's' education is prioritized above all. This school has strong teachers, administrators and families. We truly "won" the CPS lottery when our kids were offered spots here.

This school is very good. I highly recommend sending your boys here. I think this would be a good…read morechance of give your children are new learning place. We would love some dread heads,curly heads, and many more. They teachers here are so nice. I hope you guys send your kids her because I surly did

My daughter loved she made new friends and she learned about her culture even more then she knew…read more My daughter was worried about ice but the teachers and security made her feel safe she loves marwen and we will come back .

For years I've passed Marwen by train or bus on my way to/from the Loop. For years I wondered what…read moreMarwen was, but was never curious enough (read too lazy) to find out. At some point I decided that Marwen must be the corporate headquarters of some outdoorsy clothing brand because the name reminded me of Erehwon, the mountain outfitter. Well, mountain outfitter it's not; this is what Marwen is all about (from their website): "Marwen was founded to provide Chicago's youth with stimulating and diverse opportunities to channel their adolescent energy into personally rewarding and developmentally appropriate outlets. Chicago is a city rich in history, architecture, art, and culture, and it is Marwen's intent to leverage these resources, providing our students with an out-of-school program that provides access to opportunity, while remaining highly relevant to their individual and collective experiences." The fabulous Kelly S told me about "Show Me Marwen" which gave me a chance to check the place out, for free to boot! The event was really cool, but a little crowded. I liked that they asked attendees to not only wear name tags, but add color-coded stickers to show how they were affiliated with Marwen (student, alumni, parent, friend, etc.), it really gave it a community feel. The alumni and student artwork on display was amazing and ranged from photographs to paintings to pottery to claymation videos. I was in awe of all of the creativity in the room. The only downside was that when I left Marwen I felt about as creative as a cucumber.

No strings attached, no questions asked. Come in, pay 15 bucks and you get 3 hours with a…read moreprofessional model, good light and very nice atmosphere. You can bring any type of tools you want, have any skill level and do whatever you want; as far as unstructured figure drawing sessions it doesn't get better than this. The place provides benches but no tools so make sure you bring your own. Also be ready to be impressed by the very good artists that practice here. If you want you can also take a lesson but those cost more and are on tuesday and thursday I believe.

This is the best drawing class I've ever attended. The instructor is extremely thorough and…read morehelpful. If you want to improve your artistic abilities you need to take classes here.

School made false promises to help find work. Never helped. Pushed Sallie Mae on students for…read moreloans. Only leave you in a great deal of debt. Worked hard in hand with banks taking advantage of young people with big dreams.

If you are thinking about going here don't. I will tell right now it is absolutely not worth it. I…read morewent here for both my freshman and sophomore year and even though I will no longer be attending I will say I learned a lot and I had great experiences with a lot of the faculty and staff here. As of now you can't even have a similar experience to what I and others had. Because of the school's poor conditions and horibble management most of those staff and faculty have left or are in the process of leaving. They are losing faculty that have been there for several decades because of how little they actually care for there faculty and students. The management and maintenance for this school is in shambles. I know of many students, including myself that have been screwed by the school because of its poor organization and communication. The other reviews complaining about the cockroaches are absolutely correct. The miniscule two floors that this school bairly takes up are filthy. The old man that runs the place is too cheep and greedy to pay for custodians clean. The bathrooms were not properly maintained and the ones on the second floor smelled like raw sewage. The floors everywhere were visibly dirty and the student stairwell smelled like urine and nothing was ever cleaned. If you suffer from mental illness or need to work and attend classes at the same time they do not care. They don't have the resources to help you if you are struggling and their classes are too demanding and make it impossible to balance work and school efficiently. It's a shame what this school has become and the worst part is the people that run this place don't care. I truly hope this place gets what it has coming and shuts down.

Lillstreet Art Center is a magical place, it has a little bit of everything!…read more I've taken everything from pottery classes to jewelry workshops to textile classes here. They really have a wide selection and great time options in the evenings for those who work 9-5. 12 years later I still use the garlic grater I made in a sculpting class. Prices are expected, but reasonable for what you get. Teachers are awesome and work with you to help you learn, even if working with clay isn't your thing (I learned quickly it wasn't my thing). But it's still fun to try something new! In the heart of Ravenswood easily accessible by the el, and they do have parking if you drive. Definitely check out this gem if you haven't yet.

Have taken a class there! Recently I donated some like new sewing books and a big box of sewing…read moresundries, They accepted them right away. Most places said no. Hundreds of dollars of books and sewing material. I hope they put them to good use

"This place changed my (son's/daughter's) life"…read more This is the single most common quote I've heard the past three years as a parent of a Senior and Junior dancer at The Academy. Both my daughters have said this, many parents have said this to me and recently, a returning academy alumni who now writes for Gwen Stefani, Selena Gomez, and Justin Bieber said The Academy saved him. The environment, academically and through the arts is extremely challenging and difficult for both daughters to a point to where I wonder at times if it's too much. But then as we complete the school year and reflect on their growth, accomplishments and the connections they've made, it feels very much like a place like no other in preparing them for a demanding future. The most important thing you can do is get out to a performance where you may conclude as many do, that it seems impossible these are only high school students. Then visit the school itself where you'll see how accepting and diverse the culture is which seems to enrich and nurture our children in ways high school never did for the majority of us.

My daughter goes to art classes here and it's a wonderful experience. So glad we found this through…read morefriends.... It's an actual Chicago high school, yay glad we found it!!

I have been going to the Mosaic School since January 2025 and have taken 3 classes. The teachers…read moreare great, the atmosphere is welcoming, and I tell all of my friends and family about this place! Nowhere else in the U.S. is there an art school that has such a focus on mosaics. I've learned so much -- they provide the materials and the expertise. I've met some really wonderful people and friends and am already signed up for their stained glass class in September!

Just spent the most amazing weekend at the Chicago Mosaic School. I traveled over 500 miles to get…read morethere and it was well worth my time and effort. I felt the atmosphere to be warm and accepting, accommodating those with little experience and those who spend their lives being creative. It was a perfect balance of informational, historical and hands on Glass work. All my questions were thoroughly answered and I left feeling inspired and eager to utilize what I learned. I would recommend this school to any and all. An added bonus is the eclectic neighborhood, warm and charming teacher, Lydia, inclusive atmosphere and creative vibe that persisted throughout the class.