I love making things with my hands; I love the sense of accomplishment it gives me. My grandmother…read moretook up upholstery in her 70's and made some beautiful pieces, one of which I inherited. The fabric on the piece isn't really my style and I decided that if it was going to be re-done, I wanted to be the one to do it. There aren't many places to learn upholstery. I am lucky to live a few blocks from the shop; my classmates weren't so lucky, they all lived at least 20 miles away. I wasn't sure what to expect with the beginner's class, so it's worth noting that in the beginner class you most likely won't work on an actual piece of furniture.* What you will do is complete four projects that give you the skills to move on to actual furniture. The class is very hands on, you will thread a machine and start sewing in your first class. There are no prerequisites for this class; half of us hadn't used a sewing machine before. Owning a garment machine, there were a few things that took getting used on upholstery machines. There are two instructors; Jeff, the owner, taught my class and one of his staff taught the other. I can't speak to the other teacher's style, but Jeff is very laid back and a firm believer of learning by doing. Jeff is very generous with his time, knowledge, tools and materials; many students don't finish all of the projects in the allotted class time, but you're welcome to come back and finish after your session is complete (provided there's room). You're always your harshest critic, but I was so flattered when the manfriend thought my final project was something I had bought. I really loved this class and can't wait to start the intermediate class. The intermediate is like an independent study, you bring the piece you want to work on. If you've meandered by and seen the work in the window on Lincoln, those are student pieces. * One project is a bar stool cover. If you've got a piece to work on, you can use it. TIP: There's a lot of close work in the class and it's easy to get into a groove. Wear comfortable clothes you wouldn't mind getting dirty and bring your glasses, water and a snack.

I just took the "Beginners' Upholstery Class" with Jeff Kraut and LOVED it!…read more The class covers upholstery techniques that can be applied to automotive upholstery, furniture upholstery, and bag making. It is taught on industrial sewing machines (no previous sewing experience necessary). I already knew basic sewing and I definitely picked up lots of new tricks/techniques. Some of the topics we covered: * setting up the machines and basic sewing. * quilted stitching on vinyl (like on the back of a car seat or stuffed chair) * adding piping trim * zipper installation and sewing a small case * stapling construction and making a panel (like recovering a chair seat or a car side panel) * beginning pattern making and making a seat cushion Projects might vary a little from class to class. I've posted photos of my work. The class was Mon & Wed, 7-9pm for 5 weeks. It's located just down the street from Trader Joe's on Lincoln. Easy parking & near the El. You can get more info from Jeff at canvasboss@yahoo.com. I'm looking forward to the advanced class!

The Real Estate Institute has been an excellent resource for my continuing education. The entire…read moreexperience was professional from start to finish -- clear course instructions, well-structured material, and an easy-to-navigate system. I also appreciated how responsive and helpful their team was whenever I needed assistance. It made the CE process smooth and stress-free. I would absolutely recommend them to any real estate professional looking for reliable and high-quality continuing education. FIVE STARS

I attended the two days leasing Agent Course at the Chicago Real Estate Institute for two days…read moreleasing agent course, it was great experience. The admissions process was smooth, easy and helpful. The staff was professional throughout. Anais Fowler, the instructor, was extremely knowledgeable and did a fantastic job teaching the course. She made the material easy to understand and engaging. I highly recommend. Thank you!

My uncle lives in a house that he nearly single handedly built himself in the woods of Vermont…read more It's sturdy, beautiful, and expertly crafted. So I thought, "surely I must have some of this handiness in my previously totally non-handy self." But before I plunked down thousands of dollars for lathes, circular saws and other manly machines you can buy at Home Depot, I thought I'd test the waters with a woodworking class. Finding one in Chicago proved harder than expected until one say I saw a flyer at a local coffee shop advertising Woodsmyths. It sounded like exactly what I'd been looking for: hands on, experience with a variety of common woodworking tools, and a mix of instruction and projects. The class started out fine enough: there were about 10 people, we read some handouts, received some brief instructions, then got down to business. I liked that we'd get to work on things ourselves that we'd then take home to keep, but the instruction left a lot to be desired. The teacher is a bit eccentric and seemed more concerned that everyone finished their projects than whether they actually learned anything. I felt rushed, didn't feel encouraged to ask questions and when I did, the instructor often just fixed my problem for me instead of showing me how to do it. After 10 weeks and $350, I had three items I'd crafted mostly myself: a toolbox, a simple bookshelf and a storage box-style end table. The last of these I really liked and still have, the others didn't survive my most recent apartment move. And disappointingly, I don't feel like I really learned all that much. The teacher was a stickler for safety (a good thing), so I feel mostly comfortable operating woodworking machines. But I don't feel like I know better now than I did before the class what to do with them. I know Woodsmyths also offers a more advanced class that people seem to take, so maybe others had better experiences that I. So if you can't find any other woodworking class options, it may be worth giving this one a go. But don't expect to be anywhere but a tiny step closer to building your own cozy bungalow in the New England woods.

Anyone who is taking this furniture making class is probably not looking to start a career as…read morewoodworker. I signed up for the the class to scratch my wood working itch to see if it might turn into a cool new hobby. I was hoping to learn some things about building furniture and seeing if it was something I want to explore further. The intro class is a 10 week program and I made it to week 5 before throwing in the towel. Neil has no business teaching anything. The guy has a major anger and control problem. The class is run from a converted garage behind his house and he doesn't have enough tools to accommodate everybody in the class. Space is tight. Which is manageable and means we had to take turns and learn to work as a group so we all didn't need the same tools at the same time. Not a big deal. However he made it a huge deal. He micromanaged everything to the point of driving quite a few of us insane. He's like the Anal Retentive Carpenter on an angry coke binge. By week 3, he didn't know any of the names of us dudes in the class yet he knew all of he names of the women in the class. Why? Because he was routinely hitting on them in pathetic ways. And probably burning mental images of them into his brain for lonely nights at home when his internet connection goes out. Week 1: The completely useless and extremely painful safety lecture. He talked for 3 hours about: really nothing. He told drinking stories and babbled about nothing that really had to do with safety. Captain Obvious. There wasn't much useful safety content. It was painful to sit through. I assume he doesn't lead by example since he violated all of his own safety rules routinely. Week 2-4: We started on a shelf project. Most of the components were precut and the bulk of experience was sanding things with an orbital sander and drilling screws. Think graduate level Ikea assembly. During the drilling part, he handed out a bunch of phillips driver bits that are used in drills. These are $.99 pieces. He handed out five of them and when we were cleaning up, we could only find four of the five. He went on a tirade that we weren't respecting his tools and had all 7 of us crawl around on the floor for 20 minutes looking for it. We never found it. Neil found it later - in his own pocket when he was doing laundry. When anyone asked questions about anything, he would get really agitated. Like we were dumb dumbs for not knowing wood is sold in 1/4 lengths. Duh. The following week, we were measuring pieces for our shelf project using a tape measure. We had a tape measure we were sharing among the group. Neil walked by our work bench and asked who was using the tape measure. None of us responded because none of us were using it. He went insane. He started yelling and screaming about keeping the work area clean. He started cussing like a scene from The Exorcist, opened the door to the shop and then chucked the tape measure out into the street. This is the same guy who the previous week gave a lecture about respecting the tools and had us crawling around on the floor for a $.99 piece. The guy has no business teaching. There are plenty of other good working schools in the city where you can learn the skills of a potentially very rewarding hobby.

Started off as a single mom of 4 with a dream of becoming a nurse with NO IDEA of how to start…read more Then one day I ran across CCLC and 1 phone call with Mr.Shannon my life changed. He listened and reinsured me that I was in the right place. Within a month I was enrolled and starting school, within a year I was completely certified as a patient care technician. I finished school oct and was fully hired into rush hospital in Nov. CCLC has changed everything for me I will forever hold a special place in my heart for the staff, the teachers and the facilities that allowed us to do clinical. I would tell ANYBODY thats looking to become a Cna or a nurse and dont know where to start, start at CCLC you won't regret it. Oh yeah tell them Markeda sent you

From the owner: "The Chicago Community Learning Center cares for our students and create an educational environment…read morethat facilitates strong educational outcomes. Indeed we claim your dreams, goals, and challenges as our own. Regardless of your personal education and career goals, you can count on the caring faculty and staff at CCLC. The Chicago Community Learning Center strives to offer career-oriented and certified training in a variety of areas with a focus on healthcare disciplines."

What a wonderful organization and creative community! I…read morediscovered this organization at the Printer's Row Lit Fest, and a friend recommended it too, and I am thrilled to know about this place! I attended an information session today and everyone was so kind and welcoming. They also provided an incredible food spread. The space is very warm and inviting. Really positive atmosphere. It was a lovely two hour event, which included socializing, an ice breaker, a writing exercise, and a Q&A. They offer a wide variety of classes, workshops, fellowships, and free events too. Lots of ways to become involved and find your writing community. I look forward to participating more in the future.

As a new author eager to grow within Chicago's literary community, I volunteered with StoryStudio…read morein December to give back to a space I truly admired and to earn class credit through their Work/Study program. I believed I was joining a reputable, nurturing organization for writers. Unfortunately, what began as an act of goodwill became one of the most disappointing experiences I've had with any arts organization. Despite showing up, completing my shift, and following up multiple times in good faith, my volunteer credit was never honored until I had to chase it down months later. Worse, after being told I'd be contacted for future opportunities, I was met with total silence--no returned calls, no responses to emails. Then, seeing new volunteer positions advertised publicly while I was still waiting for even a basic reply was frankly demoralizing. To make matters worse, when I finally did receive a response, it included vague recollections and misplaced blame about my punctuality--something that had already been cleared and verified by their own staff as a harmless scheduling miscommunication caused by conflicting information from the studio itself. Instead of accountability or an apology, I received an impersonal brush-off and a polite "we're all staffed up." As a writer and volunteer who genuinely believed in StoryStudio's mission, I expected better--basic professionalism, follow-through, and respect for the people who donate their time to keep the organization running. What I encountered instead was disorganization, poor communication, and a disappointing disregard for volunteers who aren't part of the inner circle. For new writers looking for a supportive creative home, I'd urge caution. Writers deserve better than to be ghosted by the very spaces that claim to nurture them.

I graduated from Players Workshop in Summer 2001…read more As a stage and film actor, I find the training provided at PW extremely useful and inspiring. Thank you, instructors Steve Roath and Jeff!

If making choices in life are a challenge in any aspect of life or career, this program is for you!…read morePlayers Workshop will help to fine tune your ability to access your internal creative core. Once you have started unlocking and breaking down your fears and barriers, your ability to give presentations, engage in conversation and perform in life are at a renewed and heightened level. This program is great for developing teamwork skills and being able to trust your inner self.

Tchad is fantastic. He took the thoughts in my head and he turned him into reality and made this…read morebeautiful pillow for me. I'm now paralyzed in a wheelchair and it's been the best thing I've ever had because it cradles my neck and keeps my head steady, even when my headrest doesn't. It's grateful for travel as well. This man knows his stuff and is the absolute best

tchad is the best! if you are looking for a sewing community where you can work on any project with…read moreexpert help, Tchad is the place to go

This school is amazing and so much fun. Signing up for classes gives you amazing access to teachers…read morethat really have so much experience and knowledge and all of them have been great. I recently took the lasted shoe making class with Ray Serna and he is truly an expert in shoe design and production and I would recommend it to everyone! Look at the shoes I made!

Ray was a great teacher and he is very focused and knowledgeable. He is quick and experienced. He…read morewas so nice too and made it a memorable memory for us. I got to put my favorite beloved cat Happy on my bag. We enjoyed this class and we made either a belt or handbag for $50. You do everything yourself and they provide all the materials. It's an excellent class and so personalized and fun.

Highly recommend Central Driving Academy. I am surprised to read the older reviews . Something has…read morechanged for the better! Some of the best money I've ever spent! My teen started with CDA summer 2020. Yes, the school faced some challenges with constantly changing direction from the government due to COVID, but they did the best they could and were always super pleasant to work with. With remote learning, I wasn't sure what the high school would be able to accomplish, and wanted my teen to get her license as soon as possible once she was 16. At first I hesitated ...why pay for private lessons when public education will provide the same thing for free? But trust me, its NOT the same thing! My daughter loved going to these lessons, both the classroom and behind the wheel. She adored Bry and Alexa. Their dedication to coaching teenagers into becoming responsible and reliable drivers is always present. She passed the written test with flying colors, and was even able to take the behind the wheel exam here with Alexa as opposed to doing it at the DMV with a stranger. She got her license yesterday and the reaction she got from the teachers at Central Driving Academy made me want to share it with you all (see photo). If you have a teenager who wants to learn how to drive, without hesitation, I encourage you to enroll them here!!

All 3 of my kids worked with Central Driving Academy to get their drivers license. They were…read morehonestly amazing in every way. They are extremely organized, responsive, very personable, they will do what they can to accommodate to their students schedules, and most importantly, they are all incredible instructors. If they feel a child needs more support, they will ensure they receive it. I highly recommend this Academy! My kids all had a wonderful experience. It was an absolute pleasure working with them!

Been fighting myself either to take a CNA class or just take my nclex exam but taking the CNA class…read morewith our very humble Clinical Instructor Ms Candice has been the best decision I made in my nursing career. She's an experienced nurse and doesn't hesitate to share the good and bad side to mold us in this career. She teaches so much more than the text book and thats what makes her so unique.She also teaches us in a way that makes it easy to understand the material. I have gained so much knowledge within this short period of time. I'll definitely recommend the school and all. Thank you Ms Candice

I went through this top notch program a few years ago when my Dad suffered a debilitating stroke…read more Completely prepared me for the home health environment. Their holistic approach equips you with the know how as well enabling you with the professional compasion to provide exemplary patient care. Their program gave me the credentials needed to land a great job at a physical rehabilitation hospital even though I lacked clinical experience. The program also gave me a complete foundation to build toward an RN-BSN. I would highly recommend the program at Career Training Center of Chicago. It's afforadble - with flexible payment options. It's a concise, concentrated program that will get you quickly into the medical field. It's in depth, high quality, and comprehensive which will put you a cut above other CNAs. And it provides a great foundation to build from if you wish to pursue nursing or other allied health fields. They easily earn 5 stars.