My son does 8-12 weeks of summer camps every summer as he is a homeschooler. He says this is the…read morebest academic camp he has ever attended. He attended this camp at UCLA. He liked that there were many people who lived nearby attending. (At many academic camps it is almost all international students.) He thought the quality of instruction was high, the best he has encountered at an academic camp especially in Mock Trial. He liked that most of the students attending actually wanted to be at the camp. He thought the camp director was amazing. He appreciated that there was more supervision of kids on their devices than there has been at other camps, but he still thinks there could be more. (It's no fun to be in a class with kids who are secretly gaming rather than engaging in class. It's also no fun to be at a camp when you want to make new friends but everyone spends every minute of their break on their phone.) As a parent, I was impressed with the level of communication provided by the camp. They responded immediately to every issue I had. It was not hard to get ahold of camp directors. As someone who attended a private university, I was shocked at the UCLA facilities. Classrooms were ... basically hallways in dorms. They were hot and not air conditioned. My son did not have a problem with this, but I was pretty surprised. This is a fairly expensive program as far as summer camps go. They could not rent actual classrooms? No idea if this is a fault of the program or of UCLA. My son also did SIG at UCLA and facilities were the same, so I assume this is a UCLA thing. Like I said, my son did not complain about this.

My daughter just completed the Cardiology Camp at Stanford, and I cannot speak highly enough of the…read moreexperience. The instructors and camp leaders were exceptional. They created a welcoming, supportive environment where the kids felt comfortable, connected, and truly bonded with one another. Thanks to this camp, my daughter has gained so much confidence. She made amazing friends and came home at the end of the week excited to share what she learned. A special thank you to Emily, who is incredibly kind and quick to respond to any questions. Dr. D was an inspiring teacher--knowledgeable, patient, and truly engaging with the students. And Julian made a lasting impression by remembering the kids' names from the very beginning and being consistently warm and friendly. Thank you so much to the entire team at Education Unlimited for such a meaningful and memorable experience!

I began individual virtual lessons with PLA to learn Tagalog. I have been on the search for…read moreeffective Tagalog learning methods for years, and it took me long enough to decide that individual tutoring may be the only way for me to make progress. PLA's Tagalog tutor Joy is definitely one of the best things to have happened in my Tagalog learning journey. She has extensive experience with educating military personnel, and our focus together has been on conversational fluency. Her lessons are thoroughly challenging and she breaks down grammar concepts in a visual and understandable way. I have also seen her go more slowly for students at a more beginner level. While I still make constant errors, I can feel my progress growing in such a way I could have only hoped for before these lessons. I cannot really speak for any other language classes, but this remains one of the only local Tagalog learning sources in the Bay Area and I am very grateful to have found it! I will keep my eye out for more advanced group classes, as it seems like the academy is consistently expanding their class offerings.

I have been taking Italian language and literature classes with Polyglottist Language Academy off…read moreand on since 2017. I initially started taking classes because I had planned a trip to Italy for the summer, but after my trip I was motivated to continue. I have since returned to Italy 2 more times. I've taken Italian classes with several instructors including but not limited to Sole, Valerie, Cinzia, Oscar, and Francesca. I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every class. The instructors are knowledgeable, patient, and eager to create a positive and enriching learning environment. Olga has been even more accommodating in light of the difficulties that arose with COVID-19 social distancing protocols, even allowing classes to take place on Zoom. I would 100% recommend taking classes with this academy!

We are so happy we chose Juliane at Music Connects to work with our 4-year-old son. Over just 7…read moremonths, he went from having a severe stress response at the prospect of starting preschool to being relaxed and confident being dropped off. He has absolutely gained coping skills and self-esteem, and returned to his former easy-going nature. We were also impressed at the breadth of his experience with Juliane -- not just music, but also stories, play therapy, and art; timed when he was ready and/or in response to our wishes and concerns. We are extremely grateful to have found Juliane. (I am also grateful that ending therapy has been easy -- he still speaks of Juliane fondly but he accepts that his "music time" has ended.)

From the owner: Music Connects provides music therapy sessions to children, youth and their families dealing with…read moreemotional, social and behavioral challenges resulting from trauma,grief and loss, LD's, ADHD, Aspergers Syndrome using music, art an play. It's an effective and swift treatment modality based on a therapeutic relationship with highly motivating, creative and enjoyable experiences which are easy for children and youth to engage in. Music Connects also offers drumming groups and social skills groups. The therapeutic use of music becomes the base of building trust, building strengths and expressing non-verbally what might be difficult to say in words and leads to coping skills and an increase of self-esteem. Some services include: bi-weekly drum circles for adults,a weekly Mom& Me music group and voice lessons. Every service is delivered by a masters trained, board certified music therapist, NY-State licensed creative artstherapist ,certified drum circle facilitator and trained vocalist

My 11 year old son "hates" writing... unfortunately he wasn't getting enough guidance and…read moreinstruction at school and so I enrolled him in this BAWP weekly program for kids in Berkeley. It was a 10 week course, 2 hours per week. At first, he was very grumpy with the concept and angry at me for enrolling him. After two weeks, however, I witnessed an amazing transformation. His confidence in his writing increased exponentially and his enthusiasm for writing followed suit. He actually said he enjoyed the program and the various writing exercises and games they used to help each child expand their abilities. The group used many different tactics to draw the student's' interest and encourage creativity. One week the group walked to a nearby museum and were asked to write about a piece of art that inspired them. They also took a walking tour the neighborhood to find inspiration for stories and poems. I can't say enough good things about this program and the Berkeley instructors. For "graduation" each child was asked to read an excerpt of their work for parents and friends. It was amazing! The instructors were kind, enthusiastic and incredibly talented teachers. Both were life-long writers and both clearly loved to work with young people. Overall, it was an incredibly positive experience and I will be looking for more camps and programs from BAWP in the future.

BAWP San Ramon Staff is kind. The high school campus is nice and safe for kids…read more However, this is NOT an enrichment program for kids, it is just a summer kid fun, 3-hour daycare. They group 3 levels "6+7+8" into groups in the library; the higher levels actually gain nothing during the 3 weeks, just "poem and craft book". The tuition is $500 plus $50 registration fee. On the first day of school this year, a teacher asked all parents if any students here today attended last summer BAWP program? Absolutely NO one showed hand! Thank you.

Stir-Fry Seminars & Consulting is an awesome place! Rainbow and Lee Mun Wah are phenomenal…read morefacilitators. They are direct and gentle, real and kind. They dispel the European narrative which centers White-ness as the crux of American culture and create/hold space for folks of color to share their experiences, while also creating the conditions for White folks and White appearing folks to delve into the driving forces behind their projections of privilege. The basis of the framework is creating understanding through mindful facilitation, so that people may build true community with one another. Lee Mun Wah and Rainbow work seamlessly to interweave people's varying understanding of differences, with peoples experiences, acknowledging each and every person who shares and building bridges between their differences by sharing mindful inquiry models, personal experiences, and interactive activities with participants. Their style of facilitation is needed ALL OVER! It is truly life changing, eye opening, and essential to examining true diversity and its tangible applications which are all too often left to rhetoric. If you are looking to build your capacity to understand others, share your truth and be heard, learn truly effective conflict resolution skills, and skillful facilitation techniques this is the place to go!

The worst. We had issues at my job including racist behavior by several staff members. Lee Mun Wah…read moreand his colleague came to address the situation. The colleague was fine but Lee Mun Wah didn't do what was needed and inflamed the situation. He had the two management folks hash out their issues in front of the staff. He asked one African American woman to chant "you're racist, you're racist" to a white colleague there was already tension with. He tried to bond in an inappropriate way with the line Asian American employee, repeatedly calling her "my Asian sister." He insisted on showing us his film and having us discuss it which took more than an hour during which time we could have worked on specific issues that needed to be addressed. And this was after we said that most of us had seen the film and didn't want it to be part of the training. It was worse than an expensive waste of time it caused a lot of harm. The Black manager ended up being further harassed by the white director and she ended up being asked to leave in an awful way. There was a real opportunity for healing to happen and Stir-Fry productions utterly failed.

Shohreh is one of the best teachers I have had in my entire (not just adult) life. Her enthusiasm…read moretowards teaching creates such a friendly and positive environment toward learning Farsi. She does so well with making sure you absorb all of the lessons in a thorough yet gentle fashion. The class' approach to the technical side of the language is very good and what you need to build a foundation. But what made the class so interesting is Shohreh's insights into Persian culture and history during lessons which will in turn teach you the artistic side of the language. Teaching both makes me feel like I have not just learned, but I understand, the language. Also as a non-Persian learning for fun because my wife speaks Farsi and is Persian, the class has provided insights into her and her family I greatly appreciate and would not have gotten out of an app. My recommendation could not be higher for Shohreh and her program.

Shohreh is a true miracle worker! I never in my life thought a foreign language class was something…read morethat I could do until I found French Farsi Without Tears. When I first arrived I was expecting textbooks, work sheets, and a long list of words to memorize - however this was far from the case. What I found was a small, friendly, and inviting group of classmates that together, through many small conversations and lessons, began to pick up Farsi. From practice scenarios, eating great Persian food, and talking with classmates I got the true immersion experience! While the curriculum is not very dry, stressful, or overly intensive, I was surprised by how fast everything went. After just the first class I was reading, writing, and even doing some speaking! Before I knew it, I felt like I was having full conversations in Farsi without even thinking about it and it felt so natural. Looking forward to continuing my Farsi learning experience in Shohreh's advance classes!

My daughter and I often joke that Elaine came to us from on high just when we needed her most! We…read morehad no idea how to navigate the college application process, but with Elaine's excellent help (she is calms, clear, organized and inspiring) we were able to make it! My daughter ended up getting into her first-choice school and Elaine's amazing help made that possible. But more than what school she got into it was just wonderful having Elaine to guide us and bounce ideas off of throughout the process. It's not easy out there and there is no one right decision - through it all Elaine made us feel like we had a strong guide on our side.

Elaine is a world-class advisor--thoughtful, capable, compassionate, and responsive…read more She worked with our twins for several years as we navigated the stress and uncertainty of the college process--where to apply, how to think about value, and how to strike the right balance between reach, target, and safety schools. The process today is daunting. With Ivies accepting just 3-5% of applicants and UC schools also extremely competitive, it's too risky to go it alone and hope for the best. Elaine dedicated an extraordinary amount of time and care guiding our kids through every step. No matter the situation, her advice was always thoughtful and transparent. She responded quickly to every question, usually the same day or within 24 hours. Of course, no advisor can work miracles if a student isn't already committed and putting in the effort--but for motivated students, even the strongest ones, her guidance is invaluable. She also helps set realistic expectations for both kids and parents, which is just as important as anything else. Now the results are in. Both of our kids are strong IB students who were active in music and leadership programs. While the Ivies ultimately proved too far a stretch (despite their qualifications), they were accepted to several top UC and state schools, as well as USC, LMU, and others. Our daughter has chosen UC Berkeley, where she also received a significant merit scholarship--something we were especially grateful for given the cost of college today. Our son was also offered spots at UC Berkeley and UCSD, but has USC Thornton in his sights. If you have a child entering or already in high school, I highly recommend starting with Elaine for an initial consultation. Our whole family--especially our kids--is grateful for her guidance, which led to outstanding options at some of the top public and private universities in the country. We couldn't be more thrilled with the outcome and look forward to the next chapter with twins in college.

A magical place! My 6-year-old son is autistic and it was such a relief to be welcomed by a team…read morethat just gets it. The space is super clean and feels like a kid's dream. There's so much to do, climbing, building, exploring, getting wiggles out, and even a quiet room to chill. You can tell the folks behind it really thought through everything. The vibe, the décor, even the website feel so neurodiverse-affirming. They have tech to help build community around members too. We live in Novato so the distance makes a membership tough right now, but I'm hoping we can join in the summer when school isn't in the way. I'd love to see Spirited Play Labs expand to more places as this is the future IMO (please come to Novato, I'll help!). For families like ours, where typical play spaces can feel stressful or isolating, this place is a true gem, welcoming, thoughtful, and hopeful for the future. Thank you!!!

We've been coming to SPL for years, and it has always been such a positive experience. The play…read moresessions with Lia mean so much to us. we truly appreciate her patience, guidance, and support. Every visit, we notice progress. My daughter used to play only by herself, but now we see her becoming more independent and interacting with Lia, which fills our hearts. As a mom of a child on the spectrum, I know how hard it can be. My daughter doesn't have friends, but when we come here, she has one. In other spaces, the stares that come with her stimming can be so difficult to ignore, but here at SPL, we feel safe, accepted, and not judged. That sense of belonging is rare for special needs families, and we are so grateful to have found it here. I love how the staff embraces inclusion and acceptance. it shows in everything they do. I truly wish there were more places and programs like this for our kids, because families like ours need community.

The process of looking for a new school is overwhelming due to the sheer number of options. You…read morecome up with a comprehensive list of 10-15 schools you are considering and try to knock any of them out for even random reasons so that you can focus on touring and applying to a more manageable list of schools. Berkwood Hedge was on my long list - and when I read some of the negative reviews, I almost just crossed it off of our list. I am so thankful that I kept my mind open and saw Berkwood Hedge for myself. My son joined the 4th grade class this past Fall and it has been truly transformational for him and our family. After years of unhealthy social situations in his past schools and lack of attention to his learning needs, due to the care from Berkwood Hedge, he is now starting to come out from a haze of low confidence. His teachers, Olivia and Elisa, have been invaluable in helping him grow in confidence. Before you make any decisions about schooling for your child, I implore you to just attend one community meeting that happens in person every Wednesday morning at 8:45 on campus. It really does take a village and Berkwood Hedge has set up just that - a loving village around our children. When you hear the head of school, Love Weinstock, speak, you know that this care for the whole child is everywhere in the school's culture. You will definitely see the intentional approach in your child's classroom but you will also see it with restorative justice with Silver, music with Ajayi, learning with Edie, art with Laura, school operations with Kris, and the list goes on. We will be moving to Berkwod Hedge's upper campus next year and we are really looking forward to it. They have really been able to increase the diversity in the upper grades. Furthermore, Love leads with so much clarity that I look forward to seeing that come alive in middle school.

I graduated from Berkwood Hedge this year and I did not have a good experience. I went to Berkwood…read moreHedge from 6th to 8th grade. When I joined this community I did not feel accepted. A couple of months ago at the end of the year, there was a shadow student that tried to sit down and eat lunch with Berkwood hedge students, and the kid was told don't sit with us!! We don't want you here!! And the teachers didn't do anything about it. I think that is a pretty common experience for new students at Berkwood Hedge. I definitely had similar experiences happen to me. The academics are pretty good, but the math levels are not based on grade so it can make people in lower levels feel bad because some people from the higher levels brag about it. The sports are good because everyone gets to play and there is no tryouts but for most sports Berkwood Hedge doesn't win games because they are playing more inexperienced players. Some traditions that Berkwood Hedge has are strange to me like the blessing song and the sound baths. My family chose not to send my brother here because I didn't have a good experience, so I don't recommend this school.