Programs After School

I like the concept of mixing art with science, so I purchased the deal for one week of Summer camp with the intention of continuing for another camp week. But after having my 5 ½ yr old here for a week, I was not impressed.
1) Upon walking in, my first impression of the place was the lack of warmth and welcome. The girl who checked us did not greet nor introduce herself (I think she is one of the teacher). She just asked for my daughter’s name so she can quickly check it against her list of enrollees. After that my lil girl just stood there next to her, not knowing where to go. At that point, I was expecting someone to welcome my daughter in and direct her where to go since this was her first day and the class seemed very full. Since no one came to her assistance, I went in and encouraged her to look for an empty seat which was none. The lack of warmth/​welcome/​acknowledgement continues thru the whole week. One or twice I exchanged a few words with other staff but I was not aware of who they were until afterward, thought they were just other parents.
2). Towards the end of the week, I witness a little boy going in and out of the opened front door a few times and no one seemed to noticed him or looked for him. Scary! Cuz at the front door is the parking lot
3) They don’t keep track of the kids. No sign-​in/​sign-​out sheet. So in an emergency, they would not be able to account for whose there or whose not. There were about 30−40kids, and ALL were allowed to walk outside at end of class without any guardian present to take them. The kids could be lured by strangers or picked up by someone they shouldn’t be with or hit by on coming cars. I truly hope, for everyone’s sake, they clean up their act and start accounting for drop-​offs and pickups.
Overall, my daughter did not enjoy her experience here. She seems bored and not looking forward to each camp day. Which is a surprise to me cuz she loves science and enjoys going to summer camps and school. I think the staff could really improve the kid’s experience by just making the little effort to introduce the kids to each other, be more friendly and acknowledge them, after all they are just little kids!

I am not in the business of giving poor reviews, but my experience with a class entitled «Hot Art, Cool Science» and the subsequent response from administration based on my complaints has me here. Long story short — the teacher was uninterested and inattentive, the class design much more behaviorist or didactic than anything from Maria Montessori or the Waldorf style, and she left a class of 3 – 6 year olds alone in a room with the front door open. Twice. That’s not okay. I aired my concerns to the administrators, and the response was tone-​deaf to my concerns, reflecting earnest criticism back onto me as a parent as well as our son (if you need an example, look at the comments from Programs After School on the review left by Erin R.; they absolve themselves of criticism based on extenuating circumstances and have the audacity to then encourage enrollment). It’s easy to write-​off education criticism as that of an overprotective parent; don’t do that here. There was nothing positive about this experience.
Update: in response to Borland, unfortunately my experience tells a different story. I called and spoke to one of the employees about attending a trial class, and was told that would be fine and we could register online if satisfied. Even if my child was too young (which the person I spoke to said would not be an issue and because the class was 3 and up), that does not excuse lecture, dismissive ness and Leaving The Door Open While Not Being Present With the Children. In my communication with Borland after the incident I expressed an interest in helping PAS do better and was summarily dismissed despite my extensive background and education in educational psychology. The excuses from this company are sad and I hope parents want better for their children than a program that not only makes egregious decisions but then doubles down on them and consistently blames everyone else. Go elsewhere!

TERRIFYING EXPERIENCE! After lecturing for 15 min to a room of 6 and under, (?!?) the «teacher» left a group of children unsupervised in a room, literally went behind a divider with no direct line of sight to the children, with a door wide open to the parking lot for over 1 minute!!! No gate, just a straight line to the open door and cars beyond. Thank God we were watching through the window since this was our son’s first, (and last!!!) experience here. We took him and left immediately. As I went in to get him she was going to the back again and telling them «I’ll be right back.» They are 3 to 6 yr olds! and the door is open!!! Reckless disregard for the safety of children is inexcusable, we are still in a state of shock over what occurred. Please be careful when you leave your children somewhere, an open door should be a red flag and I’m so grateful we trusted our instincts and stayed to watch. This may have been a near miss on a real catastrophe.

I love these classes! Mrs. Diamond is wonderful and the kids love her. I did the mommy and me class with my daughter and my son did Nosey by Nature and I am so impressed. I drive from Ventura to go to these classes and it’s well worth the drive. Reasonably priced and great teachings. I highly recommend this place! It’s a gem!

Great teaching! I love the ideas they have and the freedom my kid gets to create! Very warm environment and small groups.

GREAT CONCEPT /​AMAZING ART PROGRAMS FOR KIDS!
Look no further if you want to find a fun, safe, and VERY creative place to take your kids, even very young! Classes designed to start 18 month-​old toddlers, up to teens! They have classes, field trips, and birthday/​events.
I know personally the owners, Richard Borland and Andrea Diamond, who have built this great place for the community from the ground up, with all their passion and with full hearts. I’ve witnessed firsthand the beautiful work created in their classes, and it is nothing short of amazing. Folks, these people really love with they do, and they are growing and hiring instructors to keep up with the growing demand.
I highly recommend this school!