CircEsteem was once a wonderful organization and has great potential, but that is unfortunately…read morecompletely wasted now due to terrible mismanagement. The teaching staff is amazing, talented, kind and knowledgable. However, those at the top of the administration have demonstrated a complete disregard for the working conditions of the entire staff, and pay themselves a very generous salary but constantly ask their employees to make sacrifices. As a result, the staff is constantly overworked, underpaid and underappreciated for their dedication. The turn-over rate of employees over the past several years has grown incredibly high and is a clear indication of the lack of professionalism and respect shown by upper management. Directors have frequently disregarded safety standards and repeatedly ignored the very reasonable concerns brought forward by staff and students. They also actively discourage whistleblowers from raising awareness on safety issues. This naturally creates a dangerous environment for students. For an organization who's core mission statement is to build self-Esteem, they do an incredible job of destroying the esteem of staff, and blatantly demand silence and compliance, and aggressively bully employees rather than making any effort to find understanding or compromise. This type of upper management class division, discrimination and subjugation has happened before with other nonprofit organizations, which inevitably resulted in strikes and petitions that were widely reported on the news. It is a shame that they would choose to risk this and strongarm employees into submission and lay off those who try to stand up for their rights, rather than have civil discourse. When more than half of the staff is extremely unhappy, and those that attempt to raise awareness of any concerns are fired or pushed out, that is a problem that requires consideration on how to restructure and they have taken zero steps to do so and have shown no accountability. I strongly encourage CircEsteem teachers to strike and unionize as soon as possible, or this trend of exploitation will only continue to worsen. The Executive Director also needs to resign, as it is blatantly evident that he is not qualified for the position and is clearly not upholding CircEsteem's mission of mutual respect, humility, patience, love and self-reflection. Bottomline - do not work for CircEsteem, and consider other options for circus arts.

I gave my daughter several options for her 10th birthday party venues and luckily she chose…read moreCircEsteem. I have to say that they certainly made a bunch of kids, and especially my daughter / hero, very happy. The CircEsteem staff totally rocked, from Scott's quick and continued communication leading up to the event to the engaged, happy, and involved staff during the event, and kind communication afterwards to ensure our happiness. Everyone was upbeat, fun, helpful, and excellent. We knew it would be good when one of the kids walked in, looked around and said, "I can tell this is going to be a great party!" She was right. I also have to give a shout out to the face painter and balloon guy. They were tremendous! I've never seen a balloon artist that talented. And one of the kids said re the face painter: "she's a professional make-up artist! Well it's all downhill for me from now on." I wish I were more fluent in 10-year-old, but clearly she somehow meant that as an "epic" compliment. It was great getting the kids together to actually learn some new fun skills, be active, and have fun, even while wearing masks. Where else can kids get on a trapeze, aerial silks, walk on stilts, and act like a clown, all while getting their faces painted and having incredible whimsical balloons twisted for them? I could go on and on about how excellent this was, but let's just say that it was certainly a party that my daughter and her friends will remember. Thanks CircEsteem!!

The owner is incredibly kind and interactive with the kids. You can tell she understands how they…read moreplay and she provides a space where they can be kids. Really grateful I found this location and got to meet the owner. It's refreshing to meet someone who truly enjoys kids and puts their all into their work.

This was great spot for kids in the Lakeview area. $30 day pass but you can shop and come back and…read moreeven bring food here. This is a spot that's great for families wanting a break or play dates. The place is calming and friendly staff.

I just want to add that after re-opening during this time of COVID-19, they have done a great job…read moremitigating infection risk at their summer camps. They require the kids to wear their own masks, provide shoe covers and face shields, put up walls between computers and spread them out, limit class sizes, check temperatures on arrival, require parents to fill out a form asserting their child is not infected or exposed to infected people (to their knowledge), and keep parents outside during pick-up/drop-off. Also, my son said they made him wash his hands 5 times today haha. They are doing everything I could think of and more to help us feel safer and prevent the spread of coronavirus. Oh, and my son still likes the classes too.

My son loved digital adventures! For a long time I've wanted my son to get out of the consumer…read moremindset and shift to the developer mindset. I believe that shift is now underway D.A. does a phenomenal job of integrating the fundamentals of coding with his favorite video games, Roblox and Minecraft. The prices are also quite reasonable. I was very impressed with my son's progress and we were looking to give him a more specialized focus in terms of his interests and strengths with the classes they offer. I was so impressed seeing the 4th graders code full robotics applications after only 1 year of these classes. My son also enjoyed bonding with the kids there, and seem to enjoy working with them more than the kids at his school. He made some friends. I highly recommend this place.

Talk about igniting my child's desire to learn, explore, and grow in STEM! You absolutely see what…read moreyou are paying for each day when your child comes home full of new ideas and doesn't stop talking about them until you put her to bed. We have been going to KSL on and off for about two years and this summer we enrolled our daughter in a 3 week camp. Each week a new topic was covered: dinosaurs v. animals, engineering, and astronauts/space. I can attest that each day was packed with experiments and builds that made science accessible. 1. Teachers and staff are kind, attentive, and educated. KSL is creative about learning and definitely provides a hands on experience. The teachers & staff show patience with the children and a passion for what they are exploring/teaching each day. This is definitely a differentiator from other camps we've attended/researched. Every person I encountered at KSL knew my child by name and was by my standards professional & helpful. 2. The quality of the subject matter & builds is unlike any other place we've taken our daughter. It feels like the curriculum is designed to allow kids to ask questions and learn through hands on projects, reading, and experiments - (these are the things your child will not stop talking about for days...) 3. The materials used in these projects is so inventive. This year my daughter built a Mars Rover model that is truly better than anything I could have constructed... and she's 5! Each day I was impressed with the magnitude of engineering and creativity used in the projects that came home... yes there's still goo and snake venom but the fact that my daughter could talk about what snake venom does to blood blew me away... she took an understanding away from the cool experiments - it's wasn't just about making something slimy or gooey. 4. Location: KSL has parking in the Whole Foods North Ave. parking garage. This is an awesome thing for anyone toting around a second child (like me.) It's truly an easy in and out and their building is very secure. I never left my daughter feeling concerned or worried about her safety. Honestly, if you child has any spark for creativity (which I think they all do) try out a Saturday drop-in class. I think they sell packs so that you don't have to commit to being there every weekend if your schedule is nuts. It's an experience you won't find anywhere else. Last, but not least, here's the true testament to how great this place is: We commuted from Jefferson Park (Foster Ave.) to KSL on I-90 during rush hour for 3 weeks... yeah, it's that good.

Mr Shegan is AWESOME! His way of handling stressed parent minutes before the big show, his way of…read moreengaging kids VIRTUALLY during the shows, my kid and her friends had a great time celebrating my daughter's birthday virtually. Mr Shegan called the day before to walk me through what would happened, so I appreciated the walk-through and gave me a level of comfort despite the backoffice chaos i experienced the last couple weeks. What's really dampening the supposingly-stress-free experience is the back-office arrangement. Some of the highlights below - So the zoom info was given to me when I booked the party back in May. I called a few times to confirm the zoom info a couple weeks prior to the party to make sure what I had on the invite was still correct. What really caused me a bit anxiety is that when they did "confirm" the zoom info with me over on email, the info sent over contains a couple other kids names and one of their party information. Granted nothing really personal was shared, but this made me wonder how they handles guest information in general. The day of the party, apparently, the guests and I were in a different zoom room from Mr Shegan's, the "registration" page we were sent to had a different party date/time options to pick from, which confused a lot of us. Many parents were texting me just few mins before the party while I was confused myself, and not sure what happened since it was slightly different from what Mr Shegan told me the day before. I think there's a change of personnel post-sales coz I couldn't reach the person who I contacted during the sales to confirm all the logistics. Everytime I contacted KSL, I reached the voicemail, emails were unanswered. Granted they did call you back rather quickly. But that's kinda annoying and added extra layer of stress to a planner like me. And suburb buyers be aware - if you want virtual party, kits pick up time is 9-4 in LP. During sales time, the lady told me that they could arrange weekend pickup given I live in the burbs and DO work regular 9-5. But obviously, this didn't happen. We had to make an arrangement for a quick trip to the city. All in all, the experience was 5+ star DURING the party time, but it was less than desired during the planning phase post-sales. Mr Shegan is def. the saving grace.

Our 2 year old started at Kids' Work last year after we switched from another local center. Our…read moreprevious daycare was fine--our son was safe and cared for, but we felt he wasn't getting enough mental stimulation, and our interactions with staff were inconsistent. Once we started at Kids' Work, we realized what we'd been missing. The staff is incredible. Every person we've met has been friendly, enthusiastic, and genuinely seems happy to be there. You can tell management supports their team because the teachers never seem stressed or burned out. It's comforting to know that positive energy trickles down to the kids too. Our son is always so excited to see his teachers and classmates. Every one of his teachers has been warm and knowledgeable--the kind of people who truly love working with children. Leidy, Dina, and Desire were wonderful in the infant room, and he absolutely adores his current toddler teachers, Sydney, Monica, and Ana. He talks about them constantly. We get consistent, clear communication from his teachers about everything that happens in the classroom. They sincerely celebrate milestones with us, and whenever we face challenges, they are quick to ask questions, troubleshoot, and share tips as appropriate. The curriculum is excellent. Music and Spanish teachers come into the classroom weekly, and every day is full of creative projects and plenty of outside time. The facilities are always clean, organized, and filled with high-quality toys. The admin team has also been incredibly helpful whenever we've had questions or concerns. For example, when we were worried about our son's transition to the toddler room, Lindsey took time to reassure us and share resources to make sure he was ready. Their advice was spot on--he thrived in the new environment immediately. Last but absolutely not least, the level of organization at Kids' Work is impressive. Everything from sick policies to daily classroom schedules is well thought out, clearly communicated, and consistent. Nothing slips through the cracks with this team--and everyone is safer, healthier, and more sane because of it. We feel lucky to have found this place. It's not the cheapest option, but if you're looking for a daycare that genuinely goes the extra mile, this is the one.

We sent our little 7 month old to Kids' Work with great trepidation, as any new parent would…read more However, we would have been a lot more nervous had Kids' Work not proactively prepared us for what to expect and do, from the very beginning. As a result, we went to Kids' Work and never looked back. The place really feels like one big family. The environment is clean and welcoming (cleaner than any other daycare we visited), every teacher and administrator knows our son's name (impressive!), we get frequent updates on the daily activities, and most important of all, our son loves it there! The bonds he created with his infant room teachers are so heartwarming to watch. The teachers go above and beyond every day to make the parents' lives easier, and those little things matter, a lot. I would recommend Kids' Work to anyone looking for a wonderful place for their child to grow and learn!

We highly recommend ChooChoo Chicago for child care…read more Both of our children have attended ChooChoo since infancy--our older daughter started at 2 months old, and our younger daughter is scheduled to begin at around 3 months old. Because of work, we spent a year out of state with our older daughter and had the opportunity to experience another daycare. That comparison made us appreciate even more how special ChooChoo is. What stands out most is the warm and supportive community. The teachers, parents, and children create a genuinely friendly environment where everyone is kind and willing to help one another. Our experience with the teachers has been exceptional. One of our children was born with low birth weight and needed physical therapy during infancy. The teachers were incredibly accommodating with therapy schedules and consistently helped reinforce the exercises recommended by our physical therapists throughout the day. Thanks to everyone's teamwork, she successfully met her developmental milestones and is now doing just as well as her peers. As first-time parents, we truly felt that the teachers were our partners in raising our children. We worked together toward the same goal: helping our kids thrive. Mrs. Mia deserves special recognition. She takes rules and standards very seriously and does not make exceptions based on personal relationships. Because of her leadership, ChooChoo consistently maintains high standards for cleanliness, safety drills, and illness policies. As parents, that gives us tremendous peace of mind. If we had to mention one downside, it would be that the facility is smaller than many daycare centers we saw elsewhere. That said, this is simply the reality of childcare centers in the city, and nearby daycares are generally similar in size. When we moved back to Chicago, we didn't even consider other options. We are grateful for the care and dedication of everyone at ChooChoo, and we wholeheartedly recommend it to any family looking for a nurturing, safe, and professional daycare.

We love ChooChoo! Having such trustworthy and caring childcare for our infant has made the…read moretransition back to work so much easier. The teachers are genuinely excited to see my child each morning, and I know he is in great hands while I am at work. We chose ChooChoo because of their emphasis on play-based learning and community, and it has not disappointed!

I wanted to update my review since my son has switched classrooms. When he turned one we moved over…read moreto the toddler room and I have to give a shout out to our incredible teachers, Teacher JD & Ms. Lupe. Where do I start with these two?! Everyday Weston is greeted with the biggest smiles and hugs from his teachers, who have quickly become two of his favorite people ever. It's so nice knowing he is in the hands of two of the most caring, patient, and loving people around. The growth we've seen over the past month is wild - singing his ABCs, counting to 10, and coming home with an increased vocabulary everyday. We owe it all to teacher JD & Ms. Lupe!! They've also taught him some really great techniques to battle toddler tantrums, like taking deep breaths (which is really cute to watch a 1.5 year old do). They are always keeping it fun and exciting with sensory activities, art projects, exploring outside, and reading. Weston has enjoyed every moment with JD & Lupe -- we are so lucky!!!

Mr. T is attentive teacher taught our two year old to snap fingers. Ask whereabouts on our two year…read moreold when passing by outside of school.

A welcome fitness enhancement to the neighborhood…read more Been to two classes so far. Clean, intimate space. Clear instruction. Get ready to sweat your butt off!

Did not have a good experience here…read more The space is very small, almost uncomfortably so to even be doing some exercises. Right when I walked in, it immediately smelt awful like an old stale pee smell. I'm not sure what it was, maybe sweat from earlier classes since there isn't ventilation/it's such a small space? But they should really get candles or diffusers or something because it smelt bad and bothered me the entire class time. Also, the reformer was dirty with hair and particles on it, I had to ask for it to be wiped down. They also claim to have complimentary water BOTTLES, but I saw no water bottles, just water stations to use with cups. Two other times I tried to go to this studio, the classes were cancelled. One of them was "due to low class sign ups" which honestly is ridiculous to me. I have NEVER had a pilates class cancelled just because there aren't enough people in it. I've been in classes at other studios before of just me and one other person and the instructor still showed up to teach it. It seems very lazy and disrespectful of the people's time who did sign up and intend on showing up. Not to mention how last minute the cancellation was, at 5:45AM for a 7:00AM class. Those cancellations were probably signs for me to not try this studio since the experience was bad once I finally did make it in. I won't be coming back and I don't recommend it to others.