When you stop learning you essentially stop living. I have been attending classes at LLC for the…read morelast 8 years at their last two locations in Northern Seattle. It has been a life-changing experience for me as well as many others who attend regularly. The teachers are an outstanding group of people who are committed to learning by participating. There are no lectures; there are group discussions on a wide variety of topics from current events to literature, to exercise for health, to the arts in many forms. Every class presents an opportunity to expand your mind and/or body that creates a vibrancy in later life that stimulates learning that may not be otherwise possible due to physical constraints that is a normal part of the aging process. If you are a senior, it is worth your time to come to LLC and leave you ailments and apathy behind and permit your mind to return to the joy of learning.

I've been a student at Lifetime Learning Center for about ten years and can't say enough good…read morethings about it. It's a 38 year old non-profit educational institution that offers reasonably priced college level classes for adults of all ages. Over 25 of these non-credit classes are offered per quarter and include such subjects as literature, opera appreciation, history, watercolor, cinema, movement, writing, poetry, bridge and much more. New and different classes are offered every quarter and they're taught by a great faculty who all volunteer their time. There are often nearly 300 students enrolled per quarter. And the cost? It's amazingly inexpensive--the tuition for an 8 week course is typically just $30. This place is unique and is often referred to as one of Seattle's best kept secrets. I can see why. It's a very friendly place too. They hold Open Houses at the beginning of every quarter so that people can meet the instructors and hear brief summaries about upcoming classes. In March 2013 Lifetime Learning is moving to new facilities at 3841 NE 123rd St. in Lake City. (It was formerly located in a school near Green Lake for several years and before that in a Sand Point area school for many years.)

I've taken a few classes at GA now since they opened in Seattle about a year ago. The class space…read moreat WeWork is awesome although it can be noisy at times depending on other classes taking place at the same time. The current courses are focused on web development, product marketing, social media and a few others - I hope they expand their offerings soon because the class format is straightforward and easy to digest.

Recently started taking a few workshops/classes here and really enjoy it. The staff here are…read morefriendly and helpful and they have free coffee while you are there. Cant wait to take more classes here =)

This summer and fall, I took two watercolor classes (each six-weeks long) with Robin Bundi through…read moreNorth Seattle College Continuing Education. Both classes were fun, informative, and affordable. I learned so much and my love for painting with watercolors grew with each class. The North Seattle College campus is easy to get to and has plenty of parking. The buildings aren't labeled in the best way, but it's a small campus, so take time to walk around before your first class and you will figure it out. The campus is clean and the classrooms were comfortable. I like all the art work there around campus and the supportive signage inside the buildings. Even though the architecture is Brutalist, I find that there is a warmth there. I look forward to taking more classes at North Seattle College in the future.

I've had the pleasure of taking classes offered through NSCCE regularly for about 3 years now…read more Whether it was a matter of getting out of my comfort zone to try my hand at performing (Stand-Up Comedy, Acting) or just indulging in some wonderfully terrible movies (Schlock Cinema), I've always gotten my money's worth and then some. The instructors have been delightful and generous with their time throughout, and on occasion have the distinction of being local public access celebrities (Hi, Professor Fred!). I know I'll keep coming back for more.

I actually really like UW's Professional & Continuing Education school. So far I've taken four…read moreComputer & IT classes and I've learned a lot. UW has been a great fit for what I was looking for. I learn best through the traditional classroom format. UW was one of the only places that offered part-time night classes that are in-person. They also offer online only classes or self-paced study if you are interested in that. The classrooms are located in Downtown Seattle, which is convenient for me. The building is easy to get to using public transportation or you can use their parking garage which is reasonably priced. The classes usually meet from 6-9 PM, once a week, for nine weeks. I agree that the classes are expensive, with the average cost around $1,150 each. If you are currently working, check with your employer to see if they have a tuition reimbursement program or talk to your boss to see if they will cover it as a training expense. Other students used the G.I. bill or unemployment benefits to cover the cost. UW also offers some need-based scholarships. Some of my classes have definitely been better than others. In general, I would say that the Certificate program courses seem more structured/developed versus the intro/pre-requisite classes. A lot of it also depends on who your teacher is. However, there is only one section offered (per location/format), so you don't really have a choice. UW does send a survey around the third week, so they really value feedback and will try to improve things if they are not going well. Lastly, I would say that the refund policy is strict, but fair. In order to get a 100% refund (minus registration costs), you need to drop out before the class starts. If you drop out during the first week, you can get 75%. The classes are small, so they only take a limited number of students and if you drop out, it's not like they can get someone else to take your place. To make sure you are signing up for the right course, read the course description carefully, attend an Info Session, or e-mail one of their Enrollment Coaches.

I am disappointed to learn, in the middle of taking my class, that the instructors are not required…read moreto answer emails nor speak with you outside of class time to answer questions about the material. If I had known this, I would never have taken the class. I did not realize there would be no support during the class. I was told if I had questions then it was my responsibility to acquire a tutor.

I originally signed up for one of the many courses that Context International offers on the…read moresuggestion of a close friend. I didn't know what to expect, but decided I would give it a shot. What I found was an incredible set of tools and methods to be more effective in my every-day life. By understanding and focusing on what is most important to me, I have been able to combine my passion for technology with my love of working with people in a tech management role at an early-stage startup. I have since taken a variety of other courses from Context and each one has been incredibly valuable, helping me understand what motivates me, the experiences I want in life, and the legacy I want to leave behind. I would highly recommend these courses to anyone who wants more out of life.

I've taken a number of courses from Context and have received tremendous value from them…read more I took the first course when I was in college. I'd say that my experience in college was pretty typical - world of possibilities and a lot of confusion on what road to take. Through the tools and exercises in the courses, I gained a lot of clarity on what I wanted in both my professional and personal life. Having that clarity was awesome, but what really sealed the deal for me was that the courses were structured to help me achieve my goals and sustain lasting results. The most recent course I've taken is Presentation Dynamics and I would highly recommend that course to anyone. The instructor, Jim Sorensen, is an incredible public speaker and teacher. He takes a very unique approach to teaching public speaking that is extremely effective for all personality types. If you are a professional looking to get a taste of what Context has to offer, this is the course to take! Amazing!

I went to the School of Visual Concepts for a day-long workplace training on content strategy. I'd…read morenever been here before, but would definitely go again! The school is located in a busy, high-traffic part of South Lake Union. There's a paid parking lot across the street, but it was also easy to get to by bus. The building is fairly large, with several classrooms and conference rooms. It's pretty minimalist, but the letterpresses and type trays are cool and fun to look at, and the hallways display interesting student work and large-scale steamroller prints from the annual Steamroller Smackdown competition they run. They also sell letterpress cards made in-house, with some cute designs. Our training was from 9-4, and while I knew they were providing lunch, it was a nice surprise that they also offered breakfast: bagels, donuts, coffee and fruit. They also had an excellent snack bar for grazing throughout the day, with chips, trail mix, fruit snacks and cookies, plus coffee and tea. The bathrooms were conveniently located, small but clean and well-maintained throughout the day. There were several other events running at the same time, but the facilities were well maintained all day long. Our presenters were an in-house instructor and a guest speaker, and they did a good job keeping things interesting over a long day, with videos and activities to break up the speaking. That said, there were some downsides. Our group of about 50 was really too big to fit, even in the largest room, and the people on the edges of the room had a hard time seeing the monitors. The large meeting room is almost all floor-to-ceiling windows, and even with the blinds drawn, there was a lot of glare; combined with a slideshow that was white text on a light blue background, it was very difficult to see -- which wasn't ideal, since our activities required seeing what was on-screen. The street outside was high-traffic, including frequent buses, and there was some sort of construction project going on in the parking lot that was quite loud and distracting. Most of this, I think, can be chalked up to a group that was too big. However, we fell behind almost as soon as the training began, which threw the schedule off -- we didn't get a break until after 11. Lunch was scheduled for 1, which felt kind of late, though at least we had the snack buffet to work on! Overall, I liked the facility, and most of the issues we had came from being too large of a group for the room we were in. They offer letterpress and hand-lettering classes for individuals, and I'd really like to come back and try one of those. If you're looking for graphic design or printing classes in the SLU area, do check out the School of Visual Concepts.

I am always anxious before going to a place I've never been before. The staff here was so kind and…read moremade me feel welcome and known the moment I walked into the classroom. I feel this is so important -- without a learning *community* learning is difficult. I took a full day workshop on visual meeting facilitation. I have tangible and valuable skills from just one short day here and am looking forward to applying what I learned in my work!! Also - free breakfast and lunch! Only gripes/suggestions: 1 - when doing name tags it's nice to get into the habit of asking students to state/write gender pronouns, SVC doesn't seem to have a policy around this but I think it would be appropriate 2 - this might only be specific to my instructor, but I think more could've been done to set ground rules for class at the beginning (like how/when to ask questions). there were a couple students in my workshop who ended up dominating conversations. this is really common with extroverts who quickly jump in with comments. But sometimes implementing a policy of "if you just spoke, wait a bit to see if someone else has something to add" can be helpful and encouraging to more quieter types/internal processors in the room. I also had a list of questions i wrote down expecting we would have time to ask questions at the end, but we ran out of time. So policies around class participation could be helpful! I enjoyed the more interactive parts of this workshop especially when we broke into groups and had more time to chat with each other and apply what we were learning. Highly recommend classes at SVC, I'll be back when my wallet lets me!

Fantabulous group of conservation-minded, organic growing, urban/suburban gardeners with a…read morebeautiful demonstration garden in the city. The setting at Good Shepherd Center in Wallingford is perfect for strolling the grounds, walking the dog and running the children around till they fall asleep with exhaustion. Need ideas for composting? Tilth has 'em. Want to know if tomatoes will ever get ripe in Seattle? Tilth can fill you in on growing tips. This is a great association to associate with.

This past growing season I bought a half share in the Seattle Tilth CSA. I've gotten CSA boxes…read morethrough several other farms before (both in Seattle and Wisconsin) and the Seattle Tilth CSA really delivered. Each week the produce was diverse, fresh, and delicious. Items were well selected and I had very little produce go to waste. The half share was a good amount for my wife and I. I also really liked the add-on options; we were out of town one week, and were able to get credit, we used our credit to select goat cheese and honey from the add-on options. That goat cheese was truly incredible! I've also got to commend Seattle Tilth for their educational programming and community empowerment work. Really a great resource for our city.

Nick's writing classes help writers the way builders help architects: he emphasizes the nuts and…read morebolts of writing needed to sustain a structure. Through exercises, guided reading and class discussion, these classes teach the craft of turning a story idea into a solid work. Another strength of the series is the inclusion of magazine editors, authors, publishers, and agents who answer questions about the realties of the publishing world. Whether in ZOOM, in person, or in a traveling class, Nick's expert tutelage helps writers improve their writing in a friendly, inclusive, and fun class.

I wrote two letters to the owner via The Writer's Workhop website, but to my disappointment, I…read morereceived no reply in regards to my queries about a class that I was interested in taking. It is not very encouraging when you have a published writer and owner of a writer's workshop who ghosts sincere people wanting to know more about a class being offered before paying $500 for it.