Avoid this school at all cost because "I assure you, this isn't a scam, but it will certainly feel…read morelike one." That was the instructor's opening line on the first day of what was advertised as a three-week phlebotomy certification course. Instead, I encountered a vague, shifting timeline that could stretch to six to nine months due to disorganized and poorly communicated externship scheduling. Despite asking in advance, I wasn't told until after class started that externship sites were in San Jose and Martinez, which are up to 50 miles from El Cerrito. Former students warned that these externships offered little real phlebotomy experience. Tasks were limited to labeling urine cups rather than drawing blood, forcing many students to return for additional training just to meet licensing requirements. After attending one three-hour session I withdrew only to receive a threatening email from the payments department about external collections. The school claimed I owed over $500, which they later reduced to $213 only after I submitted GPS data proving I had left early because the school charges by the hour and the instructor falsely claimed we were dismissed on time. Even the instructor seemed frustrated, noting she had to bring her own water for students (no fountains or sinks) and received little support. While this program might not meet the legal definition of a scam, its misleading advertising, inaccurate timelines, vague communication, and hostile billing practices certainly make it feel like one. I strongly recommend avoiding the El Cerrito location because it offers the bare minimum for licensure, not the skills or support needed to succeed.

Don't waste your money. This school didn't teach us anything to pass the NHA test.. straight waste…read moreof time and money. Questions on the test was nothing that was taught in this class .. I am so disappointed

What a rare, and beautiful program is Gaia Girls. Sarai, Erika and their cohorts are extraordinary…read moregifts to our children and us mothers. To say Gaia Girls is the antidote for the cynical, materialistic culture we inhabit doesn't do it justice. To praise the peace, groundedness and loving kindness Gaia Girls fosters only scratches the surface. To gratefully acknowledge the powerful process Gaia Girls creates to strengthen the mother/daughter relationship is modest. My daughter and I spent a life changing weekend together with Gaia Girls and I am deeply grateful. We are benefiting every day from what we brought home with us (blessings, songs, gentle awareness of each other), and we can't wait to go back!

My daughter and I had an amazing time at Artemis Village, Summer 2018. The setting was beautiful…read moreand the girls seemed to be entering a magical world of connection, beauty, and creativity. When I arrived on Friday to spend the weekend with the other mothers/female caregivers and girls, my daughter was so happy to see me and include me in the world she had entered. It was so special to see all the girls, each with their own mother/ female caregiver and sense the bond that they each shared. There were activities for mothers and daughters to do together and I felt these activities brought me closer to my daughter. There was also time for the mothers to connect with each other and there were even mentors for the mothers, from whom I drew a lot of support. I experienced many circles of connection during this weekend-- connecting with my daughter, connecting with the mothers, connecting with the mentors and the village they had crafted to support us, connecting with nature on my own and collectively, and more... Some girls and mothers who attended had known each other for awhile and we were new. I wondered what this would be like, but both my daughter and I found everyone to be very welcoming and inclusive and there were other new families as well that were very easy to connect with. I am so grateful that both my daughter and I could have this nurturing, inspiring experience and we are both looking forward to participating again this summer.

I'm a super fan of this group! The master-teacher, Jimi Nakagawa is incredibly talented! He's…read morefunny and charming and humble. He's very creative artistically and I love many of their songs. Jimi-san is the sort of leader who creates fun communities. I've seen them perform now many times and they really have the "it" factor. He's also very child-friendly. All in all, there's a lot to love about this group and it's leader.

The taiko teacher Jimi is very skilled, artistic and funny. He composes amazing songs and…read moremovements. I've been taking his class last 8+ years and still learning every time. Great community. Highly recommended!

Just graduated from this program and passed both written and skills state exam with no issues. The…read moreinstructors here really all want you to succeed, they give you study materials to study for the state exam and one of the teachers even made us flashcards to study from (which was very helpful for me when i was trying to refresh memory for skills). When taking my skills exam i got to speak with students from other programs and noticed they were very unprepared and some were unaware for the materials they are going to be tested on. Iam grateful to have taken this program. During the program we got presentations for job opportunities as well as scholarship programs. Highly recommend this CNA program to anyone that may be interested. Goodluck!!

This is the place to go if you want quality and state of the art health care courses like CNA, I…read moretook classes here and the experience was top notch, from the Director Veronica to the tutors miss Davies, Mr Vern, etc. they have a very nice lab room equipped with everything needed for skills training and the cleanliness of the facility everything just sits right for a healthcare school. Thanks Nightingale for all you do. 80% of the CNA,s I meet around the Alamda county have always said they passed through here and have positive recommendations of you guys.

Really like coming here. It's clean and the staff and lifeguards are nice and attentive.read more

Since I wrote my last review a few years ago I've stopped going to the El Cerrito Pool at all. It…read morehas been taken over by aggressive (mostly male) swimmers whose behavior is not at all controlled or reined in by lifeguards or anyone else. Sharing a lane is like a contact sport, and I just got fed up with it. Also, the water fitness program has basically dissolved - very few classes with poor instruction.

My son enjoys this class, but a lot of the movements are things he learned at preschool. I would…read moredefinitely suggest for children who stay at home and need a fun activity or need to improve large motor skills. Some instructors are great and another appears like they'd rather be anywhere else, but my son likes the class and is sad he only has one more left.

The rec department is one of my favorite things about El Cerrito. It really does provide a sense of…read morecommunity. They maintain the many parks around us and they are enjoyed by all. Their summer camp, break camp and after school programs are really well managed. During the pandemic they had a flexible option to make sure children could still interact safety. My favorite is summer camp though. Through their website they have many different options throughout the week. They have tons of sports, art, games, STEM, and lots of options in general. My son always has fun and returns home tired. They also have easy to use website for signing up for activities, renting out picnic tables and grills for parties, and pool and event info. Some of their more notable events are the swimming with pumpkins, the earth day event, and my fav the 4th of July Event, it's really epic. Also, the baseball program is amazing.

Rafael is an amazing teacher- patient, willing to meet you where you are, recognize your…read moreshortcomings and help you advance. I highly recommend him without reservation

Rafael is an amazing teacher. Trust in his methods! I went from only knowing a few basic vocabulary…read morewords to reading and speaking Spanish quickly. I highly recommend Spanish fun and easy with Rafael to everyone I know who is serious about learning. Prices are great compared with other classes and private lessons that I have seen.