We are so grateful for Mrs. I! The difference I've seen in my daughter from the beginning of the year until now is truly unbelievable. She has worked with her one-on-one in tutoring, Kidz Entrepreneurship, and public speaking, and the transformation has been amazing to watch. Not only have her i-Ready scores improved, but her confidence has blossomed as well. Mrs. I is patient, encouraging, and incredibly dedicated. She has such a gift for teaching and bringing out the best in her students. I have nothing but wonderful things to say and highly, highly recommend her. We are so thankful for the impact she has made, and I can't wait for my daughter to work with her again next year. read more

Our daughter loved Ilene's summer camp! The activities perfectly balanced education with fun, teaching real entrepreneurial skills while keeping the kids happy and engaged. Ilene is an exceptional instructor who genuinely cares and knows how to connect with children. We'll definitely be back next summer - highly recommend! read more

I have no words, my kinder is learning so much in this class. It is imperative we begin to teach our children public speaking skills early on. We can not just wait till high school and college. So greatful to A-team for providing this awesome course from Empower Thrive. Thank you Ilene! read more

My son has been enrolled in Teacher Illene's classes since kindergarten. We have taken the following classes: pre-public speaking, around the world, and just completed the Kid Entrepreneur class. My son loves teacher Illene and always requests to be enrolled in what she is offering every school year. Teacher Illene has a wonderful teaching spirit and has been instrumental in teaching my son how to effectively and confidently communicate through public speaking and the study of entrepreneurship. I highly recommend her classes to any parent looking for program instruction that is fun and engaging. Thank you Teacher Illene for all you do! read more

Our two kids had Ms Ilene for Public Speaking at ATeam and the progress I have seen in their confidence this past semester is unmeasurable. They both say she is their favorite teacher and have enjoyed their time with her immensely. read more

We cannot say enough about Ms. Ilene Marks of High Low Music and her impressive curriculum. We have taken many of her classes over the years. PRESCHOOL: In our pre-school days we were introduced to her as a fantastic after school music teacher but she was so much more than that. The kids grew more confidence, were encouraged to be creative, work together as a group, learned what a rhythm was, enjoyed dancing, practiced active listening, learned memory tricks using music, exposed to music history, worked through problem solving... and of course enjoyed a real appreciation for music of all kinds. My kids took her "preschool music theory class" a number of times while they attended a Montessori school in Los Gatos. Consistently my kids would look forward to Wednesday with Mrs. I! ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: My 5 year old took her "Kidz Entrepreneur class" over the summer which was just as amazing as her music class. When my son first found out she was teaching another class - he didn't even care what it was, he wanted to sign up for it. I am glad we did! Ms. Ilene's curriculum for the Entrepreneur class was nothing less than impressive. Lemonade stands, Pet stores, Kid friendly businesses... And after all her lessons the kids actually opened a 'class store' with their own stickers/small toys and experience the whole process of selling and buying! It was a wonderful class that made a huge impact on my son's life! He even wanted to open up a small lemonade stand at home... even though he hates lemonade. He was just REALLY excited to provide a service to the neighbors while making some money for his piggy bank. Wow! All in all, Ilene Marks of High Low Music is so much more than just a music teacher! She is a positive presence that has an amazing talent to captivate the children while actually teaching them life skills! read more

Empower Thrive - All ready to open up a Lemonade stand. He had so much fun and learned some real life skills! - Kids Activities Near Me

My kid has been attending Ilene's classes (Public Speaking, Writing, Grammar and Book Club) for 2 years and really likes it. The classes are diverse (i.e not boring and all the same), gave my child a lot of practical experience and useful info. The teacher herself is very fun, full of energy, entertaining (which is important for my kid) and very well organized and flexible. For example, after each class, she emails me details about each class contents, links to materials, homework explanation etc. She is also easy to talk to and communicate, which I appreciate a lot. read more

Ms. Ilene is a fun and caring teacher. My daughter took her public speaking class and both of us were unsure of what to expect. Ms Ilene introduced the kids to this in a fun way and really built their confidence and skills as the semester progressed. My daughter really enjoyed the class and I think Ms Ilene is a wonderful teacher, I highly recommend her classes. read more

Our kids took Public Speaking and Kids Entrepreneur classes from Ms. Ilene for two semesters. The classes were engaging, her feedback was incredibly helpful and there were so many important points that helped them learning how businesses operate. Ms. Ilene always goes above and beyond for her students and we have definitely seen a lot of progress and confidence in presenting skills in both of our children. We highly recommend her. read more

I enrolled my son in Ms Ilene's Pre Public Speaking class at A Team to help him overcome his shyness and develop his communication skills. I am very pleased with the results. Miss I is friendly, supportive and knowledgeable. She creates a safe and fun environment for the students to practice their speeches and get feedback. I highly recommend this class to anyone who wants to help their child become a better speaker. read more

Teacher Ilene is an inspiring mentor and teacher, she treats all her students with kindness and knows how to bring out the very best in each one! My kid loves learning from her and always looks forward to each class. Teacher Ilene has infused positive energy to her kids during this difficult time of getting through a global pandemic. I highly recommend her classes! read more

My daughter age 9 took Ilene's Theater Time class at A-ateam this past semester. Covid broke out during the class and it had to move online. Ilene did an amazing job running the online class and working with the kids. Really impressive. My daughter loved the class in person and equally as much on zoom! My daughter has dyslexia, dysgraphia, and other "dys" stuff goin' on. Ilene created an environment that she felt comfortable enough in to do her chosen monologue by reading it from a script to the class. This was a first for her, reading in front of a group. It was a major accomplishment that I totally attribute to Ilene creating an excepting, respectful and trust filled environment in which kids can feel calm and comfortable enough to be take risks. My daughter finished the class feeling more confident and capable then when she started. Highly recommended, especially during this time of uncertainty when the class may need to abruptly go online. read more

My son took Teacher I's Public Speaking Class at A-TEAM this spring and learned so much. I knew my son was internalizing the lessons of the class when we watched a video of a government official speaking and my son started critiquing the speaker's uh's and ah's and posture. All in all, my son enjoyed this class and really developed his skills and confidence. Teacher I was always very upbeat and positive. She communicated well with the parents and my son enjoyed her good energy as well. read more

This is a review for Ilene Marks, a truly wonderful teacher. My six year old son has taken several months of online public speaking class with Ilene and has absolutely loved it, learned, and thrived. Ilene has warm and welcoming energy, is motivating, keeps classes engaging and really teaches valuable skills. My son looked forward to each of his classes with Ilene and even happily did the prep work each time. He has learned to be a confident and organized speaker and enjoys presenting at school. My son is also a quirky kid who tends to be interested in off the beaten path topics and Ilene made space for this in her class and he always felt like he fit in and was welcomed. I highly highly recommend any class Ilene teaches! read more

Very impressed with the Kidz Entrepreneurship Class and Fair that my kids were lucky enough to be a part of. Ilene introduces the kids to business in a fun and engaging way. There should be more classes like hers. read more

Our very shy 8 year old son loves Ms. I, and so do we! He has requested to take her classes every semester of this past year. This is high praise from a boy who always hated school and never wanted to attend any classes...until we started homeschooling this year and found a few amazing teachers like Ms. I. So far, he has taken her Public Speaking, Kidz Entrepreneur, and Kidz Entrepreneur 2 class. The have all inspired him and built his confidence. Before taking her Public Speaking class, no one could hear our son when he spoke in class. His voice was barely audible and he struggled to make eye contact. Half way through the class, he transformed into a new kid. I couldn't believe it. Standing straight, projecting his voice, making eye contact, and even choosing to memorize his speeches and poems. Amazing! Teacher I's Kidz Entrepreneur classes were equally impressive, piquing our son's interest in entrepreneurship, giving back to the community, and finding environmentally responsible ways to do it. He now loves watching Shark Tank (with elevator pitches like the ones students give in the classes) and The Profit With his dad. He takes a keen interest in any news story about kids who start successful, impactful businesses. And during this past semester, he decided to create his own website for his class business idea. Very impressive! He never would've done any of this without Ms. I and her great classes. She is always upbeat, kind, creative, and inspiring. She provides the perfect mix of fun, structure, and meaningful homework (in contrast to the busy work many of my friends are complaining their kids are overwhelmed by in their public school distance learning). read more

I have an anxious kiddo and the public speaking class came highly recommended to me from a friend. It was by far the best class we experienced. My son was so willing to participate in the class despite this never happen to any other classes we've tried. Teacher Ilene has the magic power! My son went from anxious and shy, to volunteered to read aloud poems and performed movie monologues! We love it so much that we joined Public Speaking 1 and 2 too! I'm beyond amazed at the class and teacher Ilene! If you are reading this, don't hesitate! Join it and you won't regret it!! read more

Ms. Ilene Marks of High Low Music has been a remarkable addition in my almost 3 years olds life, academically and socially and so much more. Not only can i vouch for my own son, but as the owner/director or Noah'S Ark Daycare center in Campbell, High Low Music Class has been such a great addition to our center, and I am so thankful to have found "Teacher I" as the children call her. She has so much energy and spunk and makes each class so much fun! My son looks forward to class each week and is so excited about all of the different things he learns! As a mom, and daycare owner, i know that this music class is far different from many. Ms. Ilene is so knowledgeable, but at the same time make each class engaging and interesting as well! It has helped the childrens' social emotional skill, reading, math, and literacy skills as well. You will not be sorry for signing your child up and will be amazed at how much they will benefit! read more

My toddler has been coming to this class since he was six months old. He loved it from the beginning and enjoyed all the games and music. Ilene is very energetic and knows how to get the kids attention and encourages kids and adults participation from the very beginning. She enjoys teaching kids how to follow instructions, which is great for every parent. She has many creative games and keeps changing them frequently so you know your kids are engaged and entertained. Her games are age appropriate and help with teaching motor skills, musical skills, and cognitive development. Overall, she is a great teacher. read more

My son took the Kidz Entrepreneur class part 1 through a homeschool co-op last semester, and he had so much fun! Ilene introduced the kids to business and marketing concepts like market positioning, refining an elevator pitch, ways to branch a core business into other services or products, etc. And judging by the final projects in the class, these kids learned and employed these concepts. She also emphasizes public speaking skills. My son LOVED her class and enrolled in Part 2 already for the next school year! We've done a lot of camps and enrichment classes, and this is one is truly unique; I hope more families will be able to take advantage of Ilene's Kidz Entrepreneur program. read more

My son LOVES this program through his preschool. Ilene is wonderful with the students.