I enjoyed my time there very much and learned a lot. It was a safe way to explore communication…read moretechniques, to make mistakes, to learn.

Early Risers continues to be a strong club that has successfully migrated to a fully hybrid…read moremeeting. This allows members the flexibility to attend either in person or online. This club has consistently won the top Toastmasters Club award, President's Distinguished, every year for decades. It continues to be a diverse, welcoming and supportive group. Highly recommend joining.

What a wonderful mission: To make reading accessible to all…read more This studio records audio books for individuals who are blind, dyslexic, or have other learning differences. The unique thing about the books produced here is the human voice on the recordings (as opposed to a computer-simulated voice). Volunteers go into a soundproof booth and read the original books aloud, recording themselves as they go. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/learning-ally-palo-alto?select=sHCCu7x-0lBqxJQmTDSC4Q#sHCCu7x-0lBqxJQmTDSC4Q) I have been volunteering here as a reader for 4 years, since January 2009. I also served on the Board of Directors until very recently. Over that time I have observed the staff's hard work and dedication. They are always friendly and helpful and make the studio a fun place to be. As a reader I have noticed all sorts of books at the studio. Since Learning Ally's members request books that they want read with a human voice, there is a wide variety of material. I learn something new pretty much every time I go in to record. How could you not, with all the different types of books being requested? Here is a sample of books in the studio: * Novels * Instructional books on nutrition and health * Plays * Psychology of sexuality - This gets really interesting, especially if you have a director listening along as you read. * History textbooks - These are usually high-school or college level and above. * C++ and advanced math - Only readers with a specialty in these fields can and should read these... books full of pure code are pretty intense. I stick to the other areas myself. * And more! (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/learning-ally-palo-alto?select=sHCCu7x-0lBqxJQmTDSC4Q#ZNR6ybzMIfL-roJ-fhlt5A) For those of you thinking, "I don't really like hearing my voice out loud," there are various volunteer roles including: 1. Readers - This usually also involves self-directing and recording in the booth. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/learning-ally-palo-alto?select=sHCCu7x-0lBqxJQmTDSC4Q#9BPJWxMi3pYfOOw26gkLlg) 2. Directors - Most readers record themselves nowadays, but some readers still ask for a director. 3. QC - Quality control is important to ensure audio books are being recorded correctly. A sample size of each session recorded by each reader is reviewed. 4. Book Copy - Special instructions for readers/directors need to be transferred to all copies in the studio. Learning Ally is a wonderful place to give back to the community. For more info, visit either: - Learning Ally website for Palo Alto (https://www.learningally.org/studio/palo-alto/) or - GoVoluntr, which is a Yelp affiliate (http://govoluntr.com/events/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&include_past_events=true&filter_term=start_date&search_term=learning+ally).

It wasn't until I broke my ankle that I realized how few volunteer opportunities were out there…read morethat didn't require you to be standing or moving around. Enter RFB&D, which turned out to be something that I originally chose upon practicality (i.e., I could sit while volunteering), but ended up being a surprise gift wrt how great this place is. What a wonderful cause to support, and the staff & fellow volunteers are awesome! Not only are you helping a great cause, but you get educated about different topics yourself. For instance, the past couple of times I've volunteered, I've read about US political fundraising & also about Postmodern art. The next time someone wants to throw down discussion on Jasper Jackson, Dadaism or Fluxus at cocktail hour, watch out. Bring it.

My child was a victim of rumors, which were later proven to be false, and as such was excluded and…read morebullied by his classmates and betrayed by his friends. The administration did little to help him clear his name and preferred to sweep his suffering under the rug instead. Some of the teachers were really good and caring, but teacher turnover is pretty high.

My son attended Kehilla last year, and I loved it. It is a nurturing, supportive school that…read moregenuinely cares about the education and welfare of the kids. I was really sorry that my son transferred out (to Palo Alto High School) where we have had the exact opposite experience. If you have the choice to send your child here, you are fortunate.

I'm really happy to be writing the first review for Admissions Advisory Group. I consider it a…read morepublic service announcement to anyone in the bay area considering business school! These guys REALLY know what they're talking about- Marie Mookini was the director of admissions at Stanford and even created some of the college admissions questions that are still used today (such as: what matters most to you and why). Lisa Park has loads of experience as well and is very dynamic and enthusiastic. It really comes across that this is not just work- Marie and Lisa took the time to engage everyone individually at the workshop I attended (and stayed after to answer questions). The workshop was very professional, interactive, and also packed with useful information. The facilitator's insight and examples had me generating ideas throughout the session. Though the application process is daunting, I left the session feeling confident with a strong understanding of what admissions is looking for and how to go about developing my essays. Note: I haven't seen workshops like these with other consulting companies. They only occur every few months so I would look into it sooner rather than later.

Extremely poor communication from staff members and teachers to the parents. I strongly recommend…read morelooking into other options of schools if you want stronger communication between teachers and parents. There are schools with a similar style that have stronger educational structures. I had a few friends in my circles, looking for a similar educational style for their children, and unfortunately, I cannot recommend this school

I have had the opportunity to see my friend's daughter absolutely blossom since switching from…read moreanother school to this school. She has become a confident young woman in a way that I wasn't sure was possible for her based on some of her special needs. Lydian academy has supported her in her journey every step of the way. Watching her go from being shy, insecure, and feeling like it was impossible to make friends, to attending and even hosting social events has been so amazing. She also had enough confidence to go out and get a summer job working with younger kids on her own. This is the same girl who struggled to go to school on her own before switching to Lydian. While Lydian academy isn't set up to work with kids of all disabilities, it has been the perfect place for my friend's daughter.

Scheduled me for an interview for a non-teaching position . Confirmed about the position via email…read more. In the interview , told me that they had the non-teaching position filled but were open to interview me for a teaching position. Posting was meant to lure in people Crook was his name , poetic .

I worked at AchieveKids Palo Alto for four months in 2019; I previously worked as a Special Ed Sub…read moreTeacher for 25 years. AchieveKids has several big problems: one is what I call "unwritten or unspoken rules" that you'll eventually figure out in due time, but I'll save your nerves: many of the staff are a "protected class", which means they can act unprofessional, disrespectful, and rude-- and the administrators will do NOTHING (sorry 'bout the caps, but that point is important!). I wish I had known before they hired me that some of my co-workers would disrespect me and treat me like shit and I was supposed to enable and/or ignore 'em. I'm a white male, and two of my co-workers who had major chips on their shoulders-- i.e. loved to initiate power struggles on a daily basis-- where minority females. Some may call it reverse discrimination, but I call it a hostile workplace. I had zero interest in proving that I was better than anyone: I just wanted to work in a professional environment and feel like an equal part of the team. I really enjoyed getting to know the students. I didn't show up at work to be put 'one down' by staff who had less education and less overall experience than me. The other big problem: the kids are emotionally sensitive and set each other off constantly like fiery dominoes. I'd say that 80% of time, staff are putting out those (metaphorical) fires: very little time to teach when most of the time it's a poor man's version of Behavioral Management 101. And most of the staff could benefit from an Emotional Intelligence/Empathic Awareness 500 hour course! Yes, many students and staff can be very nice and be fun to work with, but AK is an emotional warzone. Lastly, I planned to quit AK after I witnessed a co-worker neglect her violent student-- and the principal came and took ME into his office for advocating for "client's rights"(!?!)-- but I was fired first. Wanting co-workers to treat you with respect and advocating for students rights will get you fired!? Yep. The admin staff and system needs a major over haul! Professional ethics are more important than favoritism and petty one-upmanship. Do not work here, unless you like to be hit by students and emotionally beat up by certain staff.

My son had an excellent experience with Caleb Liu preparing for the ACT. Caleb is extremely…read moreprofessional, listens attentively to the individual needs and goals of the student and parent, and goes above and beyond to ensure the success of his students. He was recommended to me by a parent whom he successfully tutored with great results as well. I was especially impressed by him when there was a practice test hiccup, was super responsive in resolving the issue, and took it upon himself to do a personal makeup for my son. I highly recommend Caleb as a 5-star tutor for test prep. Overall, our experience with AJ was very positive, but there is significant room for improvement for practice test sessions. My son took two practice tests that were not well-organized and frustrated him because he had prepared for them only to feel like his time was wasted. I provided direct feedback to AJ because I was surprised that that this happened twice in a row to my son. I expected a premium tutoring service like AJ to be able to run practice test sessions routinely and smoothly because when they don't it causes additional stress and time on the students and parents. I hope AJ takes this as constructive feedback for the future.

Trustworthy, deeply caring, and remarkably consistent tutor…read more DeLey Hamm has worked with my daughter for over three years, supporting her through different subjects and stages of school. Over time, she has become far more than a tutor -- she's a steady, trusted presence who understands how to meet a student where they are and help them move forward with confidence. What makes DeLey truly special is her deep care and emotional intelligence. She doesn't just teach; she listens, encourages, and adjusts her approach to fit each moment. She's patient when things are hard, celebrates small wins, and helps students rediscover motivation from within. My daughter has learned to set realistic goals, build discipline, and take ownership of her learning -- all under DeLey's calm and thoughtful guidance. It's rare to find someone both so reliable and so genuinely invested in a student's growth. DeLey combines academic skill with heart, and that combination has had a lasting impact on my daughter's confidence and progress. I deeply trust her judgment and am so grateful for her continued support through the years.

Solid after school program. Mandarin education is their strong point and they give homework, then…read moreadminister quizzes and tests to measure progress - all things that were lacking when our kid was in Ohlone (after 2nd grade, she could not even write her name in Chinese correctly). Thanks to Acme, that deficit has been fixed and she is on track to be at grade level on Pinyin, Chinese character writing (including correct stroke sequence) and reading, and speech. I was not expecting much, just basic after school care when we enrolled but have been pleasantly surprised. If we had known earlier, we would have stayed with our local PAUSD elementary school and not gone to the Ohlone for their so-called Mandarin Immersion program. Note that the school has something of the feel of an expat institution (probably over 90% of the students have mainland Chinese parents). That's not necessarily a bad thing, just be aware that it is culturally homogenous.

My son has some after school and summer school here…read more Pros: 1. Super convenient location (Cubberly Community Center) with multiple places to park and pick up 2. Electives at after school. They offer piano, modeling, critical thinking, clay/sculpting, singing/dancing, tennis, chess, soccer. The electives are provided by an external company. Everyone has been trained that if a parent goes to pick up (say at the soccer field) and doesn't have the pickup tag from the front office then they can't release the child. 3. Bi-lingual English and mandarin. For kids who don't know the language there was a beginner class just learning the sounds and basic words 4. They have independent van drivers who go pick up the kids (they are paid separately from the school) from whatever elementary school and drop them off at ACME. 5. My son has fun - when they have cooking days he always wants to stay until the cooking part is done 6. There are parent teacher conferences so you can get a sense of how your child is doing 7. With the English homework (math, spelling), I can really get a sense of how my son is doing and where he needs help. Cons: 1. Sometimes the electives are during the Chinese part of class so the child will miss out on the lesson and fall behind 2. You emailed invoices but it's not always clear what they are for 3. It would be nice if they had a network of tutors who could be hired for additional fee to help children one on one 4. It can be hard to get into popular electives Bottom line: it's cost effective, it's convenient, and my son has fun

Review from my son: Zach Pava played a major role in my…read morecollege admissions process. Not only was his college essay feedback on 15+ essays extremely insightful, I felt that the manner in which he set up a schedule with deadlines and tasks was more helpful. He always kept in touch, especially during October and November, and always responded promptly. Zach set up mock interviews for me with other Insight counselors to practice for college admissions interviews, which did not count against my counseling hours! Also, the fact that Zach primarily worked over Skype was actually more convenient, since I did not have drive to the Cupertino office all the time for the counseling; instead, I could just do it over Skype in my room.

I just recently graduated from Emory University, and upon finishing my time in undergrad, I found…read moremyself looking back and reflecting on my college application process. I am the eldest in my family, and a first-generation American, so my family and I were unseasoned and largely out of our comfort zone when the time came to begin applying to universities. I found Zach through Insight, and he was a tremendous help to me, offering up suggestions about colleges I may be interested in applying to, prepping me for college tours and visits, editing my personal statements and supplemental essays, and offering me any guidance or support I needed throughout the long process. While I was a bit shy and lacking in confidence, Zach saw my strengths and potential, and constantly motivated me to challenge myself, ensuring that my applications reflected my best attributes. With Zach as my counselor, I never once felt stressed or overwhelmed about writing my applications, as Zach planned out deadlines for all components of my applications, ensuring that I would have everything in on time. Zach's genuine concern for my well-being and future was palpable throughout the application process, and after being accepted into Emory, my top choice school, Zach continued to be supportive of my aspirations. He was always more than happy to answer any questions I had about college and the future beyond. I highly recommend Zach not only as a college counselor, but also as a trusted mentor. His help was, and continues to be, an invaluable resource for me and my family!