I went to one of Immersion Island's camps for adults this weekend, and it was terrific. As a…read morebeginner (I've been studying Spanish for 9 months), I was worried that it would be difficult (not to mention tiring) to keep up with an 8-hour day of conversation entirely in Spanish, but Jennifer did a great job of structuring the day so it did not get tedious and had plenty of variety. The camp is offered over a weekend and students can go for one day or two (I just went on Saturday). There were about 10 students there, at various stages of proficiency from beginner to advanced, along with 6 or 7 native speakers. There were times when we spent time listening to cultural presentations, other times when we practiced conversation one-on-one or in small groups. The theme on Saturday was a "visit" to Venezuela. The most interesting thing was learning from, and speaking with, 5 native Venezuelans who told us about the country and talked about traditions, the landscape, the food, etc. One of them was a very skillful musician who plays the "cuarto" (four-stringed guitar) and led us through several songs, which was fun and also useful for practicing vocabulary. They also showed us how to make arepas, which we had for lunch. All of the native speakers were patient and encouraging, so I felt like I absorbed a lot without feeling stressed about my beginner speaking skills. The students with more advanced speaking skills also had opportunities to have more in-depth conversations.

My son attended Chapel Hill KinderCare for several years until recently (we needed a place closer…read moreto home versus the workplace). We had a great experience - special shout outs to Ms. Melissa and Ms. Alba, Ms Trinity and Miss Emily, the incomparable Ms. Jasmine, and to the fantastic leaders Ms. Jessica and Ms. Sherrell. My son has a severe egg allergy and they always made sure to keep him safe with parties and treats. I appreciated the communication from leadership and teachers.

I've had an exceptional experience with this KinderCare branch. Jessica and her staff are very…read moreaccommodating and show a real passion for child care. I was apprehensive about going with a child care center because of the virus, so I only used care.com. I finally decided to give the child route a try, and I'm impressed. There is also an app that gives you updates on everything from pictures to letting you know when their diaper is changed.

Incredible dual-language programming in a Montessori setting with experienced and caring teachers…read moreand admin. Strong and vibrant parent community.

My wife and I are professors at UNC and Duke, respectively. We have researched most of the schools…read morein the area and decided to send our older child to Duke School with mixed results. With our youngest, we tried IMS and have been amazed at the level of dedication by teachers and administration. Solid education with emphasis on intercultural competence and language acquisition. Simply the best school in the Triangle. Excellent management of Covid issues by the administration and staff. Cannot recommend it more in terms of education and community. They have their priorities straight!

My daughter started at Wildflower when she turned three, and she's been loving it! The kids spend a…read morelot of time outside everyday, not just at the playground but also in the woods, at the mud pit and bike path. She has so much fun, coming home tired and content. The teachers are nurturing, loving and attentive. I especially appreciate how they educate kids to be wholesome human beings, care for each other and solve conflicts among themselves.

The teachers are the most patient and positive human beings I have ever come across, and have made…read moremy daughter's first experience with out-of-home care the best I could hope for. Her imagination and confidence have both blossomed since she began there. I only wish the program extended to kindergarten and beyond.

Both of our children, our son and daughter, attended The Goddard School of Durham, and we have…read moreconsistently been impressed with the quality of care and education they received. The teaching staff is knowledgeable, caring, and skilled at fostering each child's development. Our kids grew tremendously in confidence, social skills, and academic readiness during their time here. The teachers took the time to understand each child's individual needs and learning style, which made a significant difference in their progress. The curriculum is well-structured and age-appropriate. Daily communication kept us informed about our kids' activities and development. We also loved the constant stream of photos we received through their app; it helped us put faces to the names of our children's friends and sparked conversations at dinnertime. The facilities are clean, safe, and well-maintained with great outdoor play areas. As working parents, we appreciated the reliability and peace of mind that come with quality childcare. The staff treated our children with genuine care and helped create a positive foundation for their future learning. Our son is transitioning out after several years, and we are confident--just as we were with our daughter--that the skills and preparation he has gained at Goddard will serve him well. We would definitely recommend this school to other families seeking quality early childhood education.

I have visited the Durham Goddard several times and this particular teacher in the Preschool is not…read morevery friendly with the teachers that is her classroom and she is very rude and disrespectful, she believes in yelling at her students and the teachers and wonder why she doesn't have a teacher in her classroom

OC Gymnastics - STOP BULLYING YOUR PATRONS!…read more A follow up to my review of OC Gymnastics: We have been so very disappointed with OC Gymnastics decision to keep money just given to the gym after our daughter made a responsible decision to focus on her swim team obligations and EOG testing rather than exercise her gym time. I was shocked when Aaron Williams, owner of OC Gymnastics, made another poor decision. A call was placed to our house by the gym, after my review, informing us that our daughter would have been allowed to attend Friday gym sessions had I not written my less than glowing review of OC Gymnastics; however now she was uninvited! What responsible business BULLIES a child and her family?!? I highly encourage you all to please take your business elsewhere. Do not let local businesses take legitimate complaints against their business practices out on our children. Tell OC Gymnastics to stop bullying the good families and their children within our community. SHAME ON YOU OC Gymnastics! SHAME ON YOU!!!

Our daughter has been a member of this gym since it's inception, having transitioned from pre-team…read morethrough Bronze and currently Silver. We love the other parents and have developed a great community at OC Gymnastics. The kids always seem to be having a great time and have a super rapport with their coaches. They did really well during the last year's team meets and one of their Bronze teammates even got first place at Regionals for her age division. We're super proud of the girls! Team parents Aaron and Terra Wells have recently purchased the business and we are really looking forward to working with them.

MotoMark1 is an amazing driving school. Moving from NYC to NC and never having learned to drive, I…read morewas nervous about getting behind the wheel, but I couldn't have asked for a better driving school experience. Each instructor I had was extremely knowledgeable, calm, and a great communicator. Mark, David, John, and Gloria, I am so appreciative of what you do at MotoMark1.

I attended Stayin' Safe in the Smokies in September 2023, and loved it. The format is quite a bit…read moredifferent than other classes I've taken, where in this one it's more of a tour through some of the best motorcycling roads I've ever seen. The focus is on safer riding. Our class had 3 instructors riding with us, and everyone used either their in-helmet comms if you had them installed or you could plug in your own earphones to one of the classes units. This allowed the instructor to coach while you were riding. 2 of our 3 instructors were police motor officers and all 3 of them were outstanding riders and coaches. In the 2 day class, each morning we started off with a briefing of what was going to happen, then we headed out as a group on the road. We had plenty of pre-arranged breaks and a lunch stop every day, and each one of those included some face-to-face instruction. Between days 1 and 2 we all stayed at the same hotel and had dinner together (all included in the price of the class/tour) The coaching included instructors in the headsets talking about the safest lane position for each situation and why, what to watch for, what you should be thinking about in each situation, animal encounters, etc. It sounds basic especially if you've been riding for years, but I can assure you that you'll pick up safer riding habits in this class and have fun doing it. Days after the class I'm replaying some of the coaching in my head as I ride down the road. Most students were one-up on their bikes, but I attended with my wife as pillion in the class and I'm glad I did. If you ride with a passenger, you should train with a passenger. Hats off to our instructors Mark, Terry, and Steve for putting on a great, professional class!

Wonderful experience with special needs kids. All instructions at appropriate level for 5-8 year…read moreolds. Wonderful family experience. We will go back.