Toastmasters has literally changed the way that I communicate professionally and personally, as…read morewell as enhanced and improved my leadership abilities. I thought that this was just a public speaking club when I finally joined 2 years ago! Little did I know that I would gain the courage to stand up and speak in front of my peers, thanks to the supportive environment in this club, as well as learn how to think quickly on my feet, and become a better leader. This particular club was a great starting point for me, as the people are friendly and nice, the membership base is a younger demographic than other Toastmasters Clubs in the area, and there is no pressure to speak if you do not want to get up in front of a small audience just yet. An added bonus is that I have made friends in the club, as well as recruited my friends outside of the club to join in the fun. Yes, it's FUN to give prepared and impromptu speeches, to give evaluations of other people's speeches, and to become a club officer to collaborate with fellow club members. The new location at The Kensington is stellar! It's no wonder that two other Toastmasters Clubs also meet here. It's clean, well-lit, has lots of seating and tables, a good speaking space, and its own side entrance. I highly recommend Toastmasters as an organization, and this club specifically. Don't wait to gain confidence! If you want to impress hiring managers at job interviews, learn how to respond quickly to questions out-of-the blue, learn how to give presentations at work, or just want to network and socialize while learning new skills, check out Toastmasters!

I have been a part of the Toastmasters community for the last 5 years and it has truly been an…read moreincredible ride. The fact that we have the opportunity to not only improve our communication skills, but also enhance our leadership capabilities makes for a valuable experience. The Walnut Creek Toastmasters club has been around for 10 years, and you can tell by the veteran members who have been with the club since its inception that it will be around for 10 more. These members are the ones who's passion inspires you to improve your communication and leadership skills to eventually meet their level. I agree that this club still has room to grow, but I feel confident in its future and I see a lot of new members coming in with a lot of enthusiasm to improve. I can't wait to see how this year pans out and I am excited for the future of this club! :)

My 8yr old has been in Mandarin Immersion since she was 2yrs old. She's been taking once a week…read moreZOOM lessons with Mei since February 2024 and it has been super helpful! My husband and I don't speak or read Mandarin and it's nice to have a little bit of help outside of school. My daughter loves Mei and scheduling has been super easy! She just started 3rd grade and told me that she feels her Mandarin has improved and that she's feeling super confident. I highly recommend. Mei and KaiXin Language School!

KiaXin Language School has been a really interesting and fun way to learn the basics of Chinese. I…read morehave participated in the first two levels of Mandarin taught by KiaXin's Jennifer Bai. Jennifer is extremely kind and patient. I strongly recommend her and think she is a very effective teacher.

Our daughter attended here for a year and a half, starting on the baby side and graduating to the…read moretoddler school. We are so grateful to Miss Marzi and her staff for their amazing care of our little girl. We watched her blossom and learn so much. We highly recommend them.

I recommend this school because I saw how hard the teachers were working to help children i worked…read morethere for 9 months if I ever have a child, I want Ms.Tamiko to be his/her teacher, i want my child learn kindness from Ms.Zhaleh, Ms.Mahsa,Ms.Nikita, Ms.Rachel. Also the owners are really helpful and respectful they actually like a family.

My kids have been at this school for three years and are enjoying learning the language and culture…read moreof Japan. The tuition is low and there are many opportunities to attend events and to be a part of the community. Making and eating special celebration foods, singing Japanese songs and learning traditional crafts are some of the fun things we do together.

My two children have been attending this Japanese school for over two years. This year, they had…read morebaseball games often on Saturday during classes. Their teacher was very accommodating with homework, and they could keep up with the class. The school has lots of cultural events that kids would look for every year. Teachers are very passionate about teaching the language and the culture. It is a nice community feeling and parents also get to know each other and become friends.

I was SO skeptical as this is a little establishment and hardly any foot traffic online as far as…read morereviews. However as soon as I walked in their new Concord location I knew it was a gem I had found! The two therapists were so sweet and greeted my kids in the front area. There were toys in the front area as well as back to keep all kids (and siblings) busy. They were so sweet with him and patient and informative. I felt like he was in such good hands. They really know what they are doing and are SO good at it that every aspect of their office is made for kids! :) Such friendly amazing people with huge hearts and a passion for what they do! My child will continue to go back for speech therapy :)

Yesterday was our 1st Speech Therapy class with our youngest son of 23 months. Leading up to our…read morefirst appointment, Lorena coordinated everything for me to make things less overwhelming. I already started with a good and positive vibe with Lorena. She answered many of my concerning mommy questions to allow me to feel at ease that our little MJ would be one on one with a speech pathologist and a bonus we also had an intern work with him. Last night we worked with Erica and Sarah and it was like watching a different little boy light up and just want to engage in everything and yearned for applause! We worked "B" and "W" sounds that kept my son engaged. This morning when I played the bubble song, he sang the, "bop, bop, bop!" part. I praised him with saying "good talk." Something I took away from watching Erica and Sarah work so kindly and lovingly with my son. We are looking forward to our next classes the next 8 mos! Stay tuned for updates on our progress!

EFBA offers a great French program for elementary school children. My children have been in the…read moreprogram for 4 years. It has given them the confidence to speak the language more often and feel closer to the French culture. They look forward to their classes each week.

When I say that finding Fernanda is the best thing to have happened to me this year, I mean it!! At…read morethe time that we started lessons, I was dating a Uruguayan, so I wanted to learn the language to be able to communicate with his family. We are no longer dating, but I now work with Fernanda twice a week -- which is just a testament to the love I have for her and her classes. She has such incredible knowledge of language, and also such a kind and engaging spirit. I plan to continue classes for many years to come. Love you, Fernanda!!

I've been taking Zoom classes with Fernanda for a couple weeks now. It's been going great - she…read morealways comes prepared for our lessons, and I have already improved so much. We have a great blend of conversations and grammar, which has been great for my beginner level.

For the best learning experience of a new language of Mandarin Chinese come to COCOCS or Contra…read moreCosta Chinese School to learn and excel your language skills.

My son has been coming to CoCoCs since Kindergarten and this is year 2 for him. We love the school…read moreand the community. It is a non-profit and run by veteran educators and people who are passionate for Chinese/Taiwanese culture. It takes a village to run education and my top reasons for staying at this school are below. 1. The curriculum: It is well thought out and one of the teachers actually designed and wrote the textbooks! I absolutely love it. They also offer Traditional or Simplied textbooks so parents can pick their preference. 2. No affiliation with religious groups: Some Chinese schools in the area are affiliated with Churches or other religions and my family isn't religious. So this school makes the most sense for us. 3. Parental involvement: We love parents here help out, volunteer and chip in to make the school run better. The principal and his wife have dedicated their life to run the school and parents/volunteers help bring the school forward. What is most important to us is my son enjoys learning and can understand Chinese. He has picked up quite a lot and enjoy coming here every Saturday. When I just recently took him home to Taiwan, my parents were impressed with his Chinese and can communicate with him. To me, that is a major plus!