Last year I took the "Tile, Grout, and Thinset" class with the DIY Academy. It was a fantastic…read moreexperience and it gave me the confidence to fix up one of the smaller bathrooms at my house. With my master bathroom repair-and-renovation looming, I wanted to expand my knowledge base more, and Rich and the DIY Academy were once again there to help. Instead of a class, I participated in the volunteering arm of the program and assisted in the demolition and subfloor preparation of an actual master bathroom. It was a whole day of cutting, grinding, smashing, and trashing, but it certainly affirmed the old maxim, "The best way to learn is to do." A lot of times it seems educators in any field see fit to show and tell, but not so here. Rich was always there to supervise and provide support, but it was apparent that he was dedicated to having the student learn by action and not by observation. His methods provided a great blend of experience-based learning and direct instruction. Being able to take part in each process necessary to strip a room down to its bones eliminated two obstacles that scare off most homeowners from attempting to do their own renovation work. First, it removed the mystery of a home's construction: every layer of material holding the old bathroom together could be seen and held. Second, it provided some level of expectation: now having seen how the various surfaces and materials are held together, I know my own bathroom's construction will not be terribly far off. This all works together to establish a sort of baseline muscle memory for the work to be done in the future. This was another great experience with DIY Academy and I hope more such opportunities arise in the future!

From the owner: DIY Academy is a workshop for the novice DIYer who is interested in learning hands-on skills for…read morevarious home improvement projects and repairs to your increase knowledge base when working with contractors/handymen or to be able to complete a project on your own. We will have workshops that cover various topics such as kitchen backsplash installation, minor plumbing (replacing a toilet, changing out sink hardware, installing a garbage disposal), minor drywall repair, tile floor installation, remodeling a shower, demo of tile / shower, tile installation materials, caulking, grout repair and more! This is an excellent opportunity to learn a new skill from licensed and trained professionals who are in the trades and meet new people and work in a group setting to learn these skills.

This is a state of the art facility. It's a GWU facility. The TWA wreckage from the crash of 1996…read morerests here. Great people. Great venue. This entire campus is just stellar. I'm a graduate of GWU and did not even know this Science and Technology campus existed. I am not surprised at all. It has been quite an experience learning here at this facility.

son attended this school they are absolutely unprofessional before the end of his program they…read moremoved locations with out proper notice and he is still waiting for the graduation to happen & he finished last year , please don't spend your money & time with this school they suck. im looking for the better business bureaus information & trying to figure out who to contact for tuition reimbursement

After trying to reach them via text phone and email and getting no response I showed up at the…read morelocation listed on their website only to learn that they are no longer at that location. Does this school even exist anymore?

This review is for the Operations only (I've watched YouTubes and have attended events in the past…read morethat were super cool, and I'm a fan of the maker community). Jennyfer was very rude, condescending, and unwelcoming to me. I have never felt so uncomfortable with anyone on the phone before. I emailed with an inquiry on availability for rental space and provided some ideas for volunteering that I could provide to the community. Not only did she imply that I had written "a lot of info to share via email," but then proceeded to ask me to what I wanted on the phone as if I was in an interrogation. She said, "Oh, I am sorry, I don't think you know who I am. Let me introduce myself....I manage Nova Labs and the Innovation Center... " This is unwarranted display of power and "gatekeeping" for a non-profit community organization. I had only visited the space several years ago when my friend had his office there. I am not aware of the politics or structure that she was implying about whether or not I was approvable in her eyes in becoming a member and volunteer with Nova Labs as well as whether I am qualified to rent an office space that should only be for"people who make things" not those who work at a desk. I make things using my computer and with my hands. Really disappointed and sad that this all just happened.

I want to like this place so much but I can't under current operations. I quit after two months…read more Too many bad experiences. You can always try a month and see it's for you. I reserved the laser cutter but people would be on it and tell me to take a hike. Several code violations that shutdown most of the back so could not work on some projects. Odd personalities to deal with like at a disfunctional job site. Lots of newbies that I question if they have ever used a hammer or cordless drill. My personality is more organized and process orienteded, read engineering not liberal arts, so this place drove me nuts, BUT they are volunteers so I have to give them some leeway. Pros: Assortment of tools to cover any project. Layout based on type project type. Training sessions. Cons: Training session cost on the high side. This does weed out the not serious people looking for free entertainment. Equipment not available when you arrive. Equipment down or somebody is using it. One hour commute and $5 gas down the toilet. People not cleaning up, leaving tools out, screwing up the adjustment of machines.

My employer sent me here to take the Introduction Adobe Illustrator course and I enjoyed the class…read moreand teaching. I felt like everyone who works there is so kind. Barbara greeted me warmly and gave me a tour of their office space and kitchen. The kitchen was stocked with all kinds of beverages, snacks, and light bites. Perfect way to start the day, since the class lasts from 9-4pm. Our instructor Kate was kind, knowledgeable and approachable. I felt like I could ask questions when I fell behind. She was patient with others in the class as well. In this intro class we learned the basics, how to align objects and how to create shapes and images to design marketing collateral. We also got to keep the official Adobe Illustrator training workbook and received a certificate upon completion of the class. I recommend taking your computer and software training here.

I work in digital marketing for a large human rights organization and was looking for an intro to…read morePhotoshop class to help me in creating social media shareables. I researched a few places in DC and Softek offered the course at a reasonable price. Since the price tag was lower than others i looked at, I assumed it wouldn't be as great of quality, but I was wrong. The class was from 9AM-4PM and I learned more than the basics of Photoshop. The instructor was very knowledgeable and had a way to really connect with her students in explaining complex ideas. I highly recommend this place for Photoshop training! After just one class, I tested what I learned and made this social media shareable: http://on.fb.me/1rxsYEl. Thanks, Softek!

Highly recommend PMTI for those interested in obtaining the PMP certification. The boot camp and…read moreonline resources (Yad's videos rocked) were invaluable and helped me pass the exam. The boot camp instructor, Jeff Garelik was amazing! Post course support is offered as well, for those that need more study time before sitting for the exam. You will receive lots of support with PMTI so I think it's well worth the money.

PMTI was very helpful in preparing me to take the PMP exam. That test is no joke, and the…read moreinstructors as well as the staff reassure you along the way of the test difficulty and the study habits needed to succeed.

Not sure if it's still in business However great set up. Covers all ground as far as gaining…read moreemployment.

Instructors (HW) are not knowledgable and do not know what the student needs to learn to get a job…read more The outcomes part 3 weeks with no classes at all. The group morale down for not enough support to get assignments done. The cost of this bootcamp for the instruction is not worth at all. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS BOOTCAMP TO ANYONE. The staff has not enough experience to handle a large number of students in this cohort.

February 6, 2020 I…read moreleft in the last two weeks due to no more new material, poor instruction due to three instructor changes, and choosing a job in the industry. Pluses First we'll start with the positives from the physical to the logical and qualitative. Location The GA campus in DC is clean, serviceable and well stocked with excellent Frontlines support. I would give it as near as 100% as possible. Classrooms always have working projectors, enough seats and whiteboards. Coffee, Peanut Butter and Jelly and tea bags are always plentiful. Outcomes The outcomes team gives the students most of the skills I learned in this industry at dozens of customers and clients over 20 plus years. As much as the students complained about the long sessions to me, those that follow its rigors will secure a position quickly. Curricula The curricula as defined in the GA SEI Syllabus compares well with Flatiron, CodingDojo, Trilogy and others. Instruction All lead instructors seemed knowledgeable of the material covered. All instructors were approachable and inviting of the material. Delivery The Google calendar was updated weekly with relatively accurate material to be presented and learned. Labs and software functioned as expected. Installfest saved the students trouble that they will quickly learn in the field. Compatibility and libraries are key from development to deployment. Minuses Now, some constructive guidance Location Those stairs are extremely steep and elevator access restricted. Heat in these historical buildings often has trouble on those frosty days. This one is no different, a space heater or two might help if compliant ones are available. Outcomes Only one thing I might recommend here are interview dry runs. We had one or two examples of interviews, and I imagine hiring panel next week will be equally excellent. But as mentioned below, practice, practice practice! All candidates I have ever met benefit from practicing the interview questions and the discomfort. I mentor all of my charges in this area. We even do professional development sessions on it. Curricula The curricula was not taught completely. For example, one of the reasons, that I, an experienced Engineer chose GA were the Algorithms and Data Structures courses as shown in the screenshots below. These courses were not available until after the course opened and even worse were never addressed. This pattern of missing core material as we moved forward forms part of the basis for my letter and departure. Instruction Our lead instructor changed three times. None of them covered all of the material separately or together. For new students this gap will carry over into their new careers. Although I mentioned this before and in tickets, it has not been addressed adequately. It cannot be rectified at this late stage. Delivery Furthermore there was often a lack of respect for the difficulties that the students faced. Comments such as the students are "lazy," "do not want to work," or "do not like to read have been heard." While I encourage constructive criticism it must be backed by instructional excellence. Instructional Excellence Although very personable as a whole the instructional style was far too loose to give new students the comfort they need in this difficult, challenging and dynamic field. Like sport and music, training for novices is about learning patterns and executing them repeatedly and in combination. As the student grows, these patterns or katas inspire the artists to create their own symphonies. Not enough structure was provided for training the students muscle or neurological pathways to allow for confident improvisation. This is my number one guidance. When teaching new material it is vital that it is taught, demonstrated, practiced and reviewed. Although much of the material had this character, it has not been consistent enough to train the students. On my final day I was directly criticized for the instructional failures of this cohort. I was told that I was pushing and telling the students what to do when in reality all that I did was: Describe the concept. Demonstrate the concept. Allow the students to choose issues to tackle. Reviewed them as a whole. The instructor who arrived later to try to guide us was disrespectful to me and to the classroom in his behavior. Summary I chose GA over the alternatives for several reasons. First, the curriculum met most of the baselines of each of the other bootcamps in the area, although it was slightly pricier, the vibe and location seemed worth it. I was 100% accurate on the location and vibe, you are a warm and welcoming team that open your hearts to all students. Please structure the courses more. I mentioned this in my ongoing ticket