Our child spent some time here this summer during the closure of our home school. It was such a…read morewonderful experience! Even though Luca was here for a short time, the staff took the time to learn about him in advance so he was set up for success on day one. They went out of their way to accommodate his nutritional needs. He participated in a lot of fun activities and we got updates and pictures so we knew what he as up to which was both fun and reassuring. And he came home happy every day! If we lived in Santa Barbara we would feel lucky yo bring him here every day, and we cannot wait to come back. Thanks to Dominique, Diego, Dava, and Tamara!!!

Hope 4 Kids is an exceptional school and Teresa (program director) and Cherie (the head of school)…read morehave built something amazing in Santa Barbara. We had to spend three months in Santa Barbara in 2019 for family reasons, and wanted to take advantage of the time there to let our 19 month old get socialized in a pre-school. We live in LA, so naturally compared Hope 4 Kids to some of the places we've looked at in LA, like CEE, Christopher Robin, and numerous other really nice, 'fancy' pre-schools. Hope 4 Kids is nicer than them all, and provides an amazing foundation for kids to learn. The 'outdoor education project' approach of the school has led the school to build an incredible outdoor classroom, and the kids are always engaged and having fun while learning, mostly in the outdoors. Teresa's enthusiasm for this outdoor classroom initiative is contagious, and from the moment we were introduced to the school we were certain that it was a great choice for our son. The faculty/student ratio is really low, and every teacher and teacher's aide we met was highly engaged and held to a really high standard of care for the kids and professionalism. We love this school and were so sad to leave Santa Barbara and H4K. It's an amazing place. (please also note that we are not particularly religious - this school is affiliated with a church, but operates on basic human principles of a respect for others and the beautiful world around us)

An incredible space for young people to find out who they are and what they're here to do. We are…read moreso grateful for this "school!" My 10 year old son started at RTS a year ago after several years at a public school in the county. He was so anxious at the public school: most of the kids there would run out the gate at 3pm wanting to get out of there, with my son being very upset if I was even a few minutes late. His clothes were frayed at the wrist and knees from him chewing anxiously on them, he was labeled the class clown because he was always trying to lighten the mood. Most of the "teachers" kept asking if he had ADHD or another learning disability. We knew that he did not, and so decided to try changing his environment. We started in January (so glad that we were able to start mid-year) and the dramatic difference in his happiness, behavior, sense of connection and community has been VAST. It's such a testament to the incredibly thoughtful space Natasha and Jim Bailey have co-created. The kids can choose what they do each day, with climbing trees or chatting with friends being a perfectly valid activity (there's so much learning in everything.) My son is building things, mastering design and 3D printing, playing 3 instruments without any lessons (and no urging to practice), has created his own small business and is learning entrepreneurialism and team management. All at the age of 10. (What was he learning in the other school? How to survive the day and do what other people told him to do...) The Rock Tree Sky model (or Sudbury model, the first democratic school) isn't for everyone, but we've found it more appropriate in preparing our son for life during this modern time than traditional school was. If you have any doubts or concerns about this model, a great book I was recommended was Peter Gray's Free To Learn. Note that there are no formal lessons, no strictly age-segmented classrooms (amazing), and no "teachers" only "mentors". There are rules of conduct and there are offerings each day that kids can choose from: cooking, carpentry, sewing, gardening, pottery etc. but most of them choose their own adventure each day. Isn't that what we're all doing? Isn't that what life is about?! I can only speak with the utmost respect for this learning environment and warm community. I know that the kids here are destined for brilliant things, with so many supportive people gently guiding and cheering them along the way. Ps. You can apply to the Summit program via OUSD, which is a homeschool program integrated into RTS, which also subsidizes some of the tuition and offers a more traditional classroom experience for a couple of hours a week. It's incredibly affordable compared to other private schools here, but again - it's not for everyone. If your family values self-directed learning (and living), we highly recommend RTS!

Jim Bailey and Natasha Efross put together this amazing school that both my 9 & 11 year olds…read moreattend. "Self Directed Education" and that's exactly what it is. The school sits in 2 beautiful locations in upper Ojai and your finding space for your little one may prove to be slightly difficult, so I highly recommend that you get on that wait list STAT. The teachers/mentors are the very best of the best and the kids are amazing. This is one of those schools that your child will never want to leave. I honestly don't have the ability to write all that needs to be said so I will leave it to you to go and give it a visit. Oh, their logo happens to be pretty damn beautiful too. 5 stars.

I don't even know where to begin! About a week before the season started I went to look for a…read morehealth and fitness camp for my son. Camp New Heights was at the top of every list and for good reason. I set up a call with the director Stephen Bean. He took his time telling me about the program and answering all of my questions as well as my son's questions. He was wonderful on the phone and even better in person. My son has a pretty serious anxiety disorder and I was concerned but Stephen and his staff were wonderful. They are well trained and do what is best for kids. When we arrived for drop off we met the team and they warmly welcomed our son to camp. He settled in and shoe-ed us off quickly. Every night we got an email about the day along with lots of pictures. If any issues or questions came up Stephen was quick to respond and even check in with campers. When we heard from our son on the first Saturday (kids get phones back Saturday-Sunday am) we learned how truely amazing camp is. He told us all about the sports he was playing and explained what he had learned in the nutrition class. Week two was just as incredible as week one. Our son came home today and is already talking about going back next summer. He hasn't stopped talking about the kids and all of his favorite counselors. He is talking about healthy lifestyle choices and happily noticed he had lost 9 pounds as an added benefit. The camp staff were incredibly communicative and responsive even when problems with peers came up. Our son joyfully told us how special Stephen is because, " he specially got chicken for my sandwich so I would have something to eat on our field trip. He got it JUST for me!" He felt that he was really understood and cared for. He also felt safe to try new sports with other kids working on similar goals. We are so fortunate to have found Camp New Heights and are so grateful to Stephen and his team.

We are so thankful we chose Trinity Preschool! Our daughter recently graduated, and we have seen…read moreher grow so much during her time there. She has developed wonderful friendships and grown in confidence through the care, encouragement, and investment of her teachers and the entire staff. We feel strongly that Trinity has prepared her well for entering elementary school this year. Through their play-centered approach, she has developed strong interpersonal and classroom skills, along with a great foundation in early reading and writing. We also deeply appreciate Trinity's faith-centered values and the opportunity for our daughter to learn about God and His love in a way that is age-appropriate, engaging, and meaningful to her. We are forever grateful for Trinity and these special early years with our daughter, and we look forward to returning with our son!

We have been so blessed to have chosen Trinity for our daughter! From the education to the…read moreteachers, the school is absolutely wonderful! It's also very clean, which was a top priority for us when choosing a school. And there are a lot of great families that go there as well! We looked forward to sending our second child there as well!

We sent our fifteen year old daughter to Amplify for the first time this Summer, and she had an…read moreamazing time! We would highly recommend Amplify for any girl that is passionate about music or art- especially middle and high schoolers trying to find themselves in the world while being pulled every which way by social media. For a bit of context, our daughter has had a passion for singing since she was able to sing. From singing in the car as a toddler, to completely filling both her iPad and the family iCloud account with videos of herself singing along to her favorite artists during COVID lockdowns, she was always singing. But the insecurity and bullying that came with middle school and high school stifled that for her, and singing became something that she did in secret. She insisted she wanted to pursue a career as a singer, but she was afraid to let anyone hear her voice. When we read up a little more on Amplify and the positive environment and opportunities that they provide for girls to explore various aspects of the music industry, we decided it would be just the confidence boost that she needed to come out of her shell and let her voice be heard. While the girls are at camp, parents are kept informed through the camp's social media groups for parents of campers, and through the bunk1 app, both of which feature pictures and videos that are uploaded every day or two. We loved seeing pictures and videos of the girls having fun and interacting with the various visiting artists. If any issues or questions came up, camp staff would text us to keep us in the loop, such as when our daughter wanted to change her intensive on the second day of camp. She also sent us an amazing video of our daughter practicing with her band. That's right, the girl that was afraid to sing in front of anyone was singing confidently and beautifully with her band on the second day of camp! She also performed in the camp talent show, and (after a little bit of jitters) the camp showcase! I haven't seen our daughter's performance video yet (I heard that they send out the full performance videos later in the year), but the pure joy I saw in the videos that were posted from the talent show was absolutely infectious! The girls are so supportive of the other bands, dancing and singing along to the lyrics as they cover songs from artists ranging from Bikini Kill to Billie Eilish! Besides practicing and performing with her band, the biggest highlights of the camp for our daughter were the performances from visiting artists. Each two week session features visits from well-known and emerging female artists. During our daughter's session, Lisa Loeb and Emi Grace both visited the camp, performing for the girls, answering questions about their experiences as musicians, and signing autographs. During session three, the camp also invites campers from all sessions back for Campchella, an all day music festival featuring some of the artists from each session and over fifteen artists in total. Emi Grace quickly became one of my daughter's favorite artists during her visit to camp, so she was super excited to see Emi perform a second time at camp before she headed off to Chicago for her Lollapalooza gig! Overall, I'm really impressed with Amplify and the positive impact it had on my daughter. My daughter loved the music aspect the most, but I feel like Amplify is so much more than just a music camp. It's a totally accepting and inclusive community of creative girls coming together to grow, learn, and have fun, without a cell phone in sight! From starting bands and songwriting, to photography, album design, and fashion design, to working on Cuqui magazine, to musical theatre, there's something for every interest. I love how Amplify brings the community and diy spirit that I grew up with in the 90s riot grrl scene to a new generation! Girls to the front!

My 12-year-old went to Amplify for the first time, and she had the BEST time. We drove in from out…read moreof state, and it was absolutely worth it. She chose the rock band intensive, where she learned to play bass and collaborated with her bandmates and instructors, Effy and Sarah, to write and perform an original song at the end of camp on stage. She was so excited when other girls asked for her autograph after the performance! The best part of the experience was that she found "her people." She met girls who were kind, encouraging, supportive, and just a little edgier, which made her feel like she truly belonged. She also loved that all-girl bands came to camp to perform and stayed afterward for Q&A sessions with the girls. One of her favorite days was Field Day, which still makes me laugh because she does not like PE at school. I love that Amplify has a focus on music and arts, but still keeps some of the traditional campy activities. As a parent, I really appreciated that the camp nurse called before camp to discuss my daughter's medical needs and medications. The dining staff also did a great job accommodating her dairy-free diet with plenty of vegan options. She spoke positively about the counselors, especially Chloe. The campus was beautiful, and drop-off and pickup were both organized and easy. My daughter came home more confident, with new skills, deeper friendship, and memories she'll never forget. Before we were even home, she was already asking if she could come back next year and stay longer than two weeks. I think that says a lot.

Our little one absolutely loves going to Mr. Rob's. We use it for after school care so we don't…read morehave two pick ups. She wishes she was there until 5. The kids do all sorts of activities and there are plenty of responsible adults monitoring the kids. We are very grateful that are little can be part of Mr. Robs.

I cannot hype up Mr. Rob's enough! It's just best best all around for our son. He enjoys going…read morethere after school every single day. He is well cared for by each and every staff member, and this has creative a positive and wonderful experience for him. There's no other place like it!

This is an amazing school dedicated to the well-being and self esteem of…read moreALL children. There are a lot of schools. This One is driven by immense integrity and values. The before And AFTER OF THESE CHILDREN IS REMARKABLE.

Our first experience with Interact theater school was way beyond our expectations. We had been…read moreinvolved in another theater school prior, and this And was a much more organized and professional experience. Our daughter loved her teachers and her fellow actors. There were no expensive costumes to buy and the tickets were only five dollars! And only one week they manage to teach the children songs, choreography, and stage direction. A much needed musical theater school in Santa Barbara! Looking forward to their next session.

My daughter recently attended summer camp and she absolutely loved it…read more Nice and dedicated staff make this summer camp an unforgettable experience.

We came to the open house to explore what the camp is and what it has offer. My boys, ages 12, 10…read moreand 7, have never been to summer camp...and that's a pity. At the open house, my boys got to tour, ask questions, explore, play and even sample the food (burgers and hot dogs). They were so excited. In fact, when I told my 7 year old we had to leave, he almost started to cry because he thought the open house was the first day of camp! He enjoyed the 3 hours we spent there so much he didn't want to leave. Located in the Santa Ynez Valley just inland of Santa Barbara, you drive up Main St. that turns into CA-154. The Saturday morning we went, the coast was gloomy with low clouds, overcast and some fog. As we drove up 154 on the winding two lane road, we started to see patches of blue pierce through the gray clouds. At the crest, before heading downhill, the clouds gave way to crystal blue skies and warm sun. We forgot jackets and I thought we'd be underdressed, but with the sun out, it was a pleasant 80°F. The drive there was absolutely gorgeous with lake Cachuma flanking us on the right. As we got to the turn out, we turned left right before the Lake Cachuma camp grounds. The dirt road is shared with the boys club campground, so make sure you make a quick left (there are signs) towards Circle V Ranch Camp. The dirt road has some undulations and uneven terrain that an average car or minivan can handle at slower speeds, but our 4X4 truck handled with aplomb. After the mile or so drive, the road becomes paved again and you cross a small stream and then the cabins come into view. The lush greenery and warm breeze welcomes you as you pass the pool to the general parking area. Once we got settled, the camp counselors greeted us and invited us on a tour. The facilities are campy, but in a good way. Log cabins and a big field and sport court are the highlights of the grounds. There really is something for everyone to do or find interesting. When the time came for the boys to be dropped off for their week at camp, my littlest one began to cry, as did my wife on the drive back home. She lamented that this was the first time all 3 boys were away from us and that her boys were "growing up..." Parents are encouraged to write letters or emails for the kids to read as the emails are printed every evening. My wife read aloud the email I sent the boys and she began to cry, again, as it was my way of telling our boys how proud I was of the way they were growing up and this, their first summer camp experience, was but one of many that the three of them will remember and enjoy for the rest of their lives. The week seemed like a month for us, but for the boys it wasn't long enough. They had plenty of stories to share and bragged about how good the food was. In fact, all of them wanted to go back right away. They even experienced a little depression when they got back home because they said every day at camp was better than the previous one. They sang their camp songs on the drive home from the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store drop off location in downtown LA and also showed us their prayers before meals. My 10 year old even told us he prayed every night, especially for his mama! When my 12 year old, who will be 13 soon, returns next year he'll be what's called a table leader and, if selected, said he would volunteer the whole summer! If we could afford it, we'd send them for 3 weeks. That's how much they loved the camp. But for the week they'll spend every year until they're too old to attend, it'll be more memories for them to store and share. And we can't wait.