My life, knowledge and passions have been enriched to degrees I never imaged I would reach in my…read moremid-60s thanks to the myriad of classes and day trips I have enjoyed with Smithsonian Associates. On Saturday, August 17, 2024, the day trip, A Natural History of the Mid-Atlantic: Stories of Calvert County, Maryland led by the jovial, kind and informative Hayden Matthews included visits to the historic and geographical significant Battle Creek Cypress Swamp; a visit to the Calvert Marine Museum chock full of information and displays on the formation of the Chesapeake Bay with megalodon Shark teeth and intact, carefully preserved prehistoric fresh water and sea water shells, as well as a stop at the amazing AnnMarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center featuring a stunning life-sized bronze sculpture of a man working a set of long, heavy oyster tongs in front of the museum. We concluded this trip by visiting the Bladensburg Battlefield of 1812 which sits atop of a tall hill now home to a Catholic church. From this high vantage point I was able to imagine how hard local folks worked to mobilize to keep British soldiers at bay from our nation's capitol. A smattering of zoom classes I have enjoyed worth highlighting are: * Is God a Mathematician with Dr. Mario Livio * Spitfires: The Women Who Flew in the Face of Danger during WWII with Becky Aikman * The Hessians are Coming: Mercenary Soldiers and the American Revolution with Dr. Richard Bell * The Civil War in Perspective: Our Evolving Story with Dr. Stephen Engle * Overfed, Overpaid, Oversexed--Over There: Yanks in Britain in WWII with Dr. Kevin Matthews * What Fossils Reveal About Coral Survival with Lisa S. Gardiner * The Harvey Girls and the Ladies of the Canyons: Uncovering Women's History in the Southwest with Lesley Poling-Kempes, * The Pacific Ring of Fire: A Geologic Overview (7 week/once per week series) with Dr. Kirt Kempter, and lastly * Understanding Alzheimer's Disease and Dementias with Dr. Barry Gordon, MD. I remain so very grateful to Smithsonian Associates with more classes to enjoy~

Smithsonian Associates charges 10% ticket processing fee for online orders. Ten per cent when…read morethere is NO HUMAN INVOLVED in the transaction is exorbitant. No paper ticket is ever printed nor offered. There is a printed names list at the venue. This fee is exorbitant.

Well-run, with high standards. Very popular among students, teachers and volunteers. WEC stands…read moreout as an important counter-balance to today's prevailing political culture, regarding immigrants and race relations.

I used to be a volunteer teacher at the Washington English Center, and it was one of my favorite…read moretimes of the week. I looked forward to being around people who enjoyed teaching English, and meeting students from all around the world. If I ever came across a family member or friend who needed English support, I would definitely send them here as well. From a volunteer perspective, the Center provides so much support and training for its teachers (who do not need to be professional teachers, so this helps), including a ready-made curriculum and textbooks. Though I've been an ESL tutor in the past, having this institutional support was important for me as I wanted to be well-prepared for my students. The teaching set-up also requires each class to be taught by two teachers, which is very helpful! The students come from all around the world and have many different reasons for being in the program. I loved laughing with them, learning from them (as well as my co-teachers!!), and even learning a few things about the English language myself.

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

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.

An institution on Capitol Hill, my elementary school aged daughter has taken a few after school…read moreclasses here. A CHAW van picks her and others up and takes them to the art and theater classes. She loves each class and enjoys the instructors. There's easy street parking nearby making pick up seamless.

CHAW is a really positive contributor to the Capital Hill community, in art, music, drama for all…read moreages and experiences. In particular I have been participating in the open figure drawing sessions for several years and really enjoy the atmosphere and the creativity. The organizers of this group are knowledgeable and always helpful.

Beyond20's training team, materials, and support staff are top notch! Classes are designed to make…read morematerial relatable, memorable, and fun. And, their exam pass guarantee demonstrates their investment in your success! Bonus: This team values inclusiveness. As an administrative professional in an IT service mgmt course, I was never made to feel as if I was out of my league. I was encouraged to challenge myself and stretch! David and Kyleigh, thank you for everything...I passed on my 1st attempt!!

I have taken several ITIL classes with Beyond20, the most recent being an ITIL Polestar Simulation…read more Simply stated, Beyond20 is by far the best training provider I have encountered. They match theory to practice and draw out the experience of other classroom participants to create a collaborative environment where students learn "beyond" what's in the text.

If you are looking for an opportunity to help young folks in the city then this is the place to be…read more Through their Math and English Tutoring, Leaders in the Making, and Post-Secondary Education Preparation programs For Love of Children (FLOC) has been working to educate and empower young people in Washington, DC for over 40 years. Try saying that ten times fast! I've volunteered at FLOC for several years, tutoring junior and senior high school students in Math and English. The time commitment involved has been minimal: 3 hrs a week, one night a week during the school year. It has been a fun and rewarding experience for me, helping teens and pre-teens to improve their basic reading and math skills. FLOC is always looking for volunteer tutors. Tutors work one-on-one with students on either Math or English. If you are interested then consider contacting them. Training is provided. FLOC is currently located in Columbia Heights at 1763 Columbia Road, which is about halfway between Columbia Heights on the Green/Yellow lines and Woodley Park/National Zoo on the Red line. The phone number has not changed. More information about FLOC can be found at their web site http://www.flocdc.org/ FLOC also operates an outdoor education center, located near Harpers Ferry, West Virgina.

From the owner: For Love of Children provides educational services beyond the classroom to help students succeed…read morefrom first grade through college and career. We bring together students, volunteers, families, and community partners in proven programs that teach, empower, and transform.

I can't say enough good things about this place, one of my creative homes here in DC! Dan has…read morecreated such a beautiful, light-filled space that's equipped with pretty much any tool or equipment you might need to bring any idea to life. The classes themselves are fantastic - you'll learn by doing, but also by watching an expert demonstrate for you, and getting as much help as you may need throughout. It's a good balance: you'll build your skill set and learn the practicalities of metalsmithing, but also learn to understand your own creative vision, which you can work on during open studio hours. The vibe is really chill (Dan plays great music!), all the teachers are kind and helpful and supportive, your fellow students are all interesting and fun, and overall this is the kind of space where you feel like you're able to make mistakes and still learn and grow from them. If you've ever wanted to learn the true craft of metalsmithing to make fine jewelry, this is the place to do it.

How do I give 6 stars? 7 stars? 100? Dan and JewelryClassDC deserve them, and more…read more I worked with Dan to make my engagement ring and it was an unforgettable experience. It can feel like a real leap of faith to do something so personal and important in such an unconventional way, and to put your trust in a stranger and in your own ability to learn something you have never even considered before--but I am so glad I took it. I have an experience I will remember for the rest of my life, my fiancée (she said yes of course!) has a beautiful, truly one-of-a-kind heirloom she adores and values beyond measure, and we have a story we will tell over and over again. She is already getting questions about where I found her ring, and her friends are already gushing about how amazed they are I made it. Honestly, I am amazed too. I wasn't sure I could make a ring that looked better than a beginner's craft project!--but that was before I met Dan. I had a personal design idea that not only do they not sell in stores, they don't even really sell jade cut how I needed. As far as I can tell, no one had done this before. Well, now someone has, it turned out incredible, and it's all because Dan made it possible. He went above and so far beyond. As a craftsman he is not just skilled, but meticulous, and determined to make sure every product he works on meets his high standard of excellence. As a teacher he is patient, knowledgeable, and eager to share and show what he knows--which is a lot.  And to top it all off, he is a real man of his word--exactly the kind of person you want to put your trust in when dealing with precious metals, stones, and memories. In short, they don't 'em like Dan anymore--that goes for his character, and his jewelry. If you need jewelry made, if you need jewelry worked on, if you need a guiding hand to make something yourself--do yourself a favor and see Dan and his team at JewelryClassDC.