They do Gods work! No joke! Our son was struggling with writing and math. When he would get home…read morefrom school my wife and I would try to help him with his homework. That didn't go over well. When we would try to teach him or tell him to fix a letter, etc, he would flip out, get angry, break his pencil in frustration. There was no way to get through to him. We didn't know what to do or where to go. As parents we were lost and frustrated. Enter GradePower. We were told about GradePower through a friend. We immediately scheduled a consultation with Gordon. Let me tell you Gordon is super nice, understanding, and knowledgeable. He listens and answer all your questions. Also, Gordon understands kids that struggle with learning or need help, as he was in their shoes once. Nick is also an amazing person, I swear they have the nicest, calmest, most understandable people working here. Our son is thriving we see it in his work. We see it in his confidence. We will be sending our daughter here once she gets into the higher grades. Oh and they are on top of everything. We have scheduled check-ins with Gordon and or Nick who give us feedback on how are son is doing, showing us his work, showing us his growth but also telling us what he needs to work on. GradePower has given us hope when we were hopeless. Investing in your child's future starts with GradePower. Thank you GradePower, we love you!

GradePower has been wonderful for my son who struggles with Dysgraphia and ADHD! He's come a long…read moreway in 3.5 months! Gordon, Rachel, staff and tutors are wonderful! I'm so happy with my son's progress, we will be signing my 7yr old daughter up for continual education over the summer. Thank you GradePower!

Dr. Harper has been my daughter and my sons' educational advocate for over 10 years. My daughter…read morehas Down Syndrome and my son is high-functioning Autism. She has helped create creative and functional goals that have extremely benefited my children. Not too many advocates have not only been a special education teacher in various grades but also have a child with special needs herself. Her specialty is Advocacy, and she knows the ins and outs of what is reasonable to ask of a school and what the school's responsibility is to provide. Her presence at each one of my kids' ARD meetings has allowed me to be a mom and let her advocate for what's best for my children's future. I can't say enough about my experience working with Harper Advocacy. I'm not sure my children would have received the resources they needed without her. Her knowledge and advice are worth every penny! I'm glad to have Dr. Harper in my corner during this journey.

Horrible "100%" money back guarantee. Our student dropped point after taking this class twice…read more Then they weasel out of their refund promise, instead asking us to buy more services. So we can spend more to have them make our student less intelligent. Do not give these people a dime.

My son took the SAT and got exactly the same score before and after the class. More Than a Teacher…read moreprovided no benefit whatsoever. They also find any reason to refuse their "money-back guarantee". My son went to every class spent many hours in their classes. Yet they refuse to provide any refund claiming that he didn't complete every homework assignment. They look for ways to ensure they don't have to pay the "guarantee". If you actually want you child to do better on an exam, avoid More Than a Teacher at all costs since it will not result in any improvement.

I've wanted to learn French for years. It always seemed out of reach. I took Spanish in high school…read moreand thought the only way I could learn another language was in a "traditional" school setting. Wow was I wrong. I have one week left in my Beginning 1A French class with Freestyle Languages and feel like I've already learned more than I did in all of high school. I am able to talk about myself, the weather, what I like and don't like to eat, the sports I play, my hobbies - how cool is that? My ultimately dream of becoming fluent in French and moving to Paris doesn't seem out of reach anymore. If you're wanting to learn another language, I HIGHLY recommend Freestyle Languages.

I self-studied French on and off for two years before deciding to take a formal class. I don't live…read morein Austin, but I was aware of Freestyle through an Instagram account they run (@frenchphraseoftheday), and checked them out after they started offering virtual classes because of covid. I had a pretty large vocabulary but really wanted to improve my speaking and understanding of different tenses. I've gotten both of those things and a lot more. We're about halfway through the semester and I'm already sad at the thought of it being over!! My teacher, Gloria, is patient and encouraging, and I really like the other students. My speaking has gotten a LOT better and more colloquial. The classes are held twice a week with an optional practice "café" on Saturdays. Every week is focused on a different theme: food, giving directions, etc. The classes are on Zoom, which means there is the occasional technical glitch, but mostly they run smoothly. The only drawback is that it's clear some of the fun events they now have to hold virtually, like movie screenings and happy hour, just aren't the same online. But I'm glad I get to attend them at all, because I couldn't if they were held in person. It's been a lot of fun and I look forward to every class and conversation.

I'm a current volunteer in a second grade classroom. Each week I get the pleasure of working with…read morethree wonderful kiddos on their reading skills. And, every week, I leave my school with a big grin on my face, and restored faith in humanity. If only we could all be like second graders! The APIE folks make it EASY to volunteer. They give you, and each child, a workbook full of stories and activities for each week, so no planning is required. And, you're not ever alone - a program coordinator is there each week, along with six or so other volunteers. They've also got the timing down pat - you volunteer for exactly 45 minutes per week, making it possible for me to drive down from work, volunteer, and drive back in a single lunch hour. Volunteer with this group! You won't regret it.

Fun, dynamic, and well-organized program--my son absolutely LOVES it! The attention to detail and…read moreoveral takeaway is super impressive. These kids understand programming (and often have grasped a new language) by the end of their sessions, even if they have no prior experience. The instructors are great, and really understand how to keep the kids engaged so that they're learning the whole time, and they take the time to give detailed feedback on each student's performance. My son has participated in Hello World the last two summers and he's eager to get back to it this coming summer break again. I'm beyond thankful that this program exists!

I can not say enough good things about Hello World. My son has done numerous programs with Hello…read moreWorld both over the summer and after school. He is an advanced coder but still learns so much from the instructors. He says they are both fun and extremely smart.

Lack of communication and commitment…read more I had reached out to Ms. Staffa to see if she could assist with my child. We did an informal introduction through zoom, and I proceeded to schedule a formal evaluation/screener with her. On my first appointment, I called her a day before to confirm, and she apologized that the appointment was not document and that she was not going to be in the area. I was completely fine with rescheduling and we proceeded to reschedule a few days later. On my second attempt, I pulled my child from school, and drove to her Katy, TX office only to find out that the office was closed. I called Ms. Staffa and she mentioned that she had a personal emergency the day prior. While, I would have been understanding and rescheduled again, the deal breaker was when her stating that she "thought she had rescheduled all of her appointments". This let me know that my appointment again was not documented and there was a serious lack of follow through with potential new clients. The dishearten part of this is that she fit all the criteria for us, and we were more than likely going to sign up with her. My reason for a low rating is strictly based on lack of communication and commitment with new or potential clients.

We cannot say enough good things about Regina Staffa of Academic Therapy Center. When we suspected…read moreour child had dyslexia, she helped us through the process by doing an initial assessment to see if we should seek a diagnosis and then has stuck by us as we have struggled to integrate an intensive tutoring intervention with his school schedule. Over our more than two-year association, she has consistently bent over backwards to help us, to meet our son on a regular schedule, and to provide engaging tutoring. We have seen his reading comprehension jump a grade level and his ease with reading and general academic confidence improve tremendously. With an intensive program (early morning, 4 days a week), it is hard to keep a student's enthusiasm up, but Regina is so positive and warm with kids, it has helped my son rise to the occasion. Most importantly, we have sometimes felt like Regina is the only advocate for our son in his school context, and now I truly understand what that means and how important it is for parents.

My son had the best experience! Each day was a unique adventure in Austin. It was a perfect blend…read moreof indoor and outdoor activities. The camp itself is well organized and provides lunch and snacks each day. It's a great camp to meet new kids and hang out with friends. We will definitely be back!

I can't say enough about Camp 512's founders and counselors, Blake Pankonien, Brooke Alkire and…read moreCourtney Rimkus. All are former Eanes ISD elementary school teachers with a love and a passion for working with children. The low staff-camper ratio makes for a special and engaging experience. Each Camp 512 week hosts its own unique and fun-filled theme. The well thought out yet flexible schedule includes exploring Austin favorites such as Mount Bonnell, the Blanton Museum and the State Capitol as well as introduces the children to local food resources, cooking and baking and animal adventures to name a few activities. Guaranteed fun!

I didn't know what to expect from this place. Some science centers are kids-only affairs (despite…read morenot being billed as such) while others have more to offer visitors of all ages. Fortunately, the Austin Nature & Science Center ended up falling in the latter category. The main building houses an assortment of bones, shells, and rocks (as well as an axolotl tank) and another building is home to various reptiles. Outside areas include a dino pit (where kids can dig for fossils) and several animal enclosures. What makes the latter unique is that the animals are rehab/rescue cases. They include everything from a bobcat to a porcupine to a 34-year-old one-eyed owl (!!) and more. Granted, Austin Nature & Science Center does offer more for a younger crowd, and it isn't particularly easy to get to by bus, but it's hard to argue with a chance to take in flora and fauna for free.

Great FREE option in Austin for kids!…read more One of the best parts is you can see an axolotl (two, actually) in their visitor center building. Then you can head over to the birds of prey, the reptile/fish building, and the animal enclosures. There's also a little lake and a large sand pit (dino dig). There's a cool room in the visitor center that has all sorts of nature items (bones, dead bugs, shells, rocks, etc.). You can bring in your own stuff to trade! Is it a huge amount of things to do/see? No but for a free attraction, it's pretty great. Parking is across the street -- lot is shared with Zilker Park and all the nearby attractions so it can get busy.