We love Little Bee. The kids are happy, well adventured on their daily outings & kept safe; the…read moredirector Sarra is easy to work with, and the parent community is welcoming. On top of a Mandarin curriculum with creative activities daily, the lucky kids take outings every morning to various beautiful Presidio locations, including the ocean & beach, forest, and the new Presidio Tunnel tops. We also appreciate the weekly show & tells, daily photo updates, and music classes. The kids enjoy singing Mandarin & English songs learned without speaking Mandarin at home. Highly recommend.

Finding Little Bee feels like discovering a hidden gem. Our child gets to be in the outdoors for a…read moregood portion of the day, in the Presidio, with the Golden Gate Bridge as a backdrop. On top of that, her Mandarin AND English skills seem far advanced among her peers that are not in Little Bee. The parent community is one-of-a-kind and we have made some lifelong friends here. The only downside is knowing that our child will have to leave for kindergarten one day. Little Bee is a special place that our family will always treasure.

Little Bee is an incredible preschool, and I could not recommend it enough to prospective parents…read more Our son has attended the Funston (Presidio) location since he was 2 years old. Each class has 3 main teachers + floating teachers, who all care for the kids with kindness and empathy. The campus' location in the Presidio creates an idyllic and beautiful environment for the kids - they go outside to explore nature every morning and we get sent daily pictures and videos of their adventures. We love the Mandarin immersion aspect, and our son is fully bilingual thanks to the teachers' efforts. Sarra, the director of Little Bee, runs a tight and efficient ship. The involved PTA organizes many community events, such as monthly playdates, Easter Egg Hunts, an annual Camp Out, Pumpkin Picking, Santa's Brunch, parents' nights out and more across the Funston and Lombard locations. Beyond just a preschool, this is also a supportive, caring, welcoming community of families and we have met many wonderful friends through Little Bee.

Little Bee is an amazing preschool with a loving and supportive environment. The teachers truly…read morecare about each child, and our daughter thrived here both socially and academically. We couldn't be happier with our experience!

TALK is a wonderful school that helps international students learn English and engage in activities…read morearound the bay area. As a previous teacher here, I can truly say it was the best job I ever had. I loved working with the students from many different countries and participating in activities. I always think about the memories I made here and helping students learn English. My boss Molly was wonderful and the teachers there were all very helpful, supportive, and nice. It is a great school to be a part of! Come study here you will enjoy it and remember the experience for the rest of your life.

I would recommend this school for sure! The welcome is very warm and the atmosphere really nice! I…read morelearned a lot during the classes. We talked about very interesting topics, about the news, the exercices are varied! I really appreciate this time in Talk English School, it's like a family! Thank you for organizing activities and discoveries SF!

Professor Lee (Lee laoshi) was a great teacher for me and other adult Chinese language learners…read more Thanks to her, I was able to communicate effectively with my wife's relatives and properly participate in funerals for extended family in China. Previously when working with her, I learned enough to travel on my own in Beijing and surroundings. I highly recommend working with her if you want an intensive, focused program of learning spoken or written Chinese.

My children age 9and 10 had been going to this establishment for over two years . I originally was…read morepleased with the place and their teaching . As time has gone on my kids had not picked up as much of the language as I thought they should , so I had contemplated moving else where ... but the class is super close to there elementary school so we stayed . Then the worst thing I could have imagined was made clear to me. My kids let me know that The owner Celine who instructed my kids had been SWATTING the back of their heads with her hand to get them to pay attention!! I was and am in SHOCK , no body touches my kids. IT was hard enough to frighten them Both and this is why I strongly feel other parents need to know this happened . Please do not be fooled by her kindness this will eventually be to your child's disservice . Also I have emails and voice messages with Celine the teacher apologizing! She even went so far as to have a mutual friend try to get me to forgive and forget! Probably knowing I'd write this very sad true information. Be warned ..

I have two kids at Russian Hill Academy - one is leaving for Kindergarten this fall 2026 (started…read moreat the tail-end of COVID) and the other just started last year in 2025. We had our son in the thick of COVID and were nervous about sending him to daycare. His interaction with people outside our home was limited, not to mention the fear of illness at the time. Jiali and her staff made sure we were totally comfortable with their practices, and they are super clean in general. It is a safe and clean space for kids to learn, explore, and remain healthy. When it came time to send our daughter to daycare, it was a no-brainer. We jumped at the available slot and she has been happy and thriving for the last 9 months. She is in her own class with kids in her age group and has made her own friends. The school does a good job of having the siblings find one another at select points in the day but she also has a strong independence which is important as we prepare for our son to leave RHA. If we could keep our son at RHA we 100% would but alas it is time for him to move on so we will hold onto the remaining time our daughter has there, dearly. The friends we've made will be with us for a lifetime, and we give so much credit to Jiali and her staff for all the heart (and sweat) they pour into creating a community for kids and parents alike.

We cannot say enough good things about Russian Hill Academy and the care we get with Jiali and her…read morestaff. Our daughter started at a year and a half and thrived around having children her age and older around. She always came home with new words and found her best friends at the daycare. She has since started kindergarten but misses the daycare and always wants to come in and give a hug to the teachers when we come to pick up my son. The children go to the playground, have a beautiful indoor area for play and learning. The food is home cooked by the staff (my children eat more vegetables there than I can introduce at home!). I love to see the combination of fun with education as well. Our son now attends and also started at the same age, he loves going in and is always excited to tell us about his day. The school is Mandarin immersion (we do not know/speak Mandarin at home) but both children love and speak the language well, always singing songs and teaching me words. My daughter has loved it so much that we continue to find opportunity to continue to learn Mandarin. They both are able to identify symbols and converse easily with the staff. The activities that are posted and shown to us through Brightwheel are always impressive with respect to the breadth of activities like learning about caterpillars and butterflies or doing motor coordination activities. The children are always enthusiastic about singing and dancing and my children's Mandarin proficiencies are demonstrated through the video as well. While we do not always get to communicate as thoroughly with some of the teachers, Jiali is always very responsive to questions and keeping us updated on our child's progress. We have not had issues despite not speaking Mandarin for our children and we have loved that another language is being developed with our children. The families in the community are also wonderful and we love attending the yearly event where the children learn dances and songs to present to the families. Jiali is second to none in expertise in care for children. I credit her for both of our children being potty trained at the daycare, and she had to use very different approaches for both of them which I know comes from her understanding there's different personalities and needs for children. She has the children's safety and growth both in mind. We moved away from the Russian Hill area but felt so strongly about our great care with Russian Hill Academy that we have continued to have our care with her despite moving further away.

AAE is a place where you feel welcome and where it's sure you'll learn at least a new thing every…read moreday. For almost two years I had the opportunity to study and to learn English with wonderful people! Really, it worked! I left there important friends and beautiful memories. Thank you all.

Absolutely love this school. The staff is friendly, professional, and truly knows their stuff. They…read moremake you feel welcome from day one and go above and beyond to help you settle in. Highly recommend.

Accredited ESL school with friendly staff and fun students. Especially if you like to hang with…read moreThai people. And I do! Sa-wa-dee! That building on Post st. Is a really cool example of traditional San Francisco architecture too! Good memories.

Intercultural Institute of California is the best choice for the International English School in…read moreSan Francisco. It is probably the cheapest one, and not only it has wonderful and helpful staff (Alana and Hannah are absolutely amazing), in this school you can study just 2 days a week and still keep your F1 status which is absolutely amazing. 2 days a week and other days you can do whatever you want. Very effective regarding English learning, as you study so many hours continuously, and very convenient to have time for whatever you want and need. The location is really amazing. This area if full of SF spirit, and you can even walk to the downtown and many other places. In 2 minutes there is Starbucks, Peets and the best place - "Dolce Amore" where you can enjoy the best ever breakfasts and coffee. There are 2 buildings, the distance between them is about 5 minutes. Both buildings are nice, and there is something special about each of them. There are some very good teachers, I would say - outstanding, so choose a class with attention. Again, the administration staff is very friendly, nice and helpful, they are all amazing people and they know everything what they have to know so they always can help you with all visa issues. And I almost forgot to add, students in this school are great! All nationalities, lots of fun, lots of everything. IIC is a perfect transit point in your studies. You can study English with pleasure and still have time to be prepared for your further plans. So.. Enjoy ;)

Terra has felt like San Francisco's best kept secret for our family. The biggest thing we noticed…read moreearly on was how much our son genuinely looks forward to going to school. He comes home excited to talk about what he learned, what he built, and what he explored that day, which gave us confidence that we made the right choice. We visited a few public and private schools with a strong Mandarin immersion program. What stood out with Terra over time was how balanced the learning feels, both inside and outside the classroom. Academically, he has grown steadily in both English and Mandarin, and at the same time we have seen real growth in confidence, independence, and how he works through challenges. The outdoor program has been especially meaningful for him. Spending time learning outside each week has clearly shaped how he approaches learning. He often comes home talking about things he created or discovered in nature, and those experiences seem to stick with him in a way that traditional classroom lessons sometimes do not. The small class size has made a big difference for our family. His teachers really know him as an individual, including both his strengths and the areas where he needs more guidance. That level of attention has helped him grow academically and emotionally without feeling pressured to fit into a single mold. We have also appreciated how involved the parent community is. It feels collaborative, and communication between families and the school is very open. The after-school enrichment classes like engineering, cooking, and art have been another highlight because they give him more ways to explore interests he might not otherwise try. Terra is a smaller school, but for us that has created a strong sense of connection and support. Most importantly, our son feels happy, challenged, and excited to learn, which is ultimately what we were hoping to find in a school.

Our daughter has attended Terra since April 2024, including Preschool, Kindergarten, and summer…read morecamps, and we couldn't be happier with our experience. We're really proud to be a Terra family. The school places a strong emphasis on critical thinking, creativity, and emotional intelligence, and it truly shows in the way the children learn and grow. The staff are incredibly dedicated and do an amazing job partnering with parents. They're committed to building an inclusive, supportive environment and are always willing to work with families through both school-related and personal challenges. What initially drew us to Terra was the language immersion program, along with the focus on experiential learning and community engagement. These elements have given our daughter opportunities to thrive, develop a sense of responsibility, and feel meaningfully connected to the work around her. We also love the small class sizes, which allow teachers to give each child individual attention and build strong one-on-one relationships with students. Our daughter's teacher sends out thoughtful weekly newsletters detailing what the class has been learning across subjects, which makes it easy for us to support her learning at home. The school also holds three parent-teacher conferences each year, giving us regular opportunities to check in on her progress and address any concerns along the way. One of the most special aspects of Terra is the close-knit community. The school year starts with a camping trip that brings families together in a fun, relaxed way, and throughout the year there's an active parent WhatsApp group that makes it easy to connect, plan playdates, and attend social gatherings. Terra truly feels like a community, not just a school, and we're so grateful to be part of it.

"The Meisner Technique Studio is an A+ Plus "Hall of the Elite" (10/10) This school has taught me…read morethe science within the art of becoming an actor. The adventures this place has brought me is like nothing I've experienced before - from sharing real life experiences to telling fictional stories and everything in between. You are in for a ride if you ever get the blessing to learn here while you feel the wind take you out of your seat. By completing the total intensive 2-year training from Jim, you'll learn how to be your genuine-self as you develop the art and craft building your blueprints of an actor. The training level here consists of developing a high level of focus, susceptibility, and a wonderful imagination - all having it be about the people around you. By putting in the effort, you can earn the stepping stones to tell yourself - you're an actor. This place is a fun and a safe environment - and anyone from all types and walks of life can be an actor through the training. With all benefits obtained aside - the greatest take away I learned from this school is how to listen. It was a gift to learn this skill, weaving the ways and paths paved where I did not know best how to use it. Whether it's for acting, relationships, professionalism, hobbyist, skillset, etc. You name it - To be able to harness how important it is to learn why we have to listen is extravagant and tenfold. "

The courses offered by The Meisner Technique Studio have been wonderful for me. This review covers…read morethe intro classes, the formal training, the commercial elective, and the business class offered after the training is complete. I am a software engineer, and I first found the studio online in the hope of improving the way I communicate. I wanted to speak more clearly, improve my pronunciation, and become more confident. I also thought it would be a good opportunity to dip my toes into acting. The intro classes were a perfect fit for me in that regard. I made the right decision in continuing through the training, and I owe a great deal to these courses. My friends and family have seen vast improvements in the way I speak and carry myself. I also just so happened to fall in love with acting. For someone who had never really encountered the acting world before, this technique has been a blessing, for lack of a better word. It centers on active listening and being present. That alone has been instrumental in my life. My imagination has grown, and, most importantly to me, so has my confidence. I found confidence in discovering that there are people out there like me who share my beliefs and enthusiasm. What I especially valued was finding a safe space where I could be myself, while the person I was working with could also be themselves. In a world of masks and appearances, that experience was incredibly refreshing. I owe a lot to Maeve Montgomery, who taught the intro classes I took. She is warm, approachable, and genuinely an excellent teacher. She understands each student while also being aware of the dynamics of the whole class. Without her, I do not think I would have continued into the formal training. She was a wonderful introduction to acting, and her passion for both the craft and teaching was immediately apparent. Then there is Jim Jarrett, the studio's founder and teacher of the formal training. His enthusiasm and passion for what he does have no equal, and they make a lasting impression. This class expects a lot from you. I was never late, I prepared, and I put in the effort. That effort paid off. It is deeply rewarding to prepare the way the class teaches you to prepare, do the work, and then see the result. I have truly grown through this class and found myself. I still have my career as a software engineer, but I now better understand what I value about it, including interacting with my team. I am more confident when presenting material to other people. I have learned to embrace the camera, embrace the spotlight, and be myself. I have also learned how to keep growing. One of the course's most important lessons is that learning never stops and the training never truly ends. We are given tools that allow us to continue doing the work ourselves. And I want to act. It is crazy to think now that I would do anything but act. This is who I am now. I was also able to take the commercial class early in the training. It teaches you how to begin building a career: pursuing jobs, creating a résumé with limited experience, presenting yourself professionally, and understanding what it takes to work as a commercial actor. The course was short but effective and very tactical. It focused on exactly what you need to begin working, while giving us tools we can continue using to improve on our own. The business class took that even further. Once the formal training was over, we had the opportunity to take it, and it is very different from the training itself. I grew even more. It has been a roller coaster, but a fun ride, and it contains a wealth of information. Again, the theme is learning how to continue learning. If we keep drilling and applying the information, I believe it will pay great dividends. The formal training is now over for me, and it is time to get to work. I feel increasingly confident that I understand what is expected of a professional actor and what I need to polish: my résumé, headshots, self-tapes, and audition technique. The course covers it all. You need to commit, and that is what I have done. I am very glad I did. I am still improving as a person. I do not want to spoil the fun, but there is a lot in store for anyone who decides to take these courses. A theme shared by all of them is self-improvement, and you get as much out of them as you put into them. I want to close by saying how thankful I am to Jim for everything he has taught me, and for the wonderful environment and community he has built and nurtured. I cannot wait to see how the business course ends, and I cannot wait to see how my acting career begins and blossoms. Thanks for reading.