My son is in grade 7/ Middle school and has been doing classes with Ivy Seed for quite a while now…read more Both with the Summer camps in programming and their after school program. My son cannot wait to attend and also without prompting will willingly do the preparation that may be needed for each class. His knowledge and passion has increased extensively. He is learning so much and feels confident and has a real sense of self, especially in the computer programming area. The smaller class sizes, positive attitudes of the teachers and their care of my sons learning is so appreciated. I have also had very positive experiences with the whole team at Ivy Seed We cannot recommend this organization highly enough. Thank you!!!!

My cousin's son really enjoyed camp last summer and learned a lot. He is going back this summer…read morefor an extra week to 2 different camps.

An incredible experience for my daughter on the autism spectrum. I was hesitant to send my…read moredaughter to Steve and Kate's because of the unlimited choices provided to the children. Many of our sped children, including my own, thrive off of a predictable schedule. I intended to send her for the day to test out the environment. Imagine my shock surprise when she didn't want to leave. I received unprompted feedback about my kid's day and they kept an eye on her behavioral well being. I would send her back in a heartbeat. Tyler at the Somerville location is the best!

The camp is amazingly organized and accommodating for both parents and kids, hours and food…read moreprovided were a nice bonus, but I felt a little led astray. Didn't turn out the way I expected. With "freedom" for the kids... that means they really just choose whatever they want. I was so excited about the various offerings... but my child (about whom we're quite strict about input of screen time, etc) chose to play video and iPad games the entire time (multiple days) he was there. Perhaps I ought to have understood more clearly that Mario Kart and iPad games were going to be options. And taken that into consideration with my child's proclivities. He also had a hard time meeting other kids and making friends. Not usually difficult for him, but he said kids already had cliques and the older/bigger kids were condescending and mean. Oh well. We tried it because we needed to. Won't come again though.

A current student in their graduate program and greatly appreciate the education that they provide…read moreto working professionals with the option to complete the program remotely. Teaching and support staff are amazing and curriculum is updated to stay current with industry. One of the best values for the high caliber of education offered.

There is systemic injustice at Harvard Extension School. Their policies as stated on their website…read moreare not upheld. I had a professor who graded anything beneath a 90% as a 0%. So, in other words, if you don't get an A you fail your assignments. I withdrew, brought this to the attention of the Dean, and asked for financial credit so I could take another course instead. She did not respond but simply forwarded my concern to a registrar who refused to do anything about it. The registrar said, wrongly, that the professor was acting in accord with HES policy. The grading system on the website does not in point of fact map onto the grading system of all the professors. So be forewarned that you may end up with a professor who will give you an F if you get less than an A. Don't waste your money at HES and don't expect the administration to act justly. I've matriculated a different program. HES just lost the 30K they would have made if they would have simply rendered a just decision.

We attended a Sunday morning group workshop at the end of May 2023. We were complete novices. Our…read moreinstructor Kate taught us what we needed to know to throw pots on the potter's wheel. At no time did we feel confused, lost, overwhelmed, rushed. I and my friend KHK both threw two good pieces suitable to fire. 9/10 would recommend. Only negative was they are still masking at this late date.

I've been taking classes here since about 2015, and it's been a bright spot in the pandemic…read more Everyone is so nice, the teachers are great, and there's lots of tools to play with, both on & off the wheel.

Puddle stompers did phenomenal job with fun and science. They know how to make it accessible to…read morelittle kids and have helped grow my son into a little naturalist.

We showed up to a winter camp session that had been advertised as an outdoor experience, only to…read morefind that the entire morning was indoors. My son cannot tolerate wearing a mask due to hypersensitivities related to being Autistic, and they would not make an exception to their masking rule. We were not allowed in the door, and had to forfeit three days of camp tuition. This is all after I spent hours finding a 1:1 aide we needed to pay out of pocket in order for them to allow him to attend. While I realize I should have double checked about how strict the policy is, there is nowhere else in our life that doesn't make an exception for him and for an outdoor program it didn't even occur to me. I frankly feel angry and sad about the experience, as a welcoming nature camp is exactly the right place for my son. While I understand and support masking as needed, we are three years into the pandemic, and he is triple vaccinated. I hope they improve in their flexibility and if they do I will edit this review happily.

School of Rock is a must for any young person who loves Rock music and wants to perform. With…read moreprograms and lessons for young rockers at every level, and an incredibly supportive and knowledgeable faculty and staff, School of Rock Boston is an absolute gem.

My son has been a drum student at SOR for quite a few years now. He has loved it since he started…read morethere and still does! Great management, great teachers, great gigs. Always willing to accommodate. If I could give them 10 stars I would!!!!

Seemed like a great STEM focused summer camp. But in reality it was a teenager babysitting my 8/9…read moreyear old while he played Minecraft indoors. I think the problem is the week long format, it's just not long enough for kids to get to know each other and engage with any meaningful activity. So "Game Design with Minecraft", which my son was really jazzed to dive into, was really just a mediocre first week of what should be a longer and more engaging program. Counselors seemed bright and friendly. Program seemed organized and well run. It just seems like their real hook is for parents eager to get their kids engaged with STEM stuff, not a way to expose kids to fun computer stuff in a meaningful way.

I agree with the reviewers who say it is mostly paying for an expensive, college-aged baby-sitter…read moreto watch teens while they play video games. Firstly, it is promoted as a camp at MIT...but they pull a bait and switch AFTER payment where you are told that the classes will be at MIT but the kids sleep at BENTLEY and are bused to MIT each morning. The Bentley dorm is smelly, small, and severely lacking; and all the kids are on one floor. Additionally, classes and ages are combined in classrooms. You can have 3 counselors teaching 3 different classes, in one classroom, it's a mess. According to my son, most of the time the counselors are doing their own thing and not really teaching. My son learned absolutely nothing, the food at Bentley was horrible (my son was consistently hungry), the kids were NOT watched in the dorms (they can easily leave and no one will notice), and for classes they use free software that anyone can easily get online and learn how to use on youtube. There were no educational opportunities like visits to the MIT museum, for example, even though they were on the grounds. The after class activities are things like clay arts and crafts, which is more appropriate for elementary school kids than high schoolers; visits to dunkin donuts; and movie nights where the kids are left entirely alone. For a tech camp, it is quite lacking. Be aware that this camp, and the certificate, are not things that are worth anything for a college app. Perhaps as a baby-sitting day camp for younger children it may be a better option. Administratively it is a MESS, run by people who have no business running a camp and working with children... To this day I am still wondering why the counselors use aliases instead of their names? That is crazy, and raises red flags, why can't I know the real name of the person who's supposed to be taking care of my child? Would not recommend.

It has all the basic equipment I could need, staff is friendly, and it's never busy! The only con…read moreis it's pretty ancient but it looks like they've slowly been replacing equipment with newer stuff and they have chalk which I appreciate when it gets hot in there. The basic plan is $35 a month which is probably fitting for the area and you get access to other YMCAs so can't really complain.

After nearly five years away, went back today due to having a medical appointment just five minutes…read morefrom here. Very glad to see all the improvements that they've done: 1. Cardio room: replaced crappy old stationary bikes with two almost-new Keiser spin bikes---these are free of silly frills/gimmicks unlike the big hulking Life Fitness, Precor, or Cybex bikes but provide unmatched ergonomics and authentic bike-feel, which is why they are used in spin classes everywhere. Forgot how nice and strong the AC is...sigh, if only the weight room had the same! 2. Weight room: instead of a random hodgepodge of ancient dumbbells, they finally got a full matched set of Perform Better (also the best in the business) rubber coated dumbbells, two excellent Matrix multi-position adjustable benches, a full Valor Fitness squat cage with deadlift platform & arms, a Smith machine with deadlift arms, and a smattering of kettlebells including 25# and 40# pairs, topping out with 55# and 70# singles...80-100# would have been better, but a 70# max KB isn't bad. Some new weightroom accessories I've never seen anywhere else: a Titan multi-grip Olympic barbell, a fat barbell and fat lat-pulldown straight bar, a pair of 6" wooden blocks with handles, and a number of other unusual but useful training tools if you're willing to dig a little and use your improvisatory imagination. Of course they've kept some of the old stuff, like about 4-5 pairs of truly old-school York dumbbells and a gazillion of old rusty all metal weight plates (most gyms now use rubber coated plates with built in hand openings for easy carrying), but hey, better to have an over-abundance of old weights than not enough of the new weights (as sometimes happens in the newer gyms). 3. Elkay filtered water fountains in cardio room and by basketball court...this is a life-saver, literally! You don't want folks getting dehydrated just because they don't like the taste of a crappy old water fountain or tap water through 100 year old rusty pipes. 4. The small indoor track above the basketball court is about the same, but I noticed they've made the best of it by adding a Concept 2 rower in one corner (next to a Wing Chun dummy, which I have NEVER seen in a gym before, wow), a Stairmaster next to the 80lb hanging bag (vinyl Everlast, not bad) in the opposite corner, and a carefully stabilized "Power Tower" in the 3rd available corner. Now that they have kettlebells, the track is perfect for doing weighted carries (Suitcase C, Farmer's C, Cross-body C, etc) which is an incredibly useful full-body and core-intensive exercise most people overlook. All in all, I'd say that this Y while small and still burdened with the ravages of age (the locker rooms and showers are just as decrepit as ever), it does have about 90% of everything essential you really need. The Fitness Director, or whoever manages the workout rooms, has clearly put a lot of attention and care to make the best of their clearly shoestring budget...and does know what they're doing, and does it well. Their opening hours are relatively decent compared to the Cambridge Y or especially the Charlestown Y. Unlike those two places they offer free parking...big plus in this area! I do wish they would get rid of the silly "Health Center" extra membership tier that allows access to their mediocre saunas and just get two really good saunas built into a small increase in membership fees. Their membership fees remain a good 25% or so lower than that of other local Ys, but considering how old and small the place is, that makes perfect sense. If I lived 2-3 blocks away like I used to, I would still come here if I didn't have a car, or whenever I didn't feel like driving 15-30 minutes to better/bigger Ys nearby.