20 Best Summer Programs In San Francisco, CA (2022 Updated)

Third-year clarinet student here at the conservatory! I've learned some of my greatest lessons in this building, about music and life. Deep friendships and fond memories come from my experience in this school. Faculty, staff, and students come together to provide one of the finest arts-education spaces in the country. Love it!Ivan Ferguson

I came here for an event for The San Francisco Guzheng Music Society. The location has fantastic acoustics and architecture. The room we were in fit just the right amount of people so that the music projected beautifully and the performance was easily seen by all in the theater.Deanna

Comfortable seating for a conservatory. The main performance room is cozy and intimate. The students that run the box offices are very friendly. Big bonus, they have enough bathrooms do there's not a huge line at intermission on the ladies room.Christina Collada

This historic art school is a unique incubator for visual artist's for over 100 years. In addition to exhibits of student's work in hall galleries throughout the buildings the Diego Rivera gallery contains a huge mural by the famous Mexican painter. Other lovely smaller murals are found in hallways in the original Spanish mission style building. The new building houses another art gallery, an auditorium, a cafe and patios boasting panoramic views of the bay, Marin and the North Beach neighborhood. In the massive areas below are painting, ceramics, and sculpture studios as well as media production rooms. The old building is a Warren of passageway s connecting photo labs printmaking and drawing classrooms and a lovely library with its own mural. Entering through the two massive red arching wooden doors you find yourself in a arcade of arches surrounding a bricked patio with a tiled octagonal fountain at it's center. This is the portal to another world. A world full of creativity, imagination and timeless possibility. From Minor White and Ansel Adams to Richard Diebenkorn and Richard Shaw it has provided education to thousands of major artist's from all over the world. Worth many visits as it is ever changing and full of surprises.Toby Kahn

It was once a great school. The professors, teachers and staff were the best but make no mistake, that was then. Now, after SFAI has fired a majority of those people it is well… kind of the bones of what was and nothing more. I was a student there in spring 2020 when they kicked out a bunch of students because of their financial issues. Little to no help was provided to transfer and they weren’t and still aren’t the least bit remorseful. I am sad for this school. However, if you are looking for good views and a historic building with ghosts possibly roaming the halls reminding you of the creative community that use to exist, this is your place.Marguerite Bradley

Everything about the board for this school needs reformation, I’m happy to say I’m going back this fall for studio classes once more and putting my best foot forward as I come back from some having a newfound agoraphobia. Sfai is a conceptual art school that’s excellent at healing the students when enough support is present. I am looking forward to the future and showing up for myself as one of the students who never wanted to leave in the first place. I’m the luckiest bleep alive. And I will create even more art.SoCaliForeign

I'm a male, late 20's student at USF, and this has been my experience: 1) Rigorous – Having had a decent amount of life experience before coming here, I expected it to be easy. I was wrong. As someone who has always been good at math, the math classes were all challenging and required a lot of time and effort to do well in. The same goes for their science classes. I had attended another, easier university before coming here, and the difference was huge. 2) Political/Religious – Being a catholic university in the middle of a very liberal city, there is a good chance that someone will at some point try to shove religion or liberal politics down your throat, with a higher probability of the latter. As someone who doesn't care for politics, I'd prefer if they were left out of the classroom. 3) Small class sizes – All but one of my classes have been under 30 people, with many being less than 20. There are personal, 1-on-1 classes for music lessons in guitar, piano, vocals, etc. There are ample staff to handle any problem and any and all issues I've had were solved quickly. Compare this to a state school with class sizes in the 100's and there is really no comparison. 4) Expensive – With an annual price tag of about 50k, plus the astronomically high San Francisco cost of living, it is incredibly expensive to go to school here. I came here largely because I had a full-ride scholarship, and would have seriously considered other options if I didn't. 5) Amenities – There are several large libraries, excellent quiet study areas, private music rooms with instruments, and the campus itself is quite beautiful. With the tuition comes a free public transit card and gym access, at a very nice gym. 6) Overall quality – The quality of the school overall is very high. I can't say how it compares to the likes of top schools like Stanford, but many of USF's professors have come from those big name schools. The combination of talented, intelligent professors and personal 1-on-1 attention make it a great place to learn and study.Tyler D

I transferred out of the University of San Francisco real quick. The school is expensive, the education is ok but the material is too easy, and the social life is garbage unless you're undoubtedly liberal. The professors were very nice and helpful, but anyone from the administration building is out to get you, ultimately this place is just a big money pit. They'll find a way to fine you and take your money even if you haven't done anything wrong.Alex Douthat

Beautiful campus in the heart of the city but otherwise, a school filled with professors that don’t really care, poor accommodations for students with disabilities, extremely expensive, campus police focuses more on giving you parking tickets and people’s conduct rather than ensuring vehicles are not broken into. Did I mention is extremely expensive and they will not accommodate you well if you need to take time off for medical/family issues.Jake Bilyak

I am currently a full time student and I have had it with this university. Half of the professors are excellent, while the other half clearly show up for a paycheck. The care for individual students has declined significantly over my time there. Access to advisors is nearly impossible now and they respond at least a week later. Further more are the fees they pile on to students. After Covid 19 hit and all classes went online, they still were charging “facility” fees and equipment fees, which in all fairness could be refunded but they were charging them upfront then expecting students to reach out for a refund. And on top of all of that is the mandatory student health insurance plan that you can not waive even if you have your own insurance. They are acting like a for profit business that tries to nickel and dime people the entire way. I gravely do not recommend this Academy. Avoid it at all costs. Am I happy with the with knowledge and skills gained? Yes. Would I do it again? Absolutely not!Vero V

After making it explicitly clear to every recruiter that called and texted me that no, I was not in fact going to enroll here, nor was there any chance of me enrolling here… They STILL sent me a very nice book in the mail out of the kindness of their heart. One of the nicest books I've received for free, all sorts of pleasant little stories to read and pictures to look at. It's a book about an art academy, with many happy students, what sports the students like to play, lovely descriptions of the surrounding San Francisco scenery and cultural vibe, stories about an instructor's life in the studio. The print job was quality. Beautiful. Overall a very therapeutic read. For the price point, you definitely get more than you pay for so I would recommend it to a friend for sure. *Please don't tell them I beg you, after all their kindness, but… I skipped the boring parts. I'm sorry. But I promise I didn't throw it away. I recycled it.Chloe Holt

This school is just a complete hot mess. I am a current online fashion stylist student and I can honestly say that the best thing about this school is the staff. You have to pay a registration fee each semester for classes and apparently it goes up every year. I was told that after all my grants, scholarships, and federal aid, I would only have to pay $18 out of pocket. But just yesterday I received a bill of over $1000. I recommend that you find a more reputable school because I amAbreasha Washington

If I could give them a minus star, I would be happy to do that. Do not waste your time nor your money, this so called "art school" is good for nothing. From teachers to admins, everything is a constant unpleasant situation to deal with. Teachers really DO NOT TEACH anything, students have to find out and learn everything mostly by themselves; teachers are stuck up, they thing they are the biggest deal and that the students are nothing unless they get to have a favorite one. None of the students here study and work, most of them come from rich families that pay for them to do "something in life" and that something will certainly be nothing because hardly one gets to have a decent, paying job after being ripped off for years. For rich people this is certainly not important but not for poor or middle class people that want to advance in life and make big efforts to get loans and on top of that pay monthly tuition. We ended up investing about $85,000 for a basically useless degree. They break their student's spirit, they belittle, ignore, degrade them; make them feel they are not entitled to any success if they are not the star of the class. My child worked extremely, extremely hard to try to make his dream come true but ended up completely sick and hopeless. Lastly, teachers steal student's ideas and nothing you can do about it because they have students sign an agreement before beginning of classes. First they tell them that those ideas are worthless, of course. Look for better options. California is full of excellent and transparent schools, colleges and universities let CCA out, it isn't worth it !!!Gabriela Saez

This is a soulless school, with excellent faculty sprinkled occasionally throughout. They present a great and forward thinking image on the outside, and on the inside try to cheat students and faculty alike. Their first priority is outside appearance, and one of their last is the students. Trying to get things fixed here when they inevitably screw up your schedule or take away your scholarship or any number of other things mid-semester is like going to the DMV, if the DMV was worse than it already is and charged you $30-45 thousand a year. This is a greedy institution so disorganized their financial aid documents even say "Please return to the Financial Aid Office by 12/31/1967." CCA is only slightly better than Academy of Art University in terms of being concerned about your education experience or personal well-being. Go somewhere else.Christian Hawkins (C. Grey Hawkins)

Well when I went there it was known as Rock ridge elementary School LOL and then it changed to arts magnet elementary School and that's when it became divided and kindergarteners were going to the same classes as the high school and college students which was actually really cool I met a lot of good friends and learned a lot of neat stuff education should not only be free but you should be able to learn what you want to learn which is what I enjoyed the most by going to classes with older students and being treated as an equalum bad at shuk nac tic

Pros: Has a lot of different dance styles and tons of different times for classes. Kyle Limin is an awesome teacher. Cons: Everything else. Building is old and not in a good neighborhood. (For instance, while waiting for rides home after class, I've witnessed gun exchanges, fights, and drugs galore.) The studios are not well maintained and the floors are filthy and uneven. My ballet tights were covered in dirt after one class. Most frustrating is that the class leveling is not at all close to what is on the website – and different teachers have different definitions of each level so you never know what you're going to get. I keep coming back because of the plethora of ballet classes, but always leave feeling extremely disappointed and vowing to never come back.Jackie Marston

A truly delightful San Francisco institution, located right in the heart of the city. In addition to the professional ballet company, they offer exemplary community classes. In our family, we've signed up for yoga and dance classes, and really enjoyed the instructors. Over the past year, we've also attended their gala and silent auction, and will continue to support the organization in years to come.Emilio Reyes Le Blanc

I've always wanted to learn ballet and came across Alonzo King LINES Ballet after watching a documentary. This school is one of the first places in SF to offer classes teaching adults ballet techniques. I'm a complete beginner with no ballet training/background whatsoever and there's a class for me. So far, I love it. I can't wait to improve my skills and really get into dance!Grace L

This place is so big! There is no natural flow, so some people in my party felt overwhelmed, but I appreciated the ability to wander in any direction. There were a lot of younger children around the museum, but it felt better suited for elementary ages and up. The adults had a blast, too! We spent over 3 hours exploring and still did not see everything. We left for lunch, although there is a cafe on site. There are plenty of water bottle refill stations, and I wish I had brought my water bottle with me. We had a lot of fun playing and exploring, but would have loved more information/signs to help us dig deeper into some of the topics. There were some “explainers” available to answer questions, but most of our time was unguided and independent. The location was amazing and it was nice to see the bay from the windows. Visited on
Weekend

Wait time
No wait

Reservation recommended
NoJessica May

As a physicist who is very into teaching and using demonstrations to illustrate how the Universe works, there is no other museum I have been to that captures the fun of physics better than the Exploratorium. The building is jam packed with hundreds of mini exhibits that you only need to spend a minute at but that will show you a concept in a real and tactile way. The exhibits span physics, perception, biology, and human culture and are interesting and engaging for audiences of all ages. There are just as many parents playing with things as there are kids! If your kid came back from a field trip saying they had a good time here, then you should definitely go back and finish going through the museum with them Visited on
Public holiday

Wait time
Up to 10 min

Reservation recommended
No

Price for adult entry
$31+Brian DiGiorgio

This place is very educational and interactive. The admission for an adult is $30 but it is definitely worth it. We spent 5 hours here and didn't even want to leave. There was a lot to learn and play with. We spent about an hour at the illusion section alone. They also have a pretty cool still image section. I felt some exhibits would have been great if I learned about it when I was younger. Quite a huge number of students would often question when would I use something like algebra and I feel some of the math cinema aired would've been super cool as a way to show that parabola are being used in everyday life. It was loads of fun and definitely worth visiting.Michelle L

Possibly the best priced zoo/museum in the area. CuriOdyssey is an exceptional window into the ecological community of California with surprisingly roomy exhibits for their wildlife ambassador animals. Superb husbandry means that many of these specimens are more active, look healthier and allow a window into wildlife behavior most of us will never see otherwise. Be sure to visit the seasonal exhibits, I caught IlluminOdyssey this winter and it took my breath away. Though the whole facility can be enjoyed in 1.5-2 hours, leave more time to ruminate on the science experiences, especially with young kids.David Yake

I have lived in San Mateo county since 1989 and I finally made time to visit the CuriOdyssey at Coyote Point. The small zoo is cute and is essentially a rehabilitation center for injured animals. We thought the lone otter exhibit was the most fun because the otter loved our attention. The avairy was closed due to the bird flu pandemic. The CuriOdyssey should charge 1/2 admission since the avairy is a big part of the zoo. I also enjoyed the light room located the Redwood area of the science center. If you have a chance, I recommend a visit.Eddie Valadez

Cute little museum with lots of fun interactive exhibits. I would recommend for the five and up crowd since most exhibits require the user to understand the why behind what is being shown to hold attention, but a younger child will be entertained for a short time. Most animals were hard to see and the playground is mostly for younger kids. Overall, a great place to spend the afternoon, but, for the price and what is offered, a repeat visit probably won't happen until our kiddo is older.Ashley Al-Qudaihi

ODC has so many classes for anything you'd like to experiment with. This was important especially when I was a newbie dancer. It's really an institution and it's hard to find comparable offerings in even bigger cities. The facilities are nice and look "pro" and the Rhythm & Motion dance workout is a great way to get cardio and learn dance in a no pressure zone with multiple offerings per week you can jump into. If you want "true" dance classes and workshops where you learn a set choreography for the entire class, you'll find it here too.JP G

The salsa classes here are a blast, and there's a class for every comfort level. I usually buy a five-pack, which is $65. So worth it. Sometimes you go to a salsa club and pay cover and take a rubbish class beforehand. Here, you pay but you get great instructors, you learn a lot, and you have a ton of fun. The crowd that comes tends to be super fun, too. Once a month or so, the open up as a salsa party after class. Why not try it? First-timers get their first class for $5!Homer Ong

Rhythmn and Motion is the best dance and cardio workout I've ever experienced. The joy of dance and exercise among the students and staff is motivational and the community really cares and supports each other. It is non-judgmental. No body cares if you walk into a wall or move the wrong direction. There is no better place to get in tune with your body and movement. Rhythmn and Motion classes give you energy for your day to come alive and thrive.Richard De Francesco

Fun little theater. Saw avenue q here. The theater is a quick walk away from the Civic Center BART which was great. It's also right by Hayes street so there are a lot of great food/drink options around for a meal or drink before the show. There's also a small little bar inside the theater which can get a little long because there seems to be only one bartender. The theater itself seems to sit about 60 people max and the views from ever seat was great! It probably goes 8 to 10 rows back theater seating style.Xavier Ching

Very cozy theater. Not a bad seat in the house as far as viewing the stage is concerned. Seats were in good repair and clean too. Wish they were a little wider since we got sandwiched by people taller & wider than ourselves, but not the end of the world. The bathrooms are starting to show their age, but were functional. Nice little bar with sodas for $2 and limited snacks like candy and cookies. Staff was friendly and helpful. If another production comes into town, we wouldn't hesitate to return.Tanya M

We had heard the sound track last summer and enjoyed it immensely. The theater is small and the seats are comfortable. I didn't really see a bad seat in the house. The theater is clean and the bar service fast. The performers did a good job. This is sort of a Muppets for adults. Definitely not for kids under 15 years of so. We look forward to seeing other shows here.PG Brickhouse

I've been taking my daughter here since she was 4 years old; she's 15 now and still loves it! There are many species of aquatic animals available to view. Jellyfish, anchovies, Moray eels, skate, and sharks, just to name a few. There's also a tiny Giant Pacific octopus, if you can find it. The tide pool has always been a favorite, however, it took a loss when the starfish population decreased due to Starfish Wasting Syndrome. There are still bat rays, leopard shark, sea cucumber, stars and anemone to have a hands-on (actually, one finger) experience. There's also a large River Otter display room where you can watch a couple of playful otters swim and play their day away. The staff are friendly and those who have been there since before the pandemic are very knowledgeable. The gift shops have plenty of items to choose from. The ladies bathroom is clean; I don't know about the men's bathroom. My only quarrel is that they changed the direction of flow to counter-clockwise. It was confusing when we were in the underwater tunnel and everyone was going the opposite direction than we were. There was less staff to guide visitors through for the best experience possible. This was never a problem in the past. Overall, we had a pleasureable experience. We will go back in the future and I do recommend Aquarium of the Bay on Pier 39 to everyone young, old and in between. I almost forgot to mention that all students and the nine surrounding Bay Area counties receive a locals discount!Christine Missmer

Mehhhh….I've been to several aquariums and this one ranks rather low on the list. It had some good features for sure, like the walk through tunnels and touch tanks, which is why it got three stars. However the fish themselves looked really bored. Can a fish look bored you ask? Yes. They can. The areas they're in aren't enriching like their natural habitats would be. The octopus was cool as even sleeping but octopus are fun for hide and seek, but in too small of a tank. The otters were also sleeping, though that is no fault of the aquarium. I saw no staff to ask questions of except by the touch pools, and the signs explaining the exhibits were faded, old and scratched up, making them hard to read. We were expecting to spend an hour or two in there – and easily doing it in a half hour, I say it's not worth it. Also, as someone who needs to sit regularly, there is quite a lack of sitting areas and benches in this place, so it's not very friendly that way. However since it's very easy and quick to get through I didn't need to sit. As a visitor from out of state, I expected more from an "ocean"/bay aquarium. Save your money from the aquarium and the parking, as parking can be expensive too. Go to another aquarium. This one is a pass IMO.Beka O'Meara (Beka)

A lovely aquarium. Most of the negative reviews seem to be an issue of expectations. It's small, yes, and you could easily see everything in an hour if you don't linger much. But you could also spend several hours peacefully watching the fish and other critters. The largest animals are some small (nurse?) sharks, probably about 4 to 5 ft in length. Lots of colorful colorful fish and very cute otters. The touching pools were also a cool unique feature.Alex Rugg Stebbins

A Church for all people. All races, all genders, straight, LGBTQ, housed or un-housed, documented or undocumented, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, any religion or no religion at all. Everyone is welcome. Everyone! Practices Unconditional Love and Radical Inclusion. Puts it's faith into action helping the most marginalized and standing up for social and economic justice. A place that Walks the Talk.Curtis Bradford

Glide Church is amazing. Its radial inclusiveness makes everyone feel welcome. Already at the entrance you are warmly welcomed, and everyone on the inside are so nice. The worship is exceptional, great music, preaching and spoken word prayers. Have you ever been hurt by a religious community, are you in need of spiritual healing a place to belong, this is the place to go.Carl Petter Opsahl

Glide has all kinds of resources to help people out. They helped me in a time of need by hooking me up with a DMV form for a free California identification card. I heard that they had these specific forms and when i went to pick one up it took them less than 10 minutes to fill it out and give it to me. I'm so grateful because the DMV charges i think $30 for a new ID.Sterling Gerard

It is easy to recommend the classes at the Alliance Française de San Francisco as they are high quality, enriching, and fun. Plus, I can take the classes from where I live in Texas. My teachers aim to keep as much as possible of the class in French, which can be challenging at times, but is certainly the optimal learning experience. Additional material is provided between classes through emails and an online system, providing exercises which review and amplify the class presentations. The other students are also enjoyable and have positive attitudes. The administrative staff as well as the teachers are agreeable and dedicated to helping us learn the French language. Other French learning and culture events are available at the Alliance Française de San Francisco, which can be explored by students and others.Judy Lackritz

Thank you, MERCI mille fois, Madame Julie Selvin, and Alliance de SF for wonderful French classes for the little ones! I taught many courses for small children online, and I know how difficult it is, but Madame Selvin makes it fun, engaging, and – what I love the most – she does ask the children to act properly and answer her questions. Her classes are a perfect combination of joyful and serious for optimal learning at a young age! Thank you from Sasha's Maman!Anja J. Humphrey, PhD

My experience with AF was not fun. The organization cancelled the exam based on their own economic interest regardless of the inconvenience they brought to the test-takers. My plan was totally disrupted because of their irresponsible manner.Baichuan LIU

My 2 kids who are 3 and 5 years old have taken cooking camps and date night events at the Culinary Artistas and they love them! The teachers are kind and engaging while the program itself is fun and thoughtful. I was looking for cooking programs for my kids because my older child has sensory difficulties and cooking was one of highly recommended activities while my younger one is a picky eater and I was hoping for her to discover love of food through cooking. I am very pleased that I found the perfect program that both of my kids love to attend! In fact they love the classes at the Culinary Artistas so much that they requested to have their birthday parties there. Unfortunately their physical classroom/kitchen is temporarily closed due to the statewide shelter in place mandate but the teachers/chefs there continue to offer great programs online. Today my son had a virtual birthday party with his friends led by Chef Eliza and it was a huge success! All the parents raved about how engaging and fun Chef Eliza has been afterwards and the kids had a great time making pancakes and fruit salads. In the sea of extra curricular activities for kids offered in SF, Culinary Artistas is a true gem that delivers quality and value.Jane Myung

The experience provided by Culinary Artistas' team went above and beyond expectations. As my family could not share the holidays together due to the pandemic I gifted my siblings a private cooking event – the pasta with the happy hour starter. I did an exhaustive search as wanted something where the ingredients would be delivered before hand but was still affordable.. Even though we are all based in the midwest (searched Chicago extensively) – I went with Culinary Artistas as they were the only ones that offered everything I wanted… and I was not disappointed. Chef Vanessa was great – played great music – interacted with 5 different sites (11 people cooking all at once in 5 different locations) – all on zoom and my mom was even able to watch all of her kids cooking…we will definitely be doing another event with CA… they are the best .. and to top it off the food was amazing…. best Cacio pepe we ever had.. and the leeks were delish……Judi Tilghman

We did our team offsite at Artistas, renting the space for the day. The space was beautiful abd super well-suited for a relaxed brainstorm and focused work. Capped it off with a cooking class led by head chef Vanessa. The Disco Udon noodles were a hit, the chef had us dancing on our noodles to knead the dough in a traditional way, with out (socked) feey We came away energized, happy and well-fed. Plus we learned a great deal about history of noodles – bonus.yelena kozlova

I’d been wanting to give Stand Up Paddleboarding a try for a few years. The opening of Crane Cove Park with its sheltered bay access heightened my interest. After watching me stare longingly at all the paddlers on our frequent visits to the park, my thoughtful husband gifted me a SUP for Christmas. Despite my enthusiasm, I was a bit nervous about getting out on the water; I had no idea what I was doing, no SUP-owning friends to go out with, and I hate trying new things in front of a crowd . Enter Adam Zolot and the Dogpatch Paddle Club's private group lessons. The fact that the club offers the option to rent a board as part of the lesson made it easy for me to recruit friends to try it with. Adam was incredibly responsive and accommodating in our communication about arranging the lesson. He had the rental boards set up on the beach and waiting for my friends on arrival. He covered the basics with us on dry land, but made sure to get us out on the water quickly to maximize our time on the boards. He was diligent about checking in with each of us to make sure we were comfortable, and his tips and pointers on technique were delivered gently and constructively. Adam is an easy-going presence who immediately felt like one of our group. He had plenty of advice and knowledge to share about how to read the wind, water, tides and currents, as well as where it is safe to paddle. He peppered the conversation with tales of his own adventures on the water. I felt completely safe and comfortable throughout. It is clear that Adam has a passion not only for the sport, but for community building and Dogpatch Paddle Club is succeeding at just that. I’ve even signed my 11YO for the Club’s summer camp!Sarah King

Super convenient and fun place to rent and paddle. The kayak was light, easy to paddle and seemed super durable though we didn't test that. The folks that work there were super helpful with info on tides and routes, and had picked out our paddles based on our heights prior to us getting there so no time is wasted really. Could not have had an easier rental experience and the paddling was very fun, chill and we saw several seals, herons, and other wildlife.b p

Excellent Coaching by Mia! We came as a group of 4, with 2 of us as complete beginners. Mia was extremely helpful and we both picked it up quickly with her guidance. We all had a great time on the bay and Mia was also able to take photos for us which was a huge plus (I definitely would have dropped my phone).Clement

Our son has been with L'Academy for over 6 months now, in the infant and then the preschool classes, so I feel well equipped to provide a review. It might be a bit long, but if you're a parent looking for preschools – you want to get all the information you need. Overall, we're very happy with our experience. I'll go into why. Management and teachers. Danni, the director, runs a tight ship. She's responsive, communicative and accommodating. This is also true for the other lead teachers such as Emily who we love. Emily leads the infant class and she's caring and warm to the children. Especially early on, it helped me feel comfortable leaving my son there. Flexibility and reasonable approach. I find the flexibility vs rigidity of this preschool a big reason. If we ask to modify food, change diapers more often, modify schedule a bit – it's rarely a "no". They work hard to make sure we're happy with how our son is treated. This isn't a given – other preschools we talked to declined various requests or questions off the bat even when we did the tour. One tiny example that shows how much they care: when we had to pick him up one day earlier for a long drive to Tahoe, we agreed on a pickup time. When we came by, Emily made sure to change his diaper into a fresh one since she knew we'd be in a car for a long time. This is the kind of tiny detail in care that really stands out. Opening hours. This preschool isn't cheap, but if you consider how few days it's closed in a year compared to other preschools, it suddenly doesn't seem so expensive. Other schools close for over a month and a half – almost all we spoke to in the city. Warm meals and snacks. No only it saves us time, but it's not a given at each place. Other preschools not only don't provide lunch, but won't warm up the food for the kids and don't have a fridge. I'm not sending my child with a heat keeping lunchbox – he's not going to work at a construction site. I expect, especially for this price range, for the child to get a warm meal. Perhaps surprisingly, L'Academy seems to be an exception in providing this. Communication. The school uses the 1Core app, which is kinda clunky… but it's not their fault. They provide a ton of updates though it. We know when he ate, what he ate, when he slept, when diapers were changed… we have a timeline of activites, videos, tons of photos – it's a way to know what's happening and the transparency makes us feel more relaxed about his spending time there. Activities. Speaking of the media updates – each time we see some activity it's yet another new thing. Playing with water, magnets, circle time activities, new toys, ball pit… He loves it there and we love that he's getting new experiences. We also get various artifacts and art he helped make once in a while, which are nice mementos. Language immersion. We had only one major concern when sending him into a Mandarin immersion school. We don't speak Mandarin or English at home – won't it make it difficult for him to pick up language and be confused? After over 6 months' time, it looks like this isn't a concern. He's been picking up English from the other kids and learns new words every day. In addition, we also pick up some words in Mandarin and learn about Chinese culture and holidays. Go ahead and tour the place, make up your own mind.Shlomo Priymak

I 100% agree with other parents who left 5 stars review here. We sent our daughter to the facility when she was 2.5-month-old. As new parents, we were nervous initially, but after 1-2 weeks, I felt very comfortable sending her to L'Academy in Hayes Valley. 1. Not a single day did she come home with dirty diapers or clothes. 2. Frequent updates and pictures through the app 3. I especially loved the teachers there – Emily, the supervisor of the infant class, is a welcoming and loving person who cares about little children. When I picked our daughter up from school, Emily would share some interesting details of what our daughter did in school that made me smile. Danni, the school director, was always available for questions and concerns. All the other teachers are also very caring and treat everyone well. Overall, we felt so lucky and grateful to have them taking care of our daughter, especially since it's tough to find a facility with an infant program, not to mention a good one. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a safe, fun, and caring environment for their little children.Hua-Shu Chang

We can only agree with all the 5-star reviews given by other parents – this is an amazing preschool! Our son joined L’Academy Hays Valley when he was 2.5 years old with no prior knowledge of Mandarin and he had absolutely no problem integrating his class thanks to his caring teachers Florence and Ariana and the rest of the teaching staff. Classrooms are bright and spacious, kids do lots of fun activities and go out to one of two playgrounds or the community garden every day. They have a big indoor play area for rainy days, all meals and snacks are provided and parents get updated throughout the day with photos and videos. Special mention to the current school director Danni who has always been extremely professional and accommodating – the organization and communication cannot be better. We love this preschool and highly recommend it!Marléne Belfils

La Scuola flew under the radar for us when we were researching the maze of preschools and K-8 programs in San Francisco, but once we found out about the school and went on a tour, we were blown away. And since starting, our daughter has flourished in countless ways. The school combines two really interesting and leading-edge approaches to education: the progressive Reggio-Emilia approach and the academically rigorous International Baccalaureate. The Reggio piece provides all the creative goodness of progressive education – joy, exploration, and unexpected discovery. And the IB delivers the rigor: a robust and global set of standards to ensure the quality and standards will always be top notch. The combination of the two is really innovative and compelling. We're not Italian nor do we speak it at home – in addition to a progressive education with high standards, we wanted an international school, along with all the neuroscience benefits of a bilingual education, and were pretty agnostic on what that second language is. There are lots of parents like us, along with parents with strong connections to Italy as well. The Director, Valentina, is warm, accessible, and a real visionary… and the teachers are amazingly talented and tireless. Each week we get a lengthy newsletter detailing everything that happened in our daughter's class – new concepts that were explored, snippets of conversation, and photos and videos of learning in action. It's an incredible window into the magic that happens on a daily basis. Finally, lots of people rightly focus on the experience for kids when looking at preschools and K-8 programs. Keep in mind that it's also going to be a big part of your community as parents as well. When you go on the tour and talk to other parents, imagine that this circle will become a central piece of your social life for years to come. We weren't really certain what that experience would be like at a private school in San Francisco, but have found the La Scuola community to be warm, down to earth, creative, and energized… folks that we would want to hang out with even if we weren't bound together by our children's education. So check it out – there's no substitute for going on a tour to see what makes this place so special. You may secretly want to go back in time and be in school yourself!Aaron Harms

My daughter attended the preschool for 4 years. At the preschool, I found all (yes, all) the teachers to be extremely professional and sincerely interested in the development of the children. There is an authenticity of spirit at La Scuola that is unmatched. Of course, I loved the fact that hugs were freely given and part of the culture of an Italian/International preschool. I was very impressed that the teachers listened intently to the children as the children fully participated in their own learning. The social development component of the curriculum is amazing. Children are allowed to fail and reflect upon what they have learned from all their experiences. My daughter always felt safe there and would run to the gate in the morning. The challenge was always prying her away from her favorite place at the end of the day. The Reggio approach put the child at the center of the learning process. I must admit, I think I have become a better parent as I learned myself about the Reggio philosophy and incorporated it into our household. After preschool, I made a large search for the right elementary school for our family. I went to a couple of Catholic schools, a number of public schools and many independent schools. During my exhaustive search, I was trying to find a school that offered both the curriculum, teaching expertise, community and environment where my daughter could thrive. I did not find one and my daughter has now entering the second grade. La Scuola talks a lot about creating curious learners where students look at an issue through multiple lenses with an interdisciplinary approach. The outcome of such learning helps to deepen their understanding and providing a more comprehensive mechanism for all students to learn. It sounds a bit utopic, but it is really true. My daughter is usually excited about doing her homework and is learning with both her heart and her head. You can feel that La Scuola is a special place the minute you walk through the doors. It's not just the fact that many languages are spoken. Rather it is due to the fact that the staff and community are committed to learning and creating something unique in San Francisco. If you don't believe me, stop by for a visit. I know you will be impressed. Richard Bargetto Parent of La Scuola Second GraderRichard Bargetto

We currently have two kids at La Scuola, and our 3rd one will go as well once she turns 2 next year. Our oldest has been at La Scuola for 6 years and we couldn't be happier! Our son is a first grader at the K-8 school, our daughter is in her last Preschool year, and both thoroughly enjoy being at their school: The teachers are incredibly caring, passionate, highly motivated and highly trained regarding the RE philosophy. The classes have a great student/ teacher ratio and our kids especially enjoy learning in small groups, i.e. in the school garden, in the (digital) atelier, at music classes or in the school library. We're always impressed by the interdisciplinary learning and how much coordination it requires among the involved teacher – their collaboration is just amazing and the kids feel this great vibe. Due to the curriculum, the staff, the respectful and caring atmosphere at school the kids become very aware of the importance of a good social environment and how to maintain it. For example, my son's class developed – selfdriven – their own conflict managing rules to help other students to solve a conflict. And as a a parent we see the huge impact on our kids social behaviors and personalities in general. Creating curious learners is also a focus of the RE approach. Providing very well maintained facilities with child friendly colors, furnitures, toys, arts and crafts supplies help the kids to establish a creative way of thinking and problem solving. Helping the kids to trust their own solving skills builds up our kids self confidence – and our kids have been surprising us with their creative and caring suggestions. It's amazing to observe this! It's a warm hearted and safe place to have your kids go to school with a fantastic community. This is a very special school and we're proud and happy of being part of it!Jutta Kamp

Kudos to Christine from Mike’s Paddle for stellar customer service. I was looking for a light-weight wetsuit jacket for teaching swim lessons. After several back and forth texts, about products and sizing, Christine took the the time to call me directly, but soon realized she did not have my size in the jacket we determined was best. I thanked her and hung up. Unsolicited, she called the manufacturing company to see if they had my size in stock and immediately called me back to tell me how to order through them. Although she did not make the sale for her company, she did make a fan! I already received my jacket and love it! Thank you, Christine! I will spread the word! Sent from my iPhoneSusan Parker

Threw a birthday party for our 12 year old daughter and 6 friends at Mike's Paddle. Included 2 great instructors, who taught the girls the basics of SUP paddling and safety. Spent over an hour out on the water, played games and seemed to have a blast (I didn't go out on the water with them because, well, that would just spoil their fun). Would highly recommend if you're looking for a different/unique way to celebrate a birthday.matt wong

Took the L1 class, taught by Meg. The class size (5 people per 1 instructor) was perfect. It was tough, but really fun and Meg was amazing and patient. I'm considering taking a private lesson to work on some things I want to get better at, but the L1 class was very comprehensive. And if you fall in, the water is very gentle and not too cold (I didn't wear a wetsuit, and was fine).Lucy

I used Perform For Life for about 6 months with the goal of getting my body wedding ready! After a few grueling years of grad school and then the pandemic, I had put in minimal time into taking care of myself, and was very self conscious about my body. I hated gyms because I was overwhelmed by all of the equipment. I'd finally decided to make an investment in myself but was shopping around to find a place that didn't give me anxiety. From my first consultation phone call with Justine Sharifi, I felt so at ease. She was so kind and relatable. I did my initial assessment and subsequently my very first training session with Coach Dan and at no point did I feel awkward — rather I felt very comfortable and I knew I'd found a home for my fitness journey. I was paired up with Coach Sara for the next 6 months and I could not have been happier. Sara is so talented at her job — meaning she is professional, encouraging, and has extensive knowledge of the way the body works & how to curate a fitness plan that will challenge (but not overwhelm) you, and pace it so that you can build upon your progress to reach your ultimate goals. I always felt like Sara was fully committed to me during our sessions together. She accommodated my crazy, unpredictable schedule, and was never on her phone or distracted. She paid attention to every rep and would even take notes so that she could update our game plan. On top of being an awesome coach, Sara is a lovely human being — on days where the wedding planning stress hit hard and I shed a few tears, she showed me a great deal of kindness and I could tell that she is just a genuine person overall. She's definitely someone I felt lucky to have in my corner! Other coaches that I never trained with have also always been extremely friendly and approachable here — there is an authentic family dynamic as well as true talent at Perform For Life — you can't go wrong! 🙂 Thank you so much, Sara and P4L!!!!Mamie Jiang

Joining Perform for Life is one of the best decisions I’ve made without a doubt. I’ve been training here for almost a year now, in both the 1:1 (working with Zach, which has been awesome) and small group classes. In the initial meeting and assessment I was able to identify my goals and where I wanted to improve, and then we designed a training program to meet those needs. Since then I’ve been able to progress and we’ve adjusted the training program to hit new and different fitness goals, alongside working on nutrition and mobility. The classes provide a great environment for training, with the other members supporting each other and pushing one another to do their best. The instructors design very well rounded classes, giving you a great workout in just 50 short minutes that are done before you know it. Each instructor has a background and certification in training, and even in the small groups you’re able to get form coaching and exercise modifications to meet your needs. I can’t say enough about how much I’ve enjoyed being a part of this community and what a positive impact it has had on my health – thank you P4L!Andrew K

I attended a four week transformation bootcamp with Perform For Life to kickstart my 2020. It included four days of training per week (Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri) with two very knowledgeable coaches (Coach Nia and Coach Mel). They took 15 trainees through classes that included boxing, upper body focus, lower body focus, and metabolic conditioning. In addition, we had a free initial consult with an in house nutritionist and two small group and two semi private sessions (in case we didn't think that 4 classes per week were enough). I liked the bootcamp because the workouts were fun yet challenging. I also got to know some of my fellow trainees in and out of bootcamp (we even did a happy hour and karaoke night!). The goal to lose 8 pounds, 2% body fat or gain 2% muscle was also very reasonable and attainable, unlike other weight loss or fitness challenges. I highly recommend the Perform For Life Transformation Bootcamp! All levels and abilities are welcome!Charles Dexter Lim

TL;DR: One of the best martial arts schools I’ve ever attended (which is a lot). Mr Barrios is super knowledgeable, and a great teacher. Very strong focus on having the basics down which slowly build up towards more complex drills. Highly, highly recommend. Long version: Some of the other MA schools I’ve been to were either super commercialized (pay the fee, get the belt) or meathead gyms (god forbid you’re not an experienced practitioner and happen to inconvenience *gasp* high belts with your lack of knowledge). They’d let you roll with other white belts with barely any concern for yours/their safety. That hasn’t been the case here. Mr Barrios makes it very clear that first you need to learn how to move your body, and that getting the belt takes years. The whole approach is very practical, and techniques build on one another. I genuinely wish I had tried this school sooner. Really, really awesome!Nat Karauda

I've tried out a couple of martial arts gyms and this is one worth dedicating to. The instructors here care about students as individuals and pay attention to our different levels and styles. Carlos and his team have a wealth of knowledge and offer the variety of classes I was looking for – jiujitsu gi and no gi, and kickboxing. The other students are supportive and respectful, and in martial arts peers make up a big part of the learning environment too. It's a great community and lots of fun!Belinda Teh

We love BMA and feel lucky to be a part of this community. My son attends Kids Tiger class 3 times a week for the last 3 months every time with a big enthusiasm. I am amazed to see his progress. Mr. Allan is an excellent teacher. His class is super fun, playful and yet serious enough to teach a 4 years old the essentials of Hapkido martial arts. I highly recommend!pelin arslan