Programs After School is very different from the common-or-garden kids art class.
Firstly, we are not an out-of-state franchise and so we are affordable. We have our own studio so we don't pass on facility fees to our customers.
Secondly, we are not an "Arts and Crafts" company.
So what do we do?
Our classes are innovative not repetitive and dull, strongly academic with our unique hybrid of Montessori and Waldorf methods surrounding the learning of the art masters, drawing and painting techniques, and most importantly our classes are pure fun.
We are NASA/JPL certified STEM educators (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) but we also add the missing component: "A" (Art)
Art is the expression of the imagination and the creative and innovative vision which turns STEM into STEAM !
"After a certain high level of technical skill is achieved, science and art tend to coalesce in esthetics, plasticity, and form. The greatest scientists are always artists as well" Albert Einstein (Durham Morning Herald, 1955)
Have you ever seen a proposed NASA mission without an artist's rendition? We require the visual arts to conceptualize and innovate in the sciences.
The children attending our classes often find themselves learning "by mistake". We actively engage and connect with the children in their classes, providing a fun and stimulating experience from beginning to end and we have very low student-to-teacher ratios.
The comment we hear from parents most often is: "Did my child really paint that?" You will be amazed at how the visual arts exploit the fine motor skills and this does wonders for your child's confidence and pure enjoyment!
This learning sticks. Just ask your kid what they learned in class.
If you are looking for that uniqueness in the visual art experience you want for your kids, combined with a fun academic approach, offered by a local company popular with homeschooling associations and local schooling districts, fostering academic achievement through art, then please check out our website or call us for information. Our studio hours do vary.
Incorporated in 2008, we are experienced and have been teaching for 25 years. We opened our doors in our new studio complete with ribbon-cutting from the Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village Chamber of Commerce in October 2009.
Think and buy local
Our own young children are in these schooling districts and we understand the issues facing local parents. Before starting our studio, we were laid off from great jobs so we are humbled and really appreciate the struggle.
Our local profits are not being exported to other states through franchise fees. Did you know that our out-of-state franchise competitors have headquarter contracts and are forced to buy their art supplies from Illinois or Virginia? Think of the exported local tax revenue that could be retained in our cities, the lost revenue to local art supply businesses and the lost opportunities to hire local out-of-work teachers with that extra revenue.
We are providing work for local teachers and we love what we do.
For older kids (7 - 13) the classes are for one hour.
Field Trips are a fantastic way to enrich a classroom full of kids and the schools in our immediate vicinity are doing "walking field trips" to the studio. The field trip fees are low as we strongly believe that children should not be excluded from art lessons especially with the current California budget cuts and slashed hours of art instruction at our public schools.
We offer a fun baby class "Baby van Goo Goo and You" for 18 months to 36 months - to drool for!
Apart from the baby class, our classes are drop off. You can relax with some free time (what a concept), go for a stroll and do some shopping around The Lakes.
The Facts:
- Our California public school budgets have been slashed and schools continue to be grossly under-funded
- Essential programs in art, music and science have been cut and teachers have been laid off
- Parents are contributing more and more out of their pockets to sustain the public schools while at the same time, class sizes are growing and student-to-teacher ratios are simply too large to provide for effective education our children deserve
- Art enables critical thinking, fosters academic performance and real world solutions in all disciplines
Our Philosophy:
Art is the medium for academic achievement.We incorporate multi-disciplinary and "multi-intelligence" teaching approaches.
Children learn about the context of their art project, the history, math, science, astronomy, biology, geography, chemistry and discoveries surrounding the art masters.
Art is not merely cultural or supplementary education, it is core learning.
The visual art trains the young brain to analyze, synthesize and solve problems!
Our unique lessons are aligned with state curricula however, we are the antithesis of classroom uniformity and we value the original and individual creative work of each child.
Unlike our competitors, we are not a "copy shop".
While we do teach technique, we actively encourage and develop the uniqueness in each child's creative talent.
Our Mission:
Programs After School offers affordable, stimulating and highly attentive class environments to encourage critical thinking, brain development and self-sufficient learning skills in children
Our Values:
Provide excellence in teaching
Constantly inject excitement and innovation into our curricula
Be a fun, people-company
Do the right thing through demonstrated business integrity
Give back to the communities in which we teach
Our People:
Our teachers are highly educated, highly experienced and worthy of your trust
Please look at their biographies and you will see excellence
Every teacher is proud of our screening process and has submitted to health screening, California Department of Justice background checks, FBI criminal checks (in and out of state), National and CA Offender checks (Megan's Law) and the CA Child Abuse Central Index checks.
ANDREA DIAMOND
VICE PRESIDENT OF EDUCATION
Mrs. "Dynamite" Diamond aka "The Baby Whisperer".
Mrs. Diamond is a naturalist educator. She has over 25 years of teaching experience. Andrea has taught in four public school districts and independent schools as an independent art, math and science specialist. She is experienced at teaching middle school and high school children but really loves the elementary school level. Her unique teaching methods provide for advanced and multi-dimensional learning of science, math and art.She has presented her novel methodology with enormously positive feedback, to many forums for educators, instructors and women in business.She is strongly affiliated with the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the California Department of Fish and Game, as an active nature guide and teacher for outdoor education and nature appreciation programs. Andrea has received awards from the California State Assembly and Legislature, California Dept. of Energy and an award from Colin Powell for her unique environmental education programs.
She currently serves as an education liaison officer of the Calabasas Historical Society. She received a ceramics scholarship in her high school senior year and attended Citrus College. She went on to obtain her Bachelors degree in Art from UC San Diego. She recently obtained her certification as a NASA/JPL educator. She was elected to the Board of the Endeavour Institute in December 2011.
She hails from Seattle, WA and has a teenage daughter.
RICHARD BORLAND
PRESIDENT / CEO
Mr. "Unicorn" (formerly known as Mr. "B")
Mr. Borland has over 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur, IT Project Manager, consultant Business Analyst and Systems Programmer.
He has established important alliances with Americans for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, local homeschooling associations, public and private schools, the Afterschool Alliance, local businesses and the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce. He has worked for Fortune 50 companies including Disney and Amgen.
He has a Bachelors degree in Social Science (Business Administration) from the University of Cape Town, South Africa and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. He is a certified NASA/JPL STEM educator.
He has a teenage son and a pre-teen son.
JOE BANASZKIEWICS
ANIMATOR MAESTRO
CARTOONING MAESTRO
CORIN PEREZ
ART MAESTRO
LISA BAISNER
ART TEACHER
ANDRES JACOBO
CERAMICS TEACHER
ERIKA WOLFE
ART TEACHER
SARAH SMITH
STUDIO ASSISTANT EXTRAORDINAIRE
"Miss. Sarah"
Miss. Smith loves kids and is currently attending Westlake High School. Sarah has been an active "mentee" in the Programs After School mentoring program for Westlake Information Technology Magnet students. We are very happy to have Sarah's sharp mind, abundant energy and out-of-the-box thinking available for the essential support required for our busy studio and on-campus schedules.
SKY OLDFIELD
STUDIO ASSISTANT
CONTACT US
Programs After School, Inc.
2199 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd, Suite 105
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
Phone: (805) 404-8240
Email: info@programsafterschool.com