FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
My child is 6. Should they attend a "Youth" class instead of a "Junior" Class?
This is judgment call by the parent. If your 6 year old has taken art classes before or is obviously talented, mature, focused, has the appropriate attention span and needs challenges, the "Youth" classes for 7 to 14 years old would be a better fit. Programs After School always teaches "up". Some of our classes are much more technical and the age requirement is stricter. We will clearly state this under the class description.
Please balance your decision carefully as your child's learning, confidence and enjoyment is more important than taking home a masterpiece each week. The Youth classes certainly require more focus for a longer period of time and lessons are age appropriate.
My child is 5. Should they attend a "Junior Claytastic" or "Clay Factory" ?
We have three clay class ages:
Ages 3- 5 Junior Claytastic, ages 5 to 7 Clay Factory and ages 8 to 14 for Clay Nation.
We realize that two classes overlap for age 5 and this allows parents to make the call based on the criteria in the first FAQ above.
My child is 3. Should they attend a "Baby Class" or try for a "Junior Class" ?
If your child can handle a drop-off class, try a Junior Class like Big Messy Art or Junior Van Goo, but please do not sit at the tables in our drop-off classes. This creates a major distraction for the other children who have been dropped off, for the teacher and for your child. You will be asked to leave the classroom area. Our teachers have been instructed not to teach your child if you are present at the table. Please refer to our terms and conditions.
We all want our children to be confident, independent and self-sufficient.
What if we miss a class? What are your make-up policies?
Our sessions are generally 10 weeks long. Parents buy "class credits" for 6, 8 or 10 weeks. Very few of our weekly classes span two weeks in their content so this allows parents to decide which weeks they can bring their kids. This is very flexible. You don't have to worry about make-ups - just use your credits in the same session for the same class. If you have challenges with your schedule, we will work with you. Our Terms page explains some of the restrictions but in general, this is a very flexible approach to attendance. If your child is sick or unable to make ti, please be sure to let us know by 9 am on the day of class.
Our sessions are generally 10 weeks long. If your enrollment has ended and more weeks are available, please let us know if you want to extend the enrollment. There is usually availability in the current class or similar classes.
Can we switch classes?
If you want to switch to another class in the same age group, please let us know as soon as possible. We do discourage switching classes as it affects our rosters, scheduling of teachers as well as requirements for art materials. We don't allow switching more than once. Please see our Terms
What is your refund policy?
The registration fee is non-refundable. There is no refund after attendance in the second class of a session.
For birthday parties, $20 of the studio studio fee is non-refundable. The entire studio fee is non-refundable from the Monday before your party. There are always unforeseen events and we will work with you to re-schedule.
Camp registration fee is non-refundable.
I am early, can I drop-off my kid before class starts?
Please do not drop off your kids early. We are not a Daycare Provider. Sometimes we close and lock our studio door right before class to allow us to prepare. Please do not allow your child to bang on our studio door or rattle the mail slot before class starts. When we are ready for you, we will open the door and it will be on time.
Please see our Terms
Programs After School is a 100% privately owned, local corporation. Appropriately, our sign shows what we do.
Our major competitors are out-of-state franchisers so we ask our customers to be socially responsible by supporting local business. All our local revenue is taxed at the city and state level, we buy our supplies from local businesses and we provide work for local talent.
Why are parents encouraged to drop-off their children?
The visual arts is a personal experience (especially for children). We ask parents to allow their children to have an autonomous experience, free from distraction. We encourage parents to be generous with their praise and to foster positive reinforcement. The learning of a self-sufficient creative process is so important for your children's confidence and it leads to innovation later in life. We realize that everyone has stress, especially in these times but the creative arts requires a focused, calm and relaxed state of mind. We ask you to conscientiously adjust your level of tension at drop-off time. Children are very sensitive to your emotions. The visual arts allows for the efficient learning of creative risk-taking
but it does require a calm and relaxed environment. Our studio provides
a creative sanctuary.
Please click here for our Golden Valley policy
I would love to have your classes on my child's school campus after school. What do I need to do?
Please click here for a simple checklist for us to be on your school campus.