Beyond the Classroom

My daughter, age 7, has loved going to BTC. She is always excited to go and sad to leave. Samantha, the director, is very engaged and friendly. The teachers and staff are very nice and enthusiastic. This summer, my daughter had a lot of fun going to all the themed summer camps, going on field trips, pools, and the beach. She had a good, fun summer like a kid should have and I’m so glad BTC was able to provide all those activities that I, as a working mom, find hard to schedule.

As a father of two children, I am very impressed and have high praise for the director Samantha who handles this summer camp program with utmost personal care, concern, empathy, love and compassion.
I recommend BTC as a great choice to parents who are outside South Pasadena as well. I have my 6.5 year old twins there and they both adore and love their teachers and the staff.
The educated and knowledgeable staff are amazing and compliment the director’s passion in her goal to bring about the best in the children. Nothing is forced on to the children and the given freedom coupled with proper direction sets the tone in this program. I have dropped by the school unannounced every day and have attended all the field trips to date and I am really happy to see the quality of the program and the field trips that are offered by BTC. My children love every moment there and are fully engaged in their program. Two thumbs up.
Keep up the great work BTC and my congratulations to the director and the staff for creating such fine Summer camp program for the children and providing them with age appropriate activities.
I am looking forward to the rest of the summer with BTC and what else they have to offer. BTC is awesome.

BTC should be BKS for best kept secret! BTC camp is an engaging, educational and incredible experience for kids and their parents. My 6 and 10 year-​olds attended Surf camp, Culinary camp, Space Camp and Spy Camp (see the photo of them in the LA Times learning the physics of skydiving at iFly !) They loved every minute and couldn’t wait to get to BTC every morning. Thanks Samantha and all the counselors for providing experiences every kid should have!

This is a great program. I love that the kids have an outdoor play area with scooters, basketballs, bikes, and lots and lots of indoor of craft activities. I have an «old school» philosophy that too much sitting and too much TV and too many electronic devices can be suffocating.
Therefore, it is easy to enjoy the refreshing activity at BTC and the fun way they present all of the crafting (there really is a lot). This program is very creative and my daughter brings home several new projects that they make at BTC every week. I barely have room in my house to keep all of her little «treasures». My only wish? That I could have gone to a program like this when I was a kid.

Ssh don’t tell everyone this place is kind of wonderful. Samantha has created an amazing environment where kids learn ‘beyond the classroom’, through fun and play and enrichment. During the US election season my 8 year old told me all about the US political structure and voting system — wow I thought, schools are good here but no, she had learnt it from voting for the BTC fish names — they turned a fun thing into a learning opportunity and it stuck! Don’t be put off when you first visit by the noise or the décor, kids love it. They have a great outdoor space for playing ball/​bikes/​sand box, perfect for letting off steam after school. Inside they have craft activities, homework areas, comfy couches for reading and a stage for the endless ‘shows’ kids love to put on. My girls made friends from all of the neighborhood schools, the staff are warm and caring but help instill good values in the kids and get them to work out any behavior issues. Even better, they pick up from the three neighborhood schools at numerous times of the day to accommodate all the class schedules and crazy half day kindergarten times.

An amazing program with a vast set of activities that my kids enjoyed this summer. The best!

Beyond The Classroom or BTC has been my girls’, ages 8 and 6, home away from home. As working parents, we not only wanted to make sure our girls are in good hands after regular school, but that they are continuing to learn things they wouldn’t normally do in a classroom setting. Field trips are a norm for this program, with hands on classes that are based on the children’s interests and needs — Gymnastics, Sewing, Art, playground sports, to name just a few! If I were a kid, I’d want to go here! I literally have to drag my kids home at pick-​up as they just love it at BTC. Thank you, Samantha, and all the wonderful teachers for loving our children!

BTC is a very special place. Kids love it here. The teachers on site are enthusiastic and knowledgeable and they always have interesting, fun trips planned for the children. My son loves it here. BTC is like family.

Summer is supposed to be a time for fun in the sun! Especially in Los Angeles! Thanks to BTC, my kids were able to experience tide pools at the beach, the waterpark, local swimming pool, amusement parks, museums and a HUGE water slide!
BTC took the kids to more places in 1 summer than we could have taken them all year! They made friendships with kids from other neighborhoods and were cared for individuals who really care!
The camp staff was very «hands on» and always involved. My kids asked if they could «stay longer» when I was there to pick them up!
We will definitely be back next year! Thanks BTC, we had a blast! Thumbs up!

My 10 year old son Henry loves it there. Samantha is very flexible and the prices are reasonable. Jose is awesome. I recommend this place highly.

High praise for director Samantha who handles this after school program with care, concern, empathy and compassion. This is a great option for working parents in South Pasadena.