Frances Albrier Center Afterschool Program

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Afterschool program needed for incoming kindergartener

Aug 2012

My daughter is entering kindergarten this fall. We need to find her an after school program and was wondering if anybody is familiar with the dance/theater program at the Francis Albriers Community Center in San Pablo Park. Is it well supervised? Is there enough structure? Any thoughts about the program would be welcomed.

My daughter started at Frances Albrier, taking a bus from Washington, when she was in Kindergarten. She LOVES it. We recruited several other families from Washington as well. The older kids get homework help, and the little ones participate in dance, acting and cooking classes. There's also a great outdoor playground and indoor gym for the rainy season. The staff is caring and there's a good mix, racially, of kids as well. She gets upset if we show up early to take her home. I heartily recommend it. Julia

here's a reply I posted to a similar question a few weeks ago. To answer your specific questions - I think it is well supervised and there seems to be plenty of structure. my son attended the Frances Albrier program last year. He just went part time. They do bus them there from Washington. I have mixed feelings about it, though I know that some of the parents raved about it. Because I work part time I hung out there a few times and saw some cool stuff from the adults and also some pretty uncool stuff (lets just say that one of the instructors acts more like he's running a boot-camp for juvenile deliquents). They are pretty disorganized and not so good about communicating about the upcoming perfomances and days that they do not have care (they observe some city holdiays that are are school days and don't provide care those days). Bottom line - I will probably send him again next year as he only goes part time and I do like some aspects of it but I wouldn't send him there full time.

Frances Albrier for after school for Washington?

July 2012

I am wondering if any parents have recent experiences to share about the City of Berkeley afterschool programs at James Kenney and Frances Albrier? I am leaning towards Frances Albrier because of a strong recommendation from an acquaintance, but I am interested in both programs. Also, is a BUSD bus available from Washington School to both sites? Thank you, Wondering about after school

my son attended the Frances Albrier program last year. He just went part time. They do bus them there from Washington. I have mixed feelings about it, though I know that some of the parents raved about it. Because I work part time I hung out there a few times and saw some cool stuff from the adults and also some pretty uncool stuff (lets just say that one of the instructors acted more like he was running a boot-camp for juvenile delinquents). They were pretty disorganized and not very good about communicating about the upcoming perfomances and days that they do not have care (they observe some city holdiays that are are school days and don't provide care thosed days). Bottom line - I will probably send him again next year as he only goes part time and I do like some aspects of it but I wouldn't send him there full time.

Also, this year they did not bus from Washington to James Kenney. Not sure if they have in prior years. But kind of makes sense that they'd bus to the program in the same zone as Washington.