BESTOFBK.COM • WINNERS GUIDE • DIME BEST OF BROOKLYN 2019 11
BEST ADULT
CONTINUING
EDUCATION
PROGRAM
OPPORTUNITIES FOR A BETTER
TOMORROW
783 Fourth Ave.
(718) 369-0303 – www.obtjobs.org
Since 1983, Opportunities for a Better
Tomorrow has provided free job training
and education programs to the community.
Current programs include a clerical job
training program with GED/HSE instruction,
a website design and coding program, a free
paid internship program, English classes,
high school equivalency classes and adult
job placement assistance. The mission of
Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow is to help
disadvantaged youth and adults recognize
their own self-worth, and advance towards
self-suffi ciency and fi nancial security through
job training, academic reinforcement, improved
life skills, job placement, and support services.
All of OBT’s programs seek to instill confi dence
in participants so that they can increase their
self-esteem and improve their own chances
to succeed. OBT’s training model stresses
personal discipline. All of OBT’s programs are
modeled after a “simulated” corporate work
environment.
BEST ART SCHOOL
THE ART ROOM
8710 3rd Ave.
(347) 560-6572 – www.theartroomnyc.com
Bay Ridge’s premier children’s art school since
2010, The Art Room off ers fi ne art classes,
portfolio/audition prep, private art lessons,
art parties, summer art camp. From Monet to
Matisse and Pop Art to Picasso, your child will
be introduced to various artists, art genres and
concepts–all in a unique, super fun format!
Their curriculum varies week to week, including
painting, drawing, sculpture, clay, mixed-media
and more. You can’t spell smart without art!
They believe that early and consistent exposure
to art is crucial to the growth of young minds.
Creating art helps children develop other skills
that will benefi t them greatly later in life. They
also believe art is one of the most important
means of self-expression and confi dence
building, combining imagination, spontaneity,
playfulness and experimentation through a
wide variety of mediums.
BEST COLLEGE OR
UNIVERSITY
BROOKLYN COLLEGE
2900 Bedford Ave.
(718) 951-5000 – www.brooklyn.cuny.edu
Brooklyn College’s resume is an impressive one.
The school – voted best college or university
in the borough – boasts approximately 17,000
students enrolled in 120 undergraduate and
graduate degree programs in the humanities,
social, behavioral and natural sciences,
education, business and the arts. To boot,
Brooklyn College is renowned for its rigorous
academics, diverse student body, award
winning faculty and highly aff ordable tuition.
Located on a beautifully landscaped 35-acre
campus, Brooklyn College off ers a rich student
life within an urban environment. With more
than 80 years of academic excellence under its
belt, it’s a no- brainer as to why the innovative
liberal arts institution was voted the best in
Brooklyn.
BEST DAY CARE
BUILDING BLOCKS DAYCARE
6810 20th Ave.
(718) 331-2595 – www.buildingblocksny.com
Serving the children of Brooklyn since 2010,
Building Blocks Daycare Center has been
on the receiving end of critical acclaim. The
Bensonhurst childcare center – known for its
caring staff and clean facility – off ers up a wide
range of activities for its clients, from music
and movement and story-time to outdoor
play, computers and work with pre-math and
reading skills, it’s easy to see why Building
Blocks Daycare was voted best day care in
Brooklyn. Fully licensed by the New York City
Department of Health, Building Blocks off ers
both full time and part time sessions – both
of which come complete with an experienced
and professional staff , playful and education
environment and room for your little one to
grow.
BEST NURSERY
SCHOOL
STEPPING STONES NURSERY SCHOOL
245 86th St.
(718) 630-1000 – www.steppingstones86.com
Stepping Stones has dug its roots in the Bay
Ridge community. The nursey school – founded
in 2002 by two New York City public school
teachers – is a high-quality early childhood
facility that services preschoolers ages two to
fi ve. Both the Stepping Stones Nursery School
and its sister pre-school (located just blocks
away) are a community its curators like to call
“family.” All of the students are loved and cared
for by their nurturing teachers that are always
dedicated to their class – and the proof is in
the happy parents and caregivers who swear by
Stepping Stones. Children at Stepping Stones
will engage in large and small muscle activities,
sensory and discovery exploration, social
interaction and creative expression. Stepping
Stones is equipped with age appropriate
activities where children experience music,
art, dramatic play, housekeeping center, block
corner, sand and water play, puzzles, table
games, library, storytelling, outdoor play,
computer time and fi eld trips. Couple its loving
team of teachers with its exceptional facility
and it’s easy to see why Stepping Stones is so
loved – and why it’s the best nursery school in
Brooklyn.
BEST PRE SCHOOL
STEPPING STONES–THE NEXT STEP
9321 Ridge Blvd.
(718) 630-1001 – www.steppingstones86.com
Stepping Stones – a long-standing Bay Ridge
institution with deep roots in its community
– also takes the cake for best pre-school in
the borough. The praiseworthy pre-school –
located just blocks away from its nursery school
of the same name – boasts a feeling of “family,”
as well as excellence in early education. Each
teacher meets the requirements of the New
York City Department of Health and Mental
Hygiene and – far beyond that – they are
kind, nurturing, loving and (as they boast)
“family” to their school’s children and their
families. Equipped with age-appropriate
activities and a playroom that fosters growth
and positivity, Stepping Stones: The Next Step
is a local pre-school that comes with great (and
understandable) praise.
EDUCATION
/www.brooklyn.cuny.edu
/www.theartroomnyc.com
/www.brooklyn.cuny.edu
/www.buildingblocksny.com
/www.steppingstones86.com
/www.steppingstones86.com
/BESTOFBK.COM
/www.obtjobs.org
/www.theartroomnyc.com
/www.obtjobs.org
/www.buildingblocksny.com
/www.steppingstones86.com
/www.steppingstones86.com
/www.obtjobs.org
/www.theartroomnyc.com
/www.brooklyn.cuny.edu
/www.buildingblocksny.com
/www.steppingstones86.com
/www.steppingstones86.com