Schools & Tutors in Lanham

Today's side deal invites you to party for a good cause—or three good causes—with tickets to the annual Fashion Fights Poverty runway show for $37—half off the normal price. This fashion-forward non-profit is celebrating five years of sustainable style with a fundraising event at the elegant Renaissance Mayflower Hotel on Friday, September 25, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Bearing the titles of Master of Photography and Photographic Craftsman from Professional Photographers of America, David and Ally McKay embody the keen vision and aesthetic prowess that separated good photographers from great ones. They share these skills during classes at McKay Photography Academy, where they train eyes, fingers, and imaginations to work in tandem as a snapshooting dream machine. Their classes help aspiring photographers progress from neophytes to seasoned pros; the Beginning Digital Photography course teaches students to harness the intricacies of their instruments, and the Pro Academy offers inside tips on how to successfully snap wedding portraits, pose recent grads, or tease out candid emotions. When not busy instructing the next generation of shutterbugs, David and Ally also devise photo safaris, which send small teams of photographers to capture shots of famed landmarks including San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge; the Lincoln Memorial of Washington, DC; or Yosemite's 60-foot statue of Yogi Bear.

Since 1985, the Living Classrooms Foundation has provided educational programs that instruct young students and prepares adults for careers under the banner of a simple philosophy: learn by doing. The organization caters to underserved populations in the Greater DC–Baltimore area, educating students through fieldtrips and after-school programs and providing workforce preparation and life-skills training for young adults and families. Its experiential learning opportunities are anchored in community and environmental awareness and often place a special focus on educating the general public about the significance of the region’s maritime heritage. Educational programs include environment-focused activities for families in Maryland's Glen Echo Park, as well as an orienteering field trip that teaches students from grades two through eight about the basics of map-based navigation, preventing them from having to endure the putrid witch breath that befell the notoriously disoriented Hansel and Gretel.

For underserved teens and adults, Living Classrooms also serves as a resource for gaining the skills necessary to obtain long-term employment. Its 40-week Fresh Start program uses metalwork as a medium to teach reading, writing, math, history, and science to youth aged 16–19, with the goal of demonstrating practical, workplace applications for academic knowledge.

Led by former social worker and licensed child and family therapist Laxmi Chauhan, the Montessori-certified staff at Dulles Montessori School strives to fulfill the school's motto to "accept and respect" each child. Trained assistants in each classroom give each child personal attention and help carry out the foundational philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori, which includes cultivating a child's natural desire to learn, create, and eat paste. The school's programs challenge young kids with a curriculum that incorporates music, math, and language skills, as well as sensorial materials that encourage observation.

The team at International Beauty Salon prepares aspiring models to grace the fashion catwalk and pageant stage with comprehensive courses in modeling, pageantry, acting, and etiquette. Beyond hands-on lessons in posing and smelling like a fashion magazine, the courses cover professional necessities such as portfolio building and self-marketing. Once models have graduated, the instructors often provide work opportunities and agency interviews to those who qualify. Their two-hour workshops focus on specific areas of modeling, whereas their five-day summer camps for teens cover a different aspect of modeling each day.

On the shade-speckled hard courts of Carderock Springs Swim and Tennis Club, Seven Locks Swim and Tennis Club, and Old Georgetown Swim and Tennis Club—tennis director Nitin Deodhar and his team of professionals certified by the United States Professional Tennis Association work with adults and children during specially designed tennis classes and clinics. Nitin and his team lead students as young as four years old, and many of their racket-swinging scholars have achieved collegiate scholarships, national rankings, and sectional league championships.

In addition to helping young students fine-tune their motor skills while developing a love of tennis balls rivaled only by golden retrievers, Deodhar Tennis Academy works with adult students. Specialized clinics and classes include cardio-tennis sessions filled with drills that attempt to keep heart rates up and early-bird clinics—which blend drills and point play to provide a more invigorating start to the day than swimming in a pool of iced espresso.:m]]