I think its unfair to say "beware the Art Institute" they do have other locations and it sounds like you have not actually attended classes there but are basing your warning on rumors. I know people who have actually attended and graduated from the Art Institute (some from the one located in Costa Mesa and some from the one in Atlanta) and not only learned the fundamentals but are excelling in their careers some are now working at Pixar and Disney. One of my friends had a professor whose lesson plan was for them to design and build a game. He even took them to a toy company as a field trip. I also stated that there are other schools in my original response. She doesn't have to attend AI but its helpful if she enrolls in an art program wherever that might be.