The LearnShop: Creative Professionals Finding Their Inner Teacher

ATLANTA, Feb. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Let's face it: Education can be intimidating.  It's easy for students and teachers alike to be pigeonholed into a single expertise.  Not only do academics need a creative outlet to share fresh content, but everyday teachers need one too.

For The LearnShop, what began as a centrally-sourced catalog of classes evolved to accommodate a new market: everyday teachers seeking wider distribution.  But these aren't just a bunch of higher-ed rejects: Atlanta's Director of Education, T. Rishan Tesfamichael, entered Georgia Tech at the tender age of 16, graduating with honor before she could legally drink. "What excites my inner learner is how we bridge social networking with making diverse learning experiences more accessible to a broader demographic," says Tesfamichael.  "One message from our micro-blogging tool reaches several social networks and every instructor's front page. It creates a uniquely organic cross-marketing platform."

This platform can even be licensed to schools, companies, clubs and associations. This is one teaching community with the spirit of a grassroots movement, yet enjoys solid partnerships with national brands such as University of Phoenix, Gold's Gym and Museum of Design Atlanta, a Smithsonian affiliate. Instructors decide pricing, what and where they want to teach, invite attendees, and show up.

Teaching is also a great way to build credibility.  "It's nice to be attached to an organization that lends to your credibility because it makes your students feel more comfortable," says instructor, Dr. Ron Owens.  "I also like the idea of being part of a community of instructors."

"It's hard to create a business from scratch," added Fei Meng, VP of Product Development. "Our ultimate vision is to promote rare and authentic learning experiences, so we turned over what we built for ourselves to empower everyday teachers."

The LearnShop is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and directly sells lifelong learning programs to individuals and groups, while providing low-cost, turnkey enterprise solutions to teaching, training, & coaching professionals. Solutions include a course management system, venue booking resources, and social networking integration. Website: www.theLearnShop.org  

If you'd like more information about this topic, or to schedule an interview with T. Rishan Tesfamichael, please call Simon Duffy at +1 404-704-0435 or e-mail [email protected]

SOURCE The LearnShop