VanDamme Academy Announces Remote History Program!

[ScottP]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Scott Powell

Remote History Program

VanDamme Academy

25201 Paseo de Alicia, Suite 105

Laguna Hills, CA, 92653

Phone: 949-510-3737

http://www.vandammeacademy.com

VanDamme Academy, an acclaimed private school in Orange County, CA founded by noted Objectivist educator Lisa Vandamme has a developed system for providing its comprehensive history curriculum to homeschoolers and parents everywhere. The school has named this educational initiative the "Remote History Program."

Starting in September 2006, VanDamme Academy's elementary grades history teacher, Scott Powell, will offer classes to students across the country. Mr. Powell explains, "Our program spans the entire history of the West, from Ancient Egypt to Modern America. This year, to keep the program synchronized with our own curriculum, we will be offering the history of Europe (from AD 300 to the present)."

The story of Europe, Mr. Powell elaborates, "is both an exciting story in its own right, and an important background and foil to the development of America. We will look at the emergence of Europe out of the Dark Ages, following the fall of Rome, and the evolution of its various nations up to the present day, noting especially the role of Christianity and monarchy in shaping their cultures. Quite simply, it is an amazing epic, with both shocking villains and powerful heroes. Children love it!"

"To make this program available as widely as possible," explains Ms. VanDamme, "Mr. Powell's lectures will be broadcast both as live teleconferences, which teachers and their students can attend by phone, and by internet, via the school's website. In this latter format, students will be able to access recorded lectures on their own time, if the class times are not convenient. This truly represents an unprecedented opportunity for students everywhere to access an essential curriculum component that has sadly been displaced in public and private schools alike."

The Remote History program is now accepting enrollment applications. Parents and teachers are directed to the program's webpage: www.vandammeacademy.com/rhp.

[ScottP]

I wonder if there are Objectivists out there with specific knowledge about homeschooling that might be able to help raise awareness of this program. Do you have a favorite homeschooling website or blog? Do you know someone who might like to supplement their child's education with a product of this kind? Any marketing advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Scott Powell

Teacher, Remote History Program

VanDamme Academy

[softwareNerd]

This does not address your question about marketing to home-schoolers, but I figured it would be best to stick to this thread. Reading about this program along with my current experience with my son gave me this idea. It might not be workable for you, but I'm putting it down for what it is worth.

There is a private school (K-8) in our city that has a pretty good reputation. They also run summer camps for kids (open to all). Like most private schools, parents weigh the marginal extra cost of private schooling and often decide they cannot afford it. However, when summer comes around, many parents (who are looking for camps for their kids) send them to the camps at this school. For summer, the cost of this school's camps is only slightly higher than those at other camps.

The summer program actually ends up acting as good "word-of-mouth" for the school. People in the community talk to each other and I would not be surprised to find that some full-time enrollees heard about the school from some of the summer-camp parents. (Usually, parents chat with each other and are pretty clued in to the schools in their neighbourhoods.)

This got me thinking: could one construct a good 1 or 2 week summer-camp around the subject of history and then market it locally?