Online education and distance learning

Pioneering concept paves a way to a better future for Tampa Hispanic community
Tampa, FL--(HISPANIC PR WIRE)--January 24, 2007--Questamente, a bilingual learning center designed for Hispanics, announced the grand opening of its first facility in Tampa, Fla. Questamente combines its learning center with online courses to offer the Hispanic community educational alternatives and career advisement. Accessible at the Questamente Center or online via a personal computer, the Questamente learning programs were created to enable Hispanics with more education choices. “Our aim is not only to offer educational alternatives for Hispanics, but to be a life coach and career partner available to advise, support and guide our students in reaching their goals,” said Kathleen Chitester, co-founder of Questamente. Trained career counselors at Questamente help students identify appropriate courses and provide career guidance. Questamente has also tailored the learning experience by providing Spanish keyboards on-site for students who wish to complete their courses in the Center. Information on job opportunities and relevant job assistance programs, such as resume writing and interviewing skills are also built into the Questamente learning experience. Classes presently available include English-language, GED Preparation (high school equivalency), Business Management in the U.S., and Starting your Own Business in the U.S. Questamente will soon offer classes in U.S.
citizenship training, PC technician training, culinary arts, HVAC, electrician training and child care. For those who have not found the time or the resources to finish high school or further their education Questamente is versatile, convenient and affordable. “With millions of Hispanic immigrants in the United States,
our vision is to create lifetime partnerships with them and provide the resources and knowledge they need to improve their lives, reach their potential and live the American dream,” said David Chitester, co-founder of Questamente.
In the future, Questamente will expand with learning centers in predominately Hispanic neighborhoods in various U.S. cities. For a limited time, Questamente will offer free English courses to students registered by January 31. Please visit
http://www.questamente.com for more information. You may also contact the Learning Center by phone at813.879.5500 or by e-mail at info@questamente.com.
About Questamente: Questamente is an online bilingual learning center that seeks to improve the quality of life for first-generation Hispanics by providing the resources to receive a relevant education. By combining community learning centers
along with online courses, Questamente is a place for learning and growth. As a lifetime career and education partner, the Questamente vision is to help Hispanic families find the better future they long for and deserve.

(January 24, '07, 3:51 IDEX Online Staff Reporter)
Jewelers of America’s new educational initiative, J-Biz, launched its online course at the JA New York Show. The online courses will enable wider access to JA’s education programs, which until now have been available only at live seminars and in-store.
The J-Biz online program has been tailored to the schedule of a busy retail sales associate. The courses are typically divided into 45-minute modules. The modules are then sub-divided into 15-minute segments, to facilitate even faster learning opportunities. Maximum learning flexibility is the key. The online courses will be available to members on JA’s website, www.jewelers.org.
“We recognize that many JA members have only limited access to our live seminars. Online access makes it possible to provide just-in-time education to members wherever they are,” says JA Director of Education David Peters.



According to JA President and CEO Matthew A. Runci, “Continued professional training is no longer dictated by one’s ability to travel to an industry event or trade show. Now, JA education is available to anyone with a dial-up Internet connection.” The online program provides an opportunity to reach tens of thousands of retail jewelers and their sales associates with focused courses they can turn to when they want basic information quickly, Runci added.
Students can also choose take the entire training course at once. Completion times will range from three to six hours, with some courses lasting as long as 10 to12 hours.
Among the first online courses from J-Biz are communicating color; the basics of selling diamonds; ethical selling and relationship selling. J-Biz will also adapt some of JA’s best-known in-print training programs – such as Counter Intelligence and Jewelry 101. A Beta launch of the first online courses is scheduled for early February.
J-Biz also plans to offer its members existing educational courses through partnerships with a variety of other associations and groups. For example, JA has already partnered with the Jewelers Education Foundation of the American Gem Society to offer JEF’s Graduate Sales Associate course online.
To make the J-Biz education program accessible to the widest audience possible, the majority of the new online courses will be available to JA members at an estimated $20 to $50 for most courses. Access is also designed for narrow-bandwidth delivery, meaning courses will work just as well on dial-up connections as on high-speed broadband Internet connections.

Educators and employers have come to view online learning as a legitimate means of
obtaining a college degree. Most colleges and universities now offer online courses, and a growing number of undergraduate and graduate students are supplementing the classroom courses with online learning. Additionally, online learning has made higher education more accessible to people who otherwise couldn't earn a degree. OnlineDegreeZone.com features more than 11,000 undergraduate and graduate degree programs plus guidance and advice for those exploring distance learning and online classes.