Author Archives: Brian Rahill

About Brian Rahill

Brian is a scientist-turned-education technology executive. He has founded and led technology companies for more than 20 years and uses his analytical mind and experimental approach to spur growth in small and medium businesses and start-ups. He is passionate about using technology to enhance access to lifelong learning.

1. Why Arts Education Matters for Children, Adults, and Communities

   May 8, 2024 9:54 am Leave a Comment

   A struggling kid learns ways to express herself and becomes more resilient in the process. A stressed adult laughs for the first time all day within five minutes of starting his improv class. A community rallies to put on a show that shares their cultural stories with the wider world. Each of these scenarios is just one of the reasons that arts education matters. 

   Research has shown that arts education improves cognitive function, mood, and behavior, among other benefits. 

   Nonprofit arts organizations might say their mission is to connect people to the arts, to challenge, educate, or inspire. A few are brave enough to acknowledge that the work they do is actually shaping a better future for all of us.

   That might sound lofty, but the truth is that arts organizations really are changing the world for the better. That’s not just our opinion, formed by working with dozens of nonprofits that provide arts education, it’s also borne out by the research and real-life examples. 

   In a world of AI and ever-evolving technology, arts education isn’t just nice to have, it’s vital for people and communities.

   Arts Education Matters Because It Prepares Kids for Adult Life 

   Although 91% of Americans believe that the arts are vital to providing a well-rounded education, the average hours a student spends in arts-based instruction falls every year. Kids who spend 300 hours on art in elementary school are down to just 33 hours by the time they hit high school age. That’s a huge loss, not just for those students, but for their communities. 

   Kids who engage with the arts end up with improved cognitive functions. That means they are better able to pay attention, remember, and solve problems. They’re also less likely to get in trouble and more likely to stay in school.

   As arts education is cut from schools, nonprofit arts organizations fill a vital role in the lives of children and teens and in their communities. 

   As arts education disappears from schools, nonprofit arts organizations fill a vital role in the lives of children and teens by giving them access to arts education. A world where kids get more of what they need creates a future with happier, better adjusted adults. 

   In their annual report, one CourseStorm customer stated, “American Stage believes that arts education is the catalyst that inspires profound connections. Students learn to connect with their peers, their teachers, communities, and their inner selves. We believe that theatre is the great communicator that creates bridges between the world of the student and the uncharted worlds which students may explore in new ways.”

   Adults Thrive With Arts Education

   It’s not just kids that benefit from arts education. Adults also reap real benefits from learning and practicing art. When adults spend just 45 minutes creating art, the length of a short class, they experienced reductions in the stress hormone cortisol. 

   In fact, studies have linked all kinds of art forms to a wide range of benefits:

   • Reading, writing, and sharing poetry can combat loneliness and help people feel more connected. 
   • Singing in low-stress situations, like in a community chorus or musical-improv group, decreases cortisol and cortisone, hormones that trigger stress in the body.
   • Working on a crochet project can improve mood and reduce the perceived impact of mental health conditions and negative life events.
   • Learning, especially in the arts, helps people keep their minds sharp and stay connected to their communities as they age.

   Aside from all of the direct benefits, art can also act as a key to unlock improved learning. Many studies have found that incorporating visual arts into professional education makes learning faster and more effective.

   Art-making might even help us imagine a more hopeful future, professor Girija Kaimal told NPR. Making art helps us stay creative, so we can more effectively imagine possibilities and solve problems. That’s a skill any adult could benefit from. 

   “The practice of art isn’t to make a living. It’s to make your soul grow.” – Kurt Vonnegut 

   Nonprofit Arts Organizations Bring Communities Together

   Amidst headlines decrying the risks of loneliness and worrying that social media amplifies divisions, art can help keep us together. In fact, 86% of adults believe that arts and culture are important to quality of life in their communities. 

   That belief is based on more than good feelings. It’s founded in some pretty compelling statistics as well. Arts nonprofits support 2.6 million jobs, providing $101 billion in personal income. They also generate more than $29 billion in tax revenue. 

   Even the federal government has begun to take notice. The STAGE Act, an act supporting theater and the arts to galvanize the economy, was introduced to the U.S. Senate April 9, 2024. While not specifically aimed at education programs, if approved, the $1 billion in funding would help cover rent and payroll among other costs for nonprofit theaters.

   CourseStorm Believes That Arts Education Matters

   At CourseStorm, we believe that arts education matters. That’s why we designed our class registration and payment system to meet the needs of nonprofit arts education programs. From pay-as-you-go pricing to integrated marketing tools, nonprofits get everything they need in a simple, user-friendly tool.

   One nonprofit arts customer shared that CourseStorm frees up their time to focus on philanthropic partnerships. The organization works with a local drug prevention center, offering free art workshops for middle school and high school students. Eliminating the time-consuming manual registration process allowed the organization to triple the number of workshops they offered. 

   To help nonprofit arts organizations reach more students and keep their programs strong, we published the 2024 State of the Arts Report (SOAR). In it, we share insights on registration trends, digital marketing channels, and how to reduce class cancelations, among other topics relevant to arts organizations. Read SOAR to get these insights for your program.

2. Why Mobile-Friendly Class Registration Software Matters

   April 3, 2024 9:54 am Leave a Comment

   Any arts or education program offering classes to the public needs a mobile-friendly class registration and management system. It’s just not optional anymore. Students, instructors, and administrative staff expect to be able to access essential course information on the go. 

   With 60% of time online spent on mobile devices, your students and staff expect to be able to register and access course info on the go. 

   Globally, about 60% of the time people spend online happens on a mobile phone. In the U.S. 15% of adults are smartphone-only internet users. Trying to run arts or education classes without a mobile-friendly system leads to: 

   • Missed registrations because people can’t take action whenever they think of it. They have to wait until they’re at their computer, if they have one at all.

   • Unhappy customers who are annoyed or inconvenienced by digging out their laptop, which they really only use for work anyway.

   • Time wasted by instructors and administrators who would happily manage their classes while commuting but can’t, because they only have a mobile phone with them.

   • Extra admin when customers call or send emails to try to register for classes instead of using the all-in-one registration and payment system on your website.

   A mobile-friendly class registration system is convenient for customers and instructors. It makes registration available anytime, anywhere, and lets everyone make the best use of their time.

   Here’s a closer look at why your arts or education program absolutely can’t go another day without mobile-friendly class registration software.

   If you’re already convinced that adding mobile registration is the right choice for your program, it’s time to give CourseStorm a try. Start your free trial today and discover how much simpler course administration can be.

   CourseStorm: Simple, Mobile-Friendly Class Registration

   CourseStorm is class registration, payment, and management software designed to be simple to use on any device. It’s mobile friendly and user friendly for both registrants and staff. All pages on a CourseStorm site, from class listings to registration pages, are automatically optimized for mobile devices. There’s nothing you have to do or set to make a CourseStorm site friendly for mobile users — it just is.

   1. Keep Customers Engaged By Improving the User Experience on Mobile Devices

   Most people have used their smartphone to visit a website that forced them to zoom in on text to read it, or scroll left-to-right to find information. It’s frustrating. These websites haven’t bothered to make their content mobile friendly, they simply display the desktop version without regard for the smaller screen. Customers are likely to click away in frustration. 

   At CourseStorm, user experience is our guiding principle. We design and test our software to make it impossibly simple for almost any user. As one customer put it, “If you can use email, you can use CourseStorm.”

   A website that is not optimized for mobile might look fine on the desktop version, where the text is large enough to read and the links are easily clickable. But the mobile version is another story. Everything shrinks down, to fit the smaller screen. The text is tiny and the pictures are distorted. Good luck trying to click on any of those links without accidentally hitting the one beside it. 

   For contrast, below you can see what a class listing on CourseStorm looks like on a mobile phone screen. The text is large and easy to read. Buttons are large enough, with space around them so you can click with precision.

   

   2. Break Down Access Barriers by Letting Mobile Users Register Without Downloading Extra Apps

   Some programs require people to use proprietary apps for registration. That means customers have to download your software to their phone, where precious storage space is already full of their favorite mobile games, social media apps, work tools, and videos of their pets. 

   The last thing most people want is one more mobile app to download, especially if they’re a first-time user who is just learning about your program. Adding that extra step might just mean they choose not to register at all. 

   CourseStorm allows users to register and access their user profile from any device with an internet connection — no download required. That means they can use their mobile phone or borrow a friend’s iPad to sign-up, pay, and manage their registration.

   Imagine two friends out at lunch and one of them is telling the other about the interpretive dance class they took last week. It sounds fun, and the friend is interested in signing up. But, they’ve never taken a class from you before, so they’re not willing to commit to downloading an app. Fortunately, they don’t have to, because you use CourseStorm. They can pick up their mobile phone, go right to your website, and register without leaving the table. They can even register their friend at the same time! 

   Ready to make your class registration site mobile accessible? Start your free trial of CourseStorm today and see the difference for yourself.

   3. Mobile-Friendly Websites and Class Pages Rank Higher on Google

   Google believes in mobile-friendly websites. In fact, the search engine actually prioritizes sites that are mobile friendly. So if you want your site to show up when people search for things like “art classes near me” or “painting class for adults” you want your website to be easily accessible from a tablet or smartphone. 

   That’s just one of the many reasons CourseStorm makes mobile-friendly the default mode. Ranking on Google helps your classes get discovered by more people, which results in more registrations. 

   When a local dad is standing on the sidewalk waiting for his girls to get out of school, he might realize that summer is fast approaching. Maybe it’s time to sign the girls up for a summer camp. He pulls his smartphone out of his pocket and types “art summer camps” into Google. Fortunately, your CourseStorm site is mobile friendly, so it’s right at the top of the page. He clicks, and before you know it, you have two new campers signed up for the first July session.

   4. Make Administrative Tasks Easier So They Get Done Fast and Accurately

   Instructors and administrators are busy. They don’t always have time to sit at the desk in their office, boot up their computer, access course files, and do all the admin associated with their classes. These tasks tend to pile up, resulting in bottlenecks or mistakes as they try to reconstruct records days or weeks later. 

   With CourseStorm, instructors and administrators can access course material from wherever they have a mobile phone. That means they don’t have to lug a laptop to an art class. They can update attendance records on the fly, or send a quick follow-up note to students while riding the train or ferry home from class. 

   

   You need to keep accurate attendance records, because your grant funding depends on it. On the other hand, your instructors are more focused on supporting the students in front of them. They don’t have time to run to their office between sessions, so they keep notes on printed papers that they transcribe later. It’s not efficient and sometimes papers get lost. Enter CourseStorm. Suddenly instructors can quickly take attendance without disrupting the flow of their classes. Everybody wins. 

   5. Get Mobile-Friendly Design With No Special Technical Expertise Required

   Some class catalog hosting and registration programs make it hard to create a mobile friendly website. They offer you a bunch of options you may not understand or expect you to use plug-ins and special code. After lots of frustration, you have a mobile site that doesn’t quite work, but you don’t know how to fix it. 

   The only solution is to hire a web designer or app developer to customize something for you. That costs you time and money, while delaying roll-out of your mobile solution.

   CourseStorm helps you skip all that frustration. Every page of your site, from class catalog through payment confirmation, is automatically mobile friendly. There’s nothing to turn on, download, or pay a developer to change. It’s all built in.

   For Mobile-Friendly Class Registration, Choose CourseStorm

   Mobile friendly means user friendly, and that means more registrations, happier customers, and less frazzled admins and instructors. It’s time to modernize your class registration software with CourseStorm. Discover what all the fuss is about. Start your free trial of CourseStorm now.

3. How to Build an Email List for Effective Email Marketing

   January 9, 2024 11:00 am Leave a Comment

   How to build an email list is one of the great puzzles of marketing. You know you need one because everyone keeps talking about how effective email marketing is. Yet, you know from your own experience how crowded people’s inboxes have become. Under these conditions, convincing people to give you their email address seems like a big task. 

   Email is one of the best and most cost-effective ways to market your classes.

   Fortunately, building an email list can be easier than it looks. Your learners and prospective learners want to hear about upcoming classes and new programs, so you’re actually doing them a favor by giving them a chance to put themselves on the list. Let’s explore how to build an email list for effective email marketing.

   Why Learn How to Build an Email List

   Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to increase enrollment and build your program. Here’s why: 

   Email marketing is cost-effective. 

   Email newsletter programs, like Mailchimp or Constant Contact, let you send emails for a small monthly fee. CourseStorm Core plan customers get marketing emails built in. 

   Reach your audience directly. 

   People opt in to your email list because they’re interested in what you have to offer. You can reach them directly and without worrying whether an algorithm will choose to feature your content.

   Offer seamless class registration. 

   A link in your email can take recipients directly to your course catalog or registration page. They can take action right away. This creates a seamless process for registrants and helps you keep classes full. 

   You own your list. 

   Most importantly, your email list belongs to you, not to the platform. If your social media account is compromised or advertising costs suddenly increase, you may lose access to your audience. Not so with email. Your contact list belongs to you, and you can keep your contacts if you switch to another email service provider.

   

   How to Build an Email List: 5 Strategies

   Of course, actually building the list is the hard part. You might be starting with just a couple of hundred contacts, or none at all. Here are 5 simple strategies that can help build your email list. 

   1. Ask for an email on every form. Whether they’re using an online form or a paper copy, include an email address field on every form you ask students to fill out. Most students will be happy to share this information so they can get updates about their class. 

   2. Put an opt-in on your website. People interested enough to visit your website may want to hear more from you in the future. Add a banner, pop-up, or embedded form to collect their email addresses so you can stay in touch.

   3. Offer a lead magnet. A lead magnet is a useful resource that you offer in exchange for someone’s email. It should be something closely related to what you teach. For example, we offer a downloadable pack of email templates to simplify course communication.

   4. Publish a blog or newsletter. Sharing useful content in the form of a blog or newsletter can encourage people to sign up for your mailing list. They may be willing to subscribe to make sure they never miss an update.

   5. Ask for emails during conversations. Get in the habit of asking for an email address whenever anyone calls or walks into your organization.

   You can automate some of this data collection with CourseStorm. Our online registration system automatically collects an email address from every registrant so you can send emails to people in a specific class, or your entire email list. 

   Email List Maintenance: The Care and Keeping of Contacts

   Having someone’s email address is a responsibility. Learners and community members have entrusted you with their personal information. If you protect it and use it wisely, you’ll build trust. But, if you abuse the privilege, people will stop opening your emails or even block you as spam. 

   Follow a few best practices to keep the contacts you have on your list. 

   1. Get permission to add someone to your list. Asking first makes your emails less likely to be marked as spam.

   2. Write useful and interesting emails. People are more likely to read, and share, quality content.

   3. Craft compelling subject lines. Interesting subject lines help your email stand out in a crowded inbox.

   4. Personalize campaigns with name and class information. Something as simple as adding the recipient’s name to the subject can make an email feel more personal.

   5. Match emails to learner interests. Use tags and groups to organize your email list so you can easily send relevant emails.

   6. Remove inactive subscribers. If people aren’t reading or opening your emails, remove them from the list. This saves you money on email service providers and helps you focus on active list members.

   7. Make it easy to unsubscribe. Include a simple button or link that lets people opt out so they don’t have to block your emails as spam. 

   8. Send special offers only for people on the list. Make contacts feel special by offering early bird registration, sharing discount codes, or sending news out by email before it hits social media.

   9. Invite feedback and two-way communication. Questions, surveys, and other invitations to share feedback can help email feel like a conversation your audience is happy to continue.

   What to Do After You Build an Email List

   Many organizations use email lists for marketing. That could include nurturing relationships with both potential and former students. Think about what these different audiences might be interested in and create content with them in mind. 

   CourseStorm customers at the Core features level and above have access to automated class recommendation emails that notify learners of upcoming classes they might find interesting. You can also set up automatic enrollment warning emails when a class is almost full or in danger of being canceled. 

   If you want to explore other ways to communicate with students through email, these 5 email templates will help you engage students and make the most of your email list.

4. Why Students Love It When You Offer Payment Plans for Classes

   August 24, 2023 10:45 am Leave a Comment

   These days it seems like pretty much everyone is offering payment plans. Whether you need a new water heater for your home or just want a trendy new sweater, payment plans help make purchases possible. If your organization offers big-ticket courses that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, it might be time to consider offering payment plans to students. 

   Payment plans make it easier for students to afford professional credentials, certifications, camps, trips, and long-term enrichment programs. They can register now, rather than waiting to save up the full purchase price. And modern technology means that setting up payment plans can be easy for organizations too! 

   Why Offer Payment Plans to Customers?

   You may not think of your learners as “customers” but during the registration process, that’s exactly what they are. They’re shopping for a good or service, in this case an educational experience or credential. Your job is to make it easy for them to make the purchase that fits their needs. 

   Your students don’t want to miss out on classes just because they don’t have the full purchase price in their pocket right now. Payment plans allow your students to take the classes they need when they need them. 

   Offering payment plans for higher priced classes allows students to register when they want to, rather than when they have the full fee in hand. And it shows you care about your students.

   The result is that students choose the right time to take your classes based on their needs, not their bank balance. Classes offer learners an opportunity to enrich their life and even advance their careers. Those are opportunities that should be available to as many people as possible. 

   Yet, many people have experienced new financial stresses under the uncertainty of the last few years. Costs are increasing everywhere and budgets are tighter. Your students and your organization both feel that pinch. You may even need to raise prices to meet new circumstances. Offering payment plans can help smooth this transition.

   Setting up installment plans shows you care for students. You understand that everyone has different financial circumstances, and you want to be inclusive. It acknowledges the financial pressures some learners face, and shows that your organization will treat learners with respect. That makes your organization look good, even to students who don’t need a payment plan right now. 

   The Benefits of Offering Payment Plans

   Offering payment plans can seem like a new administrative burden. But the right technology makes it easy. Besides, this flexibility brings some real benefits to your organization. 

   1. Offer higher-priced classes with less risk. Often, big-ticket classes are more costly to produce. You may need to retain instructors with specialized skills, pay to maintain licenses and accreditation, get special insurance, or provide facilities and equipment over the long term. Setting all this up is a financial risk for your organization, but payment plans keep money flowing month after month.

   2. Gauge level of interest. It’s sometimes hard to tell why registrations are lower than expected for a specific class. Are students just not interested, or is the price scaring them away? Payment plans help remove some of the price burden so you can more easily gauge interest.

   3. Register more students. Spacing out payments makes classes more affordable since students don’t have to come up with a lump sum. That means you may get more registrations and be able to reduce class cancellations. 

   How to Avoid Potential Drawbacks of Installment Plans

   The obvious danger with payment plans is that a student will fail to pay the whole amount. One way to avoid this problem is by setting up the plan so that the full amount is due before the class starts. Learners can hold their seat with a deposit, but must pay in full before the start date. For longer-term classes, you can spread the payments out a little more, but still require full payment before the end of the class. 

   CourseStorm does not charge any additional fees for payment plans, to students or programs.

   Depending on your payment processor, you can sometimes incur additional costs for taking payments in installments. Make sure you ask about any payment fees or administrative charges before offering payment plans to students. CourseStorm does not charge any additional fees for payment plans. There is no cost difference to students between courses paid in full in advance or on payment plans.

   Setting up and administering payment plans can be labor intensive, unless you have the right tools in place. Many organizations never take the plunge because they think set-up will be difficult and they dread the administrative complication. Fortunately, unless you’re still using manual spreadsheets and mailed checks to handle registrations, those problems should be a thing of the past. 

   How to Offer Payment Plans and Never Miss a Payment

   Ideally, your registration system has built-in payment processing. The best course registration and payment tools also have payment plans built in, so students automatically get charged when a payment is due.

   

   At CourseStorm, payment plans are built-in and easy to use. We manage all the technical details for you so you get consistent automatic payments. For any class that costs more than $100, you’ll see a handy button that lets you configure payment plans for that class. You can have different plans for different classes or choose not to offer the option at all.

   When students register, they can opt to pay the full amount upfront, or sign up for automatic charges. The system will auto-schedule payments based on the time left between registration and the date the registration must be fully paid off. 

   You can even set up custom payment schedules if you have a student in special circumstances. This kind of flexibility means you can work with students to meet their unique needs and help overcome hardships that might otherwise prevent them from registering. 

   You Know Your Students Best

   Payment plans are increasingly common for educational programs, and many customers have come to expect them as an option for higher-priced opportunities. 

   Ultimately, it’s up to you whether you offer payment plans. Whatever you decide, we’ve made it easy by integrating them directly into CourseStorm’s class registration and payment software. For more on how CourseStorm works, or to experience our surprisingly simple registration software for yourself, start your free trial today. 

5. How the Right Enrollment Tool Can Save You Time and Effort

   August 15, 2023 11:00 am Leave a Comment

   You wouldn’t use a hammer to try to cut a board. Instead, you’d reach for a saw because it’s the right tool for the job. The same is true when you’re registering students for classes. You need an enrollment tool that can get the job done. 

   Some education providers reach for what’s familiar. They use Excel Surveys or Google Forms to gather information and populate spreadsheets. Those tools are fine if you have plenty of time and energy to spare. Just like a handsaw would be fine if you only had one board to cut. 

   But if you need to work at volume, you can save time and effort by grabbing a power tool. Just as a circular saw can speed up your carpentry project, CourseStorm’s automated student registration software can streamline enrollments. 

   What You Need From an Enrollment Tool

   You need information to register a student for your class. Most education providers use some sort of form to collect that data. Once you have it, you need to transfer it to your database so you can manage classes and track attendance and payments. 

   Your enrollment tool should include a registration form and payment processing to create a seamless experience for the student.

   Speaking of payments, modern students expect to be able to register and pay entirely online. So your enrollment tool should include both a registration form and a payment processing tool. Ideally, those two are integrated to create a seamless experience for the student. 

   Course management is challenging enough without having to juggle dozens of paper registration forms and spend hours entering data into a spreadsheet. You certainly don’t want to miss registrations because students have to mail in payment or turn a student away because they haven’t paid by the class date. 

   While both Excel Surveys and Google Forms can help you collect information, they’re less helpful when it comes to payment processing. Let’s take a closer look at how these tools compare. 

   

   Excel Surveys as Enrollment Tools

   Some organizations choose Excel Surveys because they’re already familiar with Excel and feel comfortable with the software. Plus, there’s no extra fee for Surveys if you already use Microsoft 365, which includes Excel. 

   Basically, organizations create a survey form with question fields. They then share the link to the survey with prospective students. The information automatically fills an Excel spreadsheet as attendees fill out and submit the form.

   This all sounds straightforward, but you run into problems when it comes to taking payment. There’s no integrated payment option. So you’ll need to send your students to a third-party site to finish registration, which means you may need to manually match registrations with payments. 

   Healthcare organizations should be aware that Excel Surveys and Google Forms are not HIPAA compliant, whereas CourseStorm is.

   The forms also aren’t very mobile friendly, which can disrupt the student experience. And be careful if you are a healthcare organization subject to HIPAA or other privacy standards. This method is not HIPAA compliant. 

   Your ability to manipulate the data once you have it will depend on your level of skill with Excel. If you’re already an Excel pro, graphs and reporting might be easy. Everyone else will face a steep learning curve. 

   Subscriptions to Microsoft 365 start at $8.25 per user per month; discounted plans are available for nonprofits. 

   Google Forms for Enrollment

   Google Forms is another solution you might choose because it’s familiar. Organizations that already use Google for internal email and word processing might try Google Forms for registration. The good news is that Google Forms is somewhat smoother than Excel Surveys and has some added tools that make it easier to manage your registration information.

   You still get shareable links, customizable survey fields, and cloud storage. You can also view charts and graphs in real time without any special effort. 

   Once again, payments are a challenge. You’ll need to link to a third-party payment service. This takes users away from your form and onto another website. 

   Like Excel, Google is not automatically HIPAA compliant. Organizations that need this level of security may have some extra work to do (and money to spend) to abide by privacy regulations. Access to support is limited and mostly involves community message boards. 

   Google Forms are part of the Google Workspace suite, which is free for nonprofits and individuals. For-profit businesses pay around $12 per month. 

   CourseStorm, the Integrated Solution

   CourseStorm’s online class registration software is specifically designed to support education businesses by combining registration and payment processes into a single tool. It streamlines the way you handle registration by providing an easy-to-use, customizable, secure, and comprehensive registration and payment system. CourseStorm’s software can integrate with your existing website and connect with Zapier to streamline automations. 

   The fully customizable registration and payment forms are secure and HIPAA compliant. They keep all of a student’s information together, even offering group registration for families or friends taking classes together. 

   Before CourseStorm, Westside Christian Academy spent 40+ hours manually pulling data and creating Excel spreadsheets for their summer camp registration.

   Westside Christian Academy in Westlake, Ohio, chose CourseStorm to save them time with registration for their summer camps. Last year their executive director spent 40+ hours manually pulling data and creating Excel spreadsheets. She is thrilled to have CourseStorm to make the process easier. “It’s beautiful—it’s like it’s made for me!” she said.

   You can share your registration form with parents or students as a link or embed it on your website. Plus, integrated email marketing lets you easily communicate with registrants. Both you and your students get automatic notifications about low and nearly full classes so you can cancel fewer classes. Automatic waiting lists help keep classes full. 

   All that for no setup or monthly fees—just a small per-student registration fee. CourseStorm is easy to use, but if you do need help, our customer support team is here for you. 

   Choose the Right Enrollment Tool

   Whatever method you choose, automating class enrollment saves your staff time and effort. Students appreciate the easy process and take more classes, and your staff is free to focus on more important things, like growing your program. In fact, CourseStorm customers enjoy an average 18% increase in enrollment the first year, and 15% each consecutive year that they use our impossibly simple class registration software.

   Want to see first-hand how CourseStorm automates the registration and payment process? Schedule a demo, or contact us to learn more.

6. 6 Benefits of Enrichment Classes for All Ages

   August 2, 2023 5:03 pm Leave a Comment

   Education doesn’t stop when the school bell rings or when graduation is over. In fact, everyone is constantly learning, whether that’s through a formal class or informal exploration. People who take a lifelong learning approach to life may seek out enrichment classes for personal growth, to build new skills, or connect with others in their community. 

   What are enrichment classes? Typically non-credit, they can cater to any age or interest of learners in your local community.

   What are enrichment classes? Afterschool programs, adult ed classes, workshops at your local makerspace, lectures at a senior center, and educational offerings at a theater or museum can all be considered enrichment programs. Enrichment classes are non-credit and typically outside of core subjects like math and reading. They can cater to any age or interest; the common theme is that the majority of learners come from the local community. 

   Below, we explore 6 benefits of enrichment classes that community education programs can use in their marketing campaigns, to encourage donations, or to inspire your team by reminding them that they’re doing important work.

   Benefits of Enrichment Programs for Your Community

   Are you wondering why is enrichment important for students? Enrichment classes fill needs that for-credit courses and other educational programming just can’t. Enrichment classes also strengthen your community and your organization’s place within it. Here are 6 ways enrichment classes benefit learners and communities.

   

   1. Connect people who might not meet otherwise

   Enrichment classes have an amazing way of bringing people together. They might be students with different majors who would never cross paths otherwise, or they could be members of your wider community who work in different areas. Bringing these people together enriches everyone. It leads to lateral thinking, unconventional partnerships, and a sense of community connection.

   An innovative program at the University of Texas at Austin called Lifelong Learning With Friends gives adult learners with intellectual and developmental disabilities access to the university experience through stimulating and fun post-secondary education opportunities. “Reverse inclusion” means that neurotypical UT college students learn alongside their neurodiverse peers.

   2. Claim your place within a wider community

   Enrichment classes also help your program build relationships with the wider community. When people in the community depend on your program as a source of education, they have tangible examples of the value you offer to the community. This makes them more likely to support, donate, and lobby on your behalf. 

   Many community colleges have begun offering non-degree credentials that address the needs of local employers and industries. Forming partnerships with local businesses is a win for everyone: the educational institution, learners, and the community. 

   3. Improve soft skills and confidence

   Many learners are focused on how education can help them find a new job or earn a raise in their current one. But technical classes aren’t the only way to do that. Enrichment courses help learners improve soft skills. From creativity to communication, problem-solving to public speaking, enrichment classes present fun challenges that help learners improve their skills. 

   Lifelong learning has been shown to boost confidence and build soft skills like creativity and communication. 

   Learners don’t leave these skills in the classroom. They bring them out into the community. Plus, lifelong learning has been shown to boost confidence and self-esteem. It also gives people hope and purpose, which can help them face the stressors of life.

   4. Prevent the dreaded “brain drain”

   Enrichment classes can keep kids from backsliding during summer breaks. Research has shown that kids can lose an average of 20-27% of their school-year gains during summer vacation. Keeping them engaged and learning can help prevent some of these losses.  

   The same principle can help seniors in retirement. Research has shown that seniors can improve their cognitive health by learning something new. It’s more effective than just socializing. So your enrichment program can benefit both the oldest and youngest members of your community.

   5. Give every learner the chance to shine

   Traditional academic subjects may not be everyone’s idea of a good time. Students who struggle with math or reading may excel in classes focused on arts or performance. Those who hate sitting through a whole class period may blossom in a dance or gymnastics class. Offering a variety of types of classes invites more people into your learning community. Encouraging a more diverse community benefits everyone. 

   To get a better understanding of the different kinds of learning and where your program fits in, check out our free resource, A Complete Guide to Types of Learning and Why We Need Them All.

   6. Bring in new students and keep existing students engaged

   If your organization offers for-credit courses or diplomas, enrichment classes can serve as a lead magnet for these higher-investment programs. They give students a fun and accessible way to experience your program. Even offering a free course can pay off in the long run. 

   Offering enrichment classes can keep students engaged and attract new learners between sessions or semesters of for-credit courses.

   Engagement leads to enrollment. If your organization offers semester-based learning or seasonal programs, you probably experience some enrollment melt between sessions. Offering enrichment classes can keep students engaged during the off-season so they’re more likely to re-enroll during the regular term. 

   Use These Benefits of Enrichment Classes in Marketing

   Knowing the benefits of enrichment classes is one thing. Spreading the word about them is another. Help learners and community members see the value of your program by talking about these benefits. Not only could it help you sell more classes, it can also show your commitment to the community. 

   Subscribe to our blog for more insights and strategies for arts and enrichment programs. And don’t miss this post that shares data-backed tips for the best days to schedule classes and where to promote them: How to Market Art Classes to Fill Every Seat: New Data on Scheduling and Promotion. 

7. 4 Easy Ways to Integrate Your Website With CourseStorm

   June 1, 2023 12:10 pm Leave a Comment

   You worked hard to create a website your organization can be proud of. It displays your brand colors, shows off your logo, and strikes just the right tone with your audience. The good news is all of that can remain in place when you become a CourseStorm customer, thanks to website integrations that allow you to seamlessly move students from your site to your CourseStorm-hosted class catalog. 

   Website integrations let you give up the burden of dealing with course registrations and financial transactions, but keep the benefits of a branded site that students instantly recognize as yours. They make course registration seamless for students and simple for you. Before we share the five easy ways to integrate your website with CourseStorm, let’s talk about how integrations can simplify the registration process.Read more

8. What Is Bloom’s Taxonomy and How Can It Improve Your Classes?

   May 30, 2023 10:19 am Leave a Comment

   As an instructor, your main goal is to help students learn. That may sound simple, but meeting the needs of a class takes planning. Building courses around a clear structure can make a big difference to the student experience. Bloom’s Taxonomy is one way to do that.

   But what is Bloom’s Taxonomy and how can it help you offer a better student experience? Think of it as a framework that helps you structure your classes. Although it’s not the only option out there, it is widely recognized as a useful tool for instructors. Learning more about it can help you provide a better learning experience for students.

   Read more

9. 6 Tips for Teaching Tech to Older Learners

   May 25, 2023 9:08 am Leave a Comment

   The pandemic triggered a boom in online classes. More programs added online learning, and for many, virtual classes are here to stay. This offers convenience and accessibility for learners, but some—including seniors—may feel left behind by newer technology. Figuring out how to teach technology to seniors now seems more important than ever.

   Programs don’t want seniors to miss out on learning opportunities, but sometimes computer-based learning really is the best choice. To help find a solution, we turned to former CourseStormer Chris Suggs. Chris taught basic computing to older adults as an AmeriCorps volunteer. He shared six thoughtful tips on how to teach technology to seniors.

   Read more

10. What’s a Brand Promise and Why Does Your Education Program Need One?

    May 2, 2023 2:16 pm Leave a Comment

    Geico promises you will quickly save 15% or more on car insurance. Walmart assures you that their low prices help you live better. Canva claims their online graphic design platform makes it easy to create professional designs. These companies have built reputations around their brand promise—their commitment to their customers.  

    Your organization should have a brand promise too. Being able to articulate what makes you stand out from your competitors and what students can expect from your program is critical to building a successful brand and establishing long-term student loyalty. We’ll share the steps for finding your brand promise and offer some examples to help get you started. 

    Read more