Today we’d like to introduce you to Vishal Bhasin.
Vishal, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
The idea initiated about six years ago, when both Venus (co-founder and wife) and I, parents of two kids (7 & 4) with one on the way (3rd child was born in Dec 2015), were in our full-time jobs. We wanted to empower their children with the know-how of using technology to express themselves and unleash their creativity and to grow as creators and not just the users of technology. However, we couldn’t find any relevant programs for elementary school students.
So, we started Wize Computing Academy in early 2015 by starting to teach a handful of students. Based on students’ and parents’ feedback, we quickly determined we were on the right track. We grew from there as we introduced our unique project-based STEM enrichment programs at schools and preschools. We became a franchisor in late 2018 and since then, we have grown to have a total of ten locations in the US and Canada.
We were in Aspen Colorado the week of March 9th for a week of skiing with friends when the COVID-19 outbreak really started to hit home. We (and our franchise owners) had 100s of students enrolled in our after-school coding and robotics classes. Looking at the data, it was clear to us that schools will close and will not likely open for the rest of the school year. This would have had a direct impact on our revenue since we run our classes at schools, preschools and various other locations.
Immediately we decided to move all classes online and communicated the same to all our franchise owners. We created instructional videos and updated internal documentation on running online classes (we, the franchisor, have prior experience in running online classes, training sessions and meetings). Our franchise owners and instructors started to proactively communicate with parents about moving classes online; they increased the level of communication with parents and students and just became more flexible in general. We started instructor-led FREE online classes in addition to our regular classes to keep children engaged in our communities. Since all our instructors are at home now, we have added multiple paid online sessions and are seeing students sign up for these sessions too.
Being proactive in our communication, working diligently to make our online classes even better than before, being flexible and empathetic helped us keep the number of cancellations very low. We have added new sessions and new students in March, April & May. We are currently executing all summer camps online, students from across the US, Canada and Europe are participating!
While these are trying times, Wize Computing Academy is showing how to create opportunity in adversity.
Has it been a smooth road?
We have thoroughly enjoyed our journey so far, while it is not been without its ups and downs. We face typical challenges of a small but high-growth business – brand recognition and scale.
We’d love to hear more about Wize Computing Academy.
We have been teaching young learners since 2015. Our goal is to prepare students to apply computing concepts to address real-world problems. We teach coding, robotics & design to kids aged 4-16 years. Our projects are meticulously designed to be fun and to follow Computer Science standards. Kids learn new concepts without even realizing it!
– Low student-to-instructor ratio to provide personalized 1-on-1 instruction
– Students learn from a combination of online and offline material
– All-adult & tech-savvy instructors with a background in computer science
– Prepare our students to think, learn, problem-solve, be self-confident, collaborate and to create!
– Teach important 21st-century skills including 3D Modeling & Design, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Augmented & Virtual Reality
At Wize Computing Academy, we’re always trending. Our learners participate & SHINE in various Coding and Robotics competitions like the First LEGO League and AI Coding League regularly.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
COVID has been a major disruptor in all industries, education in particular. We see the future of education to be hybrid with more-and-more usage of the online medium.
We think that we are in very early stages of online learning, with the introduction of AR, VR & AI – technology will bridge the gaps. We want to be on the forefront of it to reach our goal of making available the gift of education to MAXIMUM learners throughout the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wizeacademy.com
- Phone: 2142264595
- Email: info@wizeacademy.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/wize_academy
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/wizeacademy
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/wizeacademy
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wize-computing-academy
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