Madison Small Business Spotlight: Wise Learning Centers

Every local business has a story worth sharing with the community. And that’s the belief behind this exciting series — to shine the spotlight on all our favorite local businesses, and to learn a little about the ones we may not know that well.

• Business: Wise Learning Centers (Specialized Tutoring)
• Owners: Michele Isenberg
• Website: www.wiselearningcenters.com
• Address: 23 Woodland Rd., Madison, CT.

How did you come up with the name?

We chose Wise Learning because the kinds of students that come to us are students that tend to learning differently. Our students struggle in a class with 25 or 30 other students and can fall through the cracks. This is because they are being taught in ways that are not conducive to their learning style. Having said that, we teach our students how to be “Wise” and not just smart. We teach our students how they learn best and how they can develop independent skills. This way they can learn in whatever environment they are in.

Why start a business in this town?

Madison is a town with a great sense of community. The businesses, the people, the families, and the schools are all part of Madison and do not separate themselves from the community. We wanted to start our business in a town like this in order to feel involved and part of a great community.

What business are you in?

This business is a tutoring business. However, we offer all sorts of academic support such as after school tutoring, SAT/ACT test prep, Social Skills groups, and even Full Alternative School Programs. We cater to those need to find a place that they can learn and feel comfortable.

What’s the most difficult challenge you’ve faced as a business owner?

The most difficult challenge is not being known by everyone. This is a small business and it is competitive. Thousands of cars drive by our location but people do not know that we are a specialized tutoring center that cater to the needs of any type of student. We want everyone in the community to know about us and our great staff so that we can help more students out there.

What’s been your proudest achievement since opening?

Our proudest achievement was the opening of our alternative school services. We provide a Day School with small classes of 3-6 students and we provide full alternative programs for one-on-one. We are so proud of this because we want everyone to know that we are not just your afterschool homework help. Our teachers can create, individualize, and customize a program for any student of any age.

How does your business give back to the community?

We like to believe that we give every student who works with us a better outlook on education which can completely change a student’s’ life. Specifically, we have recently started taking in “interns” to shadow our teachers, to learn the business, to learn more about education, and to help with our instruction. Our interns are future educators who are learning how to interact with students in a classroom and in a one-to-one setting. On top of that, our interns are learning how to interact with co-workers, parents, and anyone else in a business environment. It is great to see how the interns can pick up on both educational skills and business skills!

Would you like to see your business featured in our Small Business Spotlight? Email wendy.mitchell@patch.com.