Lifelong Learning Provider Seeks Partners for Expansion
Active Minds is a Colorado-based company that provides on-site lifelong learning programs for seniors in retirement communities, assisted living communities, nursing homes, senior centers and other types of locations. We offer programs ranging from international affairs to history, poetry, music, politics, and more. Our belief is that lifelong learning is part of living and aging well and that it is part of living a meaningful and purposeful life, regardless of age. Our experience has been that seniors in particular want high quality educational programs available to them where they live and that this is a largely unmet need in most senior residential communities where Bingo and oldies music dominate the activities schedule. This need is only increasing as Baby Boomers begin retiring in large numbers.
Over the past decade, the founders of Active Minds have built a successful and profitable business by meeting this need and fulfilling this mission. Our next step is to expand beyond Colorado to have an even greater impact in the world. To do this, we want to partner with like-minded individuals who share our passion and are interested in joining our team to launch Active Minds in a new market in the U.S. He or she will become an owner of the Active Minds company formed for the new market and will be the leader of that organization. We have extensive experience in what we do and will be able to support and guide the new partner in many very important ways. Operating Active Minds in a market other than Colorado, however, will be new to us and will involve some new learning and challenges. We envision a partnership in which the new partner will be part a team helping to figure out how to seize opportunities and handle issues as they arise.
Successful Active Minds partners will likely have a strong blend of the following characteristics:
Intangibles: First and foremost, we seek to partner with people who share our passion for teaching. For us, teaching is about bringing high quality lifelong learning programs to the lives of seniors in order to make a real difference in the world. It’s about head and heart. We believe that if our partners resonate with this mission, they will easily be able to explain the importance of this to prospective clients. Using strong interpersonal skills and a natural ability to form strong working relationships, they will be able to excite customers and employees about what we do.
Teaching Ability: Active Minds is built upon a foundation of excellent teaching. Partners must be outstanding teachers and will need to do some of the instruction themselves, especially early in the process of establishing Active Minds in a new market. Formal teaching experience is a plus, but is not required, as great teachers can be found with a variety of backgrounds. Partners will be able to recognize and coach excellent teaching in others.
Content Knowledge: The flagship course offered by Active Minds is a blend of international affairs, politics, current events, history, and related areas. Partners will need to have a general background and knowledge base in these areas. A degree in these disciplines is a plus, but is not required, as long as they have the content knowledge.
Ability to Execute: Successful partners will have a strong ability to get things done quickly and efficiently. They will be well organized, logical, and able to plan and execute effectively. They will be proficient with computers and technology, have a strong educational background and an ability to learn new things quickly and easily.
Financial Investment: Ideal partners will be willing and able to invest some money in the business. The amount of the investment may vary according to factors such as the amount of initial ownership in the business or the ability to work for a period of time for little or no salary while the business is starting up.
Location: Ideal partners will live in a metro area with a population of at least two million.
If this sounds exciting to you and you feel you are well qualified, please send us your resume and a brief letter to help us get to know you.
