It is not often that within just a few months, a new business begins to truly impact a community. Omega Learning Center, however, has done just that. From the opening of their first center in May 2005, the Brookstone and surrounding community of Acworth has come to rely on Omega's services and benefits greatly from their community involvement.

A year later, a second center opened in the Bentwater area of Paulding County to widen the web of positive influence. Omega Learning Center is in the business of tutoring, teaching and training students of all ages, but its owners and employees always knew that building up a community's youngest citizens without supporting the structure of the community itself is like building a home on sinking sand. The moment their doors opened for their business, their heart opened to bettering the surrounding community in rock-solid ways.

Omega Learning Center places a high priority on supporting the educational system, in both the public and private sector. To this effort, they immediately sought to become Partners in Education with the surrounding schools. To date, Omega partners with eight elementary schools, eight middle schools and five high schools in Cobb and Paulding County.

As Partners in Education, Omega Learning Center gives $7500 in education grants to the partnered schools every year. Omega does not believe that signing a check is the end of its responsibilities, however. Being a "partner" involves far more than simply giving monetary contributions; it involves many, many hours of volunteered time and a variety of ways of supporting teachers, staff and local students.

Even though the business profits from tutoring, they also voluntarily offer tutoring to children who cannot afford it during the After School Program or during class hours, if requested. During the all-important CRCT testing, Omega staff works with students that the school has specified as "on the edge" of passing or failing this test. This can mean the difference between being retained in the same grade or graduating on to the next, so it can be very important.

Omega Learning Center volunteers have become familiar faces at local schools' special events, such as the annual Science Fair, Spelling Bee, and Reflections. When the school asks Omega staff to judge these events, it is confirmation that they trust and respect the center's educational contributions to the area's children.

To encourage the love of learning, Omega sponsors both Reading and Math incentive programs and provides all the prizes and/or trophies. Staffers have also come in on Career Day to talk to students both about starting an education-based business or becoming an educator. Omega then shows it values fun and recreation as well, by providing a giant inflatable "bouncy"
free-of-charge for several schools' Spring Fling and/or Fall Festivals.

Omega even puts in the time to man this inflatable fun-factory all day, while any and all proceeds go straight to the partner school to benefit its students. In addition, Omega sponsors many different sports teams, especially at the high school level, because they believe that athletics provides a myriad of physical, emotional and educational benefits for its participants. And of course, any boy or Girl Scout looking for a receptive buyer would do well to knock on Omega's door! Omega sponsors several civic and religious children's groups, as well.

Omega Learning Center has a unique relationship with the area's teachers. There is open communication (via email and phone) between every Omega student and his or her teacher at school. This respectful collaboration is purely in the best interest of the child and often works to help ease the burden of the classroom teacher, as well. Far from being a competitive relationship, it is instead a true partnership.

During "Reading Appreciation Week," Omega staffers are invited into the classroom to read to the children. The center in turn recognizes the Teachers of the Year with a gift certificate every year, just to honor their outstanding efforts to the community's children. Three times a year -- during teacher conference weeks and Teacher Appreciation Week -- Omega shows their support and appreciation for not only all the teachers but also the support staff in their partnered schools by providing dessert trays or a luncheon.

Omega Learning Center exists only to provide children a better present and future through education . Their hearts, time, talents and monetary contributions all center on children. But children do not live in a vacuum. They live in a community, attend schools and have parents -- all of which Omega feels are their partners in helping today's youth gain the confidence and skills to reach their potential. In this way, they believe the community and exponentially the world is a little better off because they are in it.