The Learning Room, located at 7-30 149th St. in Whitestone, has clients across New York City and nationally. Courtesy of Enzo Marchese
Whitestone siblings launch online education
platform to help remote students, parents
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
As formal classroom settings
have changed and more
students are opting for remote
learning amid the ongoing
COVID-pandemic, two Queens
siblings are providing virtual
support to families through
their online educational platform
called The Learning
Room.
Whitestone residents Daniela
and Enzo Marchese founded
The Learning Room (TLR)
in June 2017, which has since
evolved into a tailor-made
learning experience for children.
The center, located at 7-30
149th St. in Whitestone, has clients
across New York City and
nationally. Its staff consists of
dedicated and progressive educators
specializing in a wide
range of subjects.
The Learning Room has become
a home for all, and is one
of the most innovative brands
in education today offering
services such as tutoring, test
prep, art therapy, wellness
classes, creative lab workshops
and foreign language classes.
During the pandemic, technology
has become a vital tool
in helping to keep families connected.
However, for those who
may not be tech savvy when
it comes to navigating online
learning programs, Daniela
and Enzo have managed to create
a sense of calm during a
time of chaos.
“We send project managers
to students’ homes to help with
remote learning, academic and
technical support,” Enzo said.
“There are still a lot of people
in this world that are not tech
friendly, even though we have
iPhones and iPads. Parents
don’t understand Zoom and we
didn’t have an online platform
until COVID hit.”
The sibling duo’s online
service allows one-on-one and
group remote learning experiences
with the ability to navigate
Google Classrooms for
each student, streamline assignments
and create unique,
individualized learning experiences
without neglecting human
interaction.
The Learning Room is not a
traditional educational service,
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.2 COM | OCT. 30-NOV. 5, 2020
according to Enzo. They create
customized programs for
each student who enters their
facility, as well as those who
on-board remotely, and they’re
paired with an educator based
on their need and personality.
“Kids are very comfortable
here. It doesn’t feel like a
school, but more of a learning
spa with cleanliness, bamboo
and essential oils,” Enzo said.
“It’s a special place in the sense
where you can really dive into
what you love and learn the
way you want to learn.”
The Learning Room has
been a dream come true for
Daniela, who started the business
when she entered motherhood
with her first-born child.
“TLR is a game changer. It
is probably the most incredible
place I’ve ever had an opportunity
to be in,” Daniela said. “It
is a positive space where every
child is truly treasured, and
where no two children learn or
are taught the same.”
As an educator, Daniela
taught first grade students at St.
Luke’s in Whitestone and adults
with dyslexia at St. John’s University.
Though she left the
classroom, she continued to tutor
kids in the local library, her
home and parents’ home.
“When I realized I had more
students than I could take on I
started distributing work to my
friends and former colleagues,”
Daniela said. “Even then, business
was coming in, and I knew
I had to do something to help
my students — saying no was
just not an option.”
Now, more than ever, The
Learning Room provides comfort,
knowledge and security
for all of their community.
“We set these kids up for
success. We bring out the very
best in each of them, and sky
is truly the limit to how far we
will go for each and every one of
our families enrolled with us,”
Daniela said. “TLR has completed
me, and I am honored
to be part of this journey each
day.”
Daniela and Enzo are planning
to launch a TLR merchandise
line of loungewear, and
there are plans to transform
the front section of the center
into a boutique.
Together, they’re trying to
make the best of the “new normal”
helping to educate kids
and staying informed about
what is currently taking place
in the education world today.
“The amount of calls we
get daily regarding the chaos
in school and the hysteria is
crazy,” Enzo said. “These kids
should be happy to go to school
and they genuinely miss school
for the most part. They want
to be with their friends and it
makes learning a lot easier.”
Enzo and Daniela say
they’re proud to give back to
their community that served
as the foundation for who they
are today, which is extremely
rewarding.
“We’re trying to be the light
at the end of the tunnel for these
kids,” Enzo said. “With an online
platform we’re able to have
more of an impact and further
outreach to students and their
families. It’s very alive here
and I think we live in a time
where people are not connected
and we have a connection with
these kids. It makes Daniela
and I feel really good.”
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