The Mt. Airy neighborhood in northern Philadelphia is rich with a diverse collection of knowledge.

"Our programs are based on a system of neighbors teaching neighbors" says Jonna Naylor, director of Mt. Airy Learning Tree. And for 24 years their programs have provided anyone with a passion for sharing or teaching a soap box to share their talents and wisdom.

Mt. Airy Learning Tree was founded in February 1981 as a community education project with 16 courses and 125 students. Today the program has grown to 600 classes and 5,000 annual participants. Classes and events are held in church buildings, schools, non-profit institutions and in some cases, the instructors' home or studio. These partnerships bring people in to buildings and venues they might not otherwise visit, further enriching their learning experience.

"People call us to register again with comments like 'Did you know the Lutheran Theological seminary has glass floors'?" Jonna laughs quietly.

On any given day it's not always easy to tell who's having the most fun at Mt. Airy - the students, the teachers or the staff. Two an a half staff members, an army of instructors, volunteers and Student Manager keep the whole program running smoothly. Jonna says, "We couldn't handle the volume without Student Manager. It just wouldn't be possible."

Partnerships are a vital part of the Mt. Airy program and the partnership between ACEware and MALT is at the top of the list. Recently adding the ACEweb module to their web page has significantly reduced the amount of registration work for which the staff is responsible. "ACEweb has taken us to another plateau of participant involvement. We're seeing a higher level of registration in eclectic classes because of the added convenience."

While most of us are increasing our postage budget Mt. Airy has been able to reduce their expenditures and maintain their services and flow of information. Teachers receive instruction packets via email, targeted marketing and promotions via email has improved, and 98% of the required parking permits are now distributed via email. Says Jonna, "Anytime you can lower a line item in your budget because of your software . . . well, that's significant."

Credit card processing, as well, has been streamlined, further reducing double entry and tedious keyboard entry.

Behind the scenes Michael, at ACEware, and Jonna strive to make Student Manager the hardest working staff member at MALT. "When I actually put my hands on the software, I found all kinds of things that could help us. Direct contact opened up a world of possibilities." Jonna continues, "We couldn't do it without Michael's patience. Michael is a keeper in the fishpond of life!"

ACEware Software

Student Manager, ACEweb

Database

15,000 Names

Programs

An eclectic mix of programs is offered in general areas ranging from computers to walks and talks. Examples include, Rowing at #4 Boathouse Row - Sculling on the Schuylkill River, Difficult People, Life Challenges & Other Angels, Conversational Japanese and several levels of Belly Dancing.

Featured Program

Jonna's favorite program at Mt. Airy might not be unique, but it epitomizes the spirit of education and achievement on which the program was founded. Learn to Swim reaches out to adults who never learned to swim. "Most people who reach adulthood without learning to swim do so because of fear. Learn to Swim grabs the steer by the horns, acknowledges the fear, and gets the job done. We're proud to be kicking down that wall."