Business Profile: Eduscapes Associates, Ossining and Briarcliff
No matter how weak the economy may be, one thing is for sure: Parents will invest in their child’s education. That’s the theory by which Gayle Marchica founded Eduscape Associates at the peak of the economic downturn in 2007.
“When people didn’t have the same discretionary funds they used to, they would still spend money on their kids’ education,” says Marchica. “It’s an investment in the future.”
Parents investing in Eduscape Associates are not disappointed. Their children benefit from some of the most valuable test-preparation and tutoring services in the area. From SAT and ACT prep to college essay writing and everything in between, Marchica’s students are honing their skills as they work through the college admission process or everyday school struggles.
“We’re here for students who may need a quick ‘picker-upper’ to keep up in class,” Marchica explains. “We run the gamut. We help special education students. We have students who have applied to the top-tiered schools and are just looking for that competitive edge. Then we have the B-average kids who are working their best to get into the schools they applied to.”
An educator for life, Marchica has seen all facets of modern education while working as an assistant principal, principal and regional director of testing and assessment. Each role allowed her to gain a greater understanding of what types of instruction will most benefit students.
One of the most popular programs, Marchica explains, is the College Essay Boot Camp, which the team at Eduscape Associates offers each August. Later this month, the third year of the boot camp will take place in two, four hour-sessions on Aug. 22 and 23 from 5-9 p.m. at the Ossining Public Library.
The all-encompassing program allows students to walk out on the second day with the essay they will submit in their applications come fall.
“Kids come in absolutely bewildered,” says Marchica. “They don’t know what to write or how to write it. But after, they’ll have their essay ready in September, and will have time to focus on the everyday schoolwork. It’s so much less stress for them.”
Marchica believes that tailored education programs should be opened to all students, regardless of their ability to pay. In 2010, the inaugural year of the boot camp, TD Bank sponsored five scholarships for students to attend. Last year, the bank kindly sponsored four more scholarships for a new crop of students. This year, Marchica will sponsor scholarships for students who cannot afford the highly regarded program on their own.
“I feel really strongly about giving back to the community,” she says.
In addition to the Boot Camp, Eduscape Associates offers scores of other services, each one individualized to fit the needs of the student. There’s ACT and SAT test prep programs, followed by free practice exams of the same sort to provide students with insight as to what they can expect come test day. Marchica and her team also offer TACHS test prep, for eighth-grade students applying to Catholic high schools in the fall, and a series of workshops for parents cleverly named Parent University.
Then there’s private in-home tutoring, a service in which students ranging from elementary through high school can brush up on skills outside the classroom. Since its advent, Eduscape Associates has grown from two to nine tutors, all of whom are highly qualified in their field.
The company also offers college-planning programs in which a member of their team brings kids through the entire college process, one that typically spans the course of 18 months to two years.
“We kind of adopt each other. It’s great to see kids grow over the process,” Marchica says with a laugh.
As for what’s in store for the future, Marchica hopes that Eduscape Associates will become a brick-and-mortar operation with a new building solely dedicated to the programs of her team. For now though, word of mouth from satisfied parents keeps ushering new clientele to Marchica and her team.
“We’re extremely prescriptive,” she says. “We’re able to take any student from where they are and get them to where they need to be.”
For more information about Eduscape Associates, visit eduscapeassociates.com or call 914.-941-4148.
By Aileen Collins
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.
