Category: Adminstrative

17 Aug

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Introduction to Learning Paths and an Update on Beta

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One of the most frequent pieces of feedback we’ve received from our students over the years, is that you want a better sense of direction – a better way to navigate all of our current and future content. Consequently, we’ve been hard at work behind the scenes, building one of the biggest features for Rouxbe, to help further guide you to learn to cook, better: Learning Paths.

 
Introduction To Learning Paths

Firstly, we wanted to apologize for the delay in the updates about Learning Paths. Things are taking just a bit longer than originally planned, and therefore, our original expected release date has been pushed back to this Fall – only a couple of months away. However, Learning Paths is shaping up well and we’re really excited to release it to you. It has been a massive under taking, but it’s finally coming to a state where we can begin to introduce you to it.

The details behind Learning Paths are difficult to explain in words, so we thought it might be more helpful to start off this first explanatory post with a diagram. The illustration below shows how the new class structure will significantly enhance your learning experience. It visualizes how Learning Paths will enrich lessons, which will help you tackle a small set of skills and techniques, to a clearly structured and engaging path that enables you to master entire areas of cooking. All of this with a Rouxbe certificate at the end.

Check it out, tell us what you think. And yes, we love both good and constructive feedback so don’t be shy!

Learning Paths Narrative

Learning Paths Narrative

View full sized image 

 
Questions Around Learning Paths

  • Who will have access to Learning Paths? All paid students of Rouxbe.
  • When will this launch? The new estimated date is sometime this Fall (I know, pretty vague, sorry, but I promise it will be worth the wait).

 
Beta Access Update

The next part of this update is for those eagerly waiting for details behind beta access. We’ve had a tremendous response to our open application for beta. Thanks to everyone that applied.

Starting today we will need to close off any new applications for beta. For those who have signed up to beta list already, you have not been forgotten. You will be receiving an email shortly with further details on your acceptance status.

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Filed Under: Adminstrative, Behind The Scenes, Business, Cooking School, Featured

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27 Jul

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Rouxbe for Life | A Message from Global Giving

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Hi Everyone, we just wanted to share this message we received from Global Giving (one of the projects that we support through Rouxbe for Life).

Dear Rouxbe Cooking School,

On behalf of the St. Vincent de Paul Nursery School & Rescue Center, I would like to thank you for your support of our organization. 

St. Vincent’s provides life saving services to 100 orphans and vulnerable children and their families in Kibera through our nursery school and rescue center. We also provide a safety net for families in the community so that they are better able to continue caring for the children. Families come to us when they need help with medical services, food, shelter, school fees for older children and support for small businesses.

At a time when Kenya is experiencing a severe food crisis, our services our ever important to the families living in Kibera. The food that children receive at the nursery school are often their only meals of the day. And, we have ramped up our efforts to provide food baskets to a greater number of HIV affected families in the past few months to ensure that our families have adequate food to survive.

Your contribution helps us keep our doors open to the children and families we serve.

With gratitude (Asante Sana),

Lucy Kayiwa, Director & Christina Stellini, Resource Development Volunteer

Thanks to everyone for your support and contribution to our Engine of Contribution.

Have a great weekend.

Dawn

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Filed Under: Adminstrative, Behind The Scenes, Business, Featured, Miscellaneous

26 Jun

22 Comments

The “Wait List” is here!

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Back in April, we mentioned that we would likely be implementing a wait list. Well… it’s true and it’s here.

Watch video address below.

Starting on July 3rd, the Rouxbe Cooking School will be shutting down the site to everyone EXCEPT existing students. New students who are interested will need to join a wait list and wait for an available seat in the school. We do not anticipate a long wait list, but there will be one.

There are a number of reasons for this move that are described in this video. In short, this is in preparation for the upcoming Learning Path feature that will be released in the months ahead.

If you’re interested in the answers to any of the following items, you can jump ahead in the video to the time noted in brackets.

• Why are we implementing a wait list. (starts around 0:40).
• What does this mean for existing and new students? (starts at 2:21)
• When is the release of the new Cooking Class feature? (starts at 3:20)
• Can I sign up for the beta? (starts at 4:24)

If you’d like more information or if you have questions around this change, feel free to attend the live 30-minute online event (below) or share your question on our blog.

Attend the live Question & Answer session with Co-Founder Joe Girard.

GO TO: http://rouxbe.com/live at the scheduled times below:

Wednesday, June 27th, 2012 @ 5:00pm (Pacific Time)
Saturday, June 30th, 2012 @ 10:00am (Pacific Time)

Lastly, if you’re interested in participating in the Beta Class, please fill out this short form.

Best Regards,

Joe Girard
Co-Founder of the Rouxbe Cooking School

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Filed Under: Adminstrative, Business, Cooking School, Featured, Food & Industry Talk, Miscellaneous, Video

22 Jun

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The Votes Have Been Cast | This Month’s Rouxbe For Life Donations

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You may recall that last month we reported the re-launch of Rouxbe for Life, our Engine of Contribution. In short, each month Rouxbe will contribute 5% of profits and you, our students, vote on where you’d like us to allocate the money.

Well, the votes have been cast and we’ve tallied them up. This month you voted to allocate the funds as follows:

35% of the votes went to imagine1day and the building of schools in Ethiopia. This month we helped to start the excavation. “A gift everyone will dig. Each classroom plot is excavated to make way for the school’s foundation. In Ethiopia, the laborious task of top soil removal is done by hand but can be completed in as little as three days.”

15% of the votes went to global giving and the project that helps to educate and feed 85 at-risk kids in Kenya. “This project provides school fees, meals and care to 85 vulnerable children at a nursery school and daycare in Kibera, Kenya who are orphaned or whose parents are unable to provide food and tuition.” So far, this project has raised over $38,000 dollars. There is only $11,000 more to go until the project is complete.

Another 25% of the votes went to the global giving project to build a well in South Sudan. “Water for South Sudan, Inc. will build a well with hand pump in the new country of South Sudan to bring the first fresh, clean water to a village. Girls & women will no longer have to walk miles each day to get water they need.” At over $7,100 dollars raised to date, this particular project is just about at the halfway mark for funding.

Rounding out the votes, another 25% of votes went to the WFP School Meals Programme. “Children are fed breakfast, lunch or both in school. Studies show it is more difficult for children to learn without adequate food and nutrition. There are 66 million primary school-age children who attend classes hungry across the developing world, with 23 million in Africa alone.” This month we were able to help feed over 1,000 children.

Thanks everyone for voting! For those of you that have no idea what we are talking about, you can read more and vote here.

A big “whoop whoop” from the Rouxbe team!

 

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17 May

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Rouxbe for Life – Engine of Contribution

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It’s a great day for all of us here at Rouxbe as today is the day that Rouxbe For Life is officially back on track – and we don’t mean Rouxbe Lifetime Memberships – that’s already back as you know.

For those of you that have been around since we started (back in 2005), you may recall that we used to contribute a percentage of proceeds to Rouxbe for Life – our social contribution initiative here at Rouxbe. And it’s more than just a sidebar program, it’s actually one of the key reasons we exist as a Company.


Watch Video on our “Engine of Contribution”

We’ve already fed over 100,000 hungry school children in developing countries through the World Food Programme school feeding program. To get things started again, we’ve selected a few other key hunger and sustainability programs that we’d like to support, such as school feeding and building schools in developing countries, along with contributing to the building of wells in Sudan and feeding at-risk children in Kenya.

Each month Rouxbe will contribute 5% of profits and you, our students, can help us by voting on where you’d like us to allocate the money. Read more and vote here.

This week we started contributing to the building of a school in Ethiopia by purchasing needed building items – elements such as classroom doors and chalkboards through an amazing organization called Imagine1day. We also contributed to the building of a well, where our contribution will provide the first fresh, clean drinking water in the new country of South Sudan. Lastly, we contributed to a project in Kenya that is trying to save 85 at-risk school children by providing them with school fees, care and meals for an entire school term. Small contributions, but over the lifetime of Rouxbe, with your support, we can make a positive impact.

Additional programs will be identified over time, but please check out the video overviews for the programs we’ve identified to date and cast your vote for next month’s donations.

Welcome everyone to Rouxbe for Life!

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