BOWLING UNIVERSITY'S ONLINE TRAINING AND MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATION PROGRAM AND ANNE ARUNDEL COMMUNITY COLLEGE WIN 2011 MARYLAND DISTANCE LEARNING ASSOCIATION'S PROGRAM OF THE YEAR

First-Ever Virtual Learning Platform Provides Online Learning to Help Bowling Proprietors Around the World Learn How To Operate Their Centers at Maximum Profitability

ARLINGTON, Texas, March 21, 2011 – Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) and the Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America (BPAA) have been awarded the 2011 Maryland Distance Learning Association’s (MDLA) Program of the Year for the design of Bowling University’s Online Training and Management Certification Program.   The award is the top honor in the MDLA’s workforce development category and credits the BPAA – the leading non-profit trade association in the bowling industry – for partnering with AACC to create a program to help bowling proprietors around the world apply cutting edge technology to enhance the profitability of their centers.

Bowling University is the first-ever learning platform of its kind and is offered exclusively to BPAA members.  The Bowing University program includes the Online Training and Management Certification, The School for Bowling Center Management as well as Virtual Staff Training programs.  Bowling University was created to assist in the development of staff members, increase revenues and grow the customer base of member centers.   

“The past few years have been an exciting time for bowling and our industry has seen tremendous advances in the services and experience that we can provide to customers, as well as the operational advances that proprietors can implement in running their centers,” said Bart Burger, BPAA’s Vice President of Business Development.  “The Bowling University Online Training and Management Certification Program is an incredible initiative that enables us to empower thousands of proprietors with the latest tools and programs to achieve operational excellence while growing their bottom line.”

The program was originally conceived in 2007 when the BPAA’s Education Committee determined there was an industry demand for higher education and certification for its members.  Working with AACC, the Education Committee along with BPAA staff developed 36 modules that address the primary areas of work activity for the typical bowling center. These topic areas include:  sales & marketing, food & beverage, facility maintenance, customer service, finance, human resources, supervisory skills, entertainment income and leadership.

The MDLA, which hosts the Distance Learning Awards annually, is an association of learning professionals who advocate and promote the coordination and use of distance education in Maryland and throughout the region. 

For additional information please visit www.bpaa.com or call 800-343-1329.

About Anne Arundel Community College
Anne Arundel Community College is a fully accredited, public two-year college offering credit programs leading to an associate degree, certificate or a letter of recognition. It also offers noncredit continuing professional education certificates leading to industry-recognized certifications. In addition, the college provides extension lifelong learning opportunities and noncredit continuing education courses to those seeking career training or retraining, adult basic skills or new areas of interest. AACC's Students First! philosophy is visible from its state-of-the-art facilities to its award-winning programs taught to students in small class sizes by faculty members who are experts in their field. As a board member of the prestigious League for Innovation in the Community College, AACC exchanges ideas with leaders nationwide, as well as with local partners, to create programs preparing students to succeed in a global economy. Its distance learning and online programs continually win national and state awards for their innovation and responsiveness to students. The college has a new CyberCenter to coordinate training so that students can step into jobs created by the Base Realignment and Closure expansion of technical and homeland defense jobs. AACC’s STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Center trains students for careers in emerging industries, such as alternative energy and environmental engineering. Its Honors program allows students to work one-on-one with professors. The college’s agreements with four-year institutions provide pathways for students to continue their education. The college enrolled 24,750 credit students and 53,046 unduplicated continuing education and credit students in fiscal year 2010.

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