By ANGELA POUNDERS
For Potomac Local News
MANASSAS, Va. — One thing is certain: teachers and home-school educators buy a lot of supplies for their students. But there were few local places where educators could go to get what they needed.
That’s until Dianne Laramie, a retired teacher who retired from Prince William County Public Schools in 2012, and her husband, Bill, decided to open their own teacher store.
Laramie wanted a place where teachers could have the opportunity to touch and evaluate products without having to look for them online. The entrepreneurial couple named their store Brilliance and opened it last fall.
They believed that for parents — especially those with home-schooled children — that the ability to provide products in conjunction with professional advice would be an asset to them. They chose to locate in Manassas, which they consider to be central to customers from Fredericksburg and parts of Loudoun County. Laramie said her store provides value and a diverse inventory that teachers would be willing to travel for. Brilliance is not your typical store.
“It is stocked with items that provide teachers and parents with a variety of resources based on the current teaching methodologies in education. The store is run and staffed by professional educators. We provide a ready resource for both teachers and parents in helping to provide solutions to meet their needs,” said Laramie.
They are one of the first retailers to receive and carry new items from Teacher Created Resources who is “a leading publisher of supplementary teaching materials, free lesson plans, teacher supplies, and more for preschool, elementary and middle school levels,” as stated on their website. Brilliance is also affiliated with The School Place/Educator’s Resource, a major distributor of educational materials, where Laramie sits on the company’s advisory board.
BriIliance also offers a variety of services, like laminating, that can be viewed and ordered from their website. Shoppers can order items from the store’s website and have them shipped to the store for free. This summer, Brilliance will offer small classes on a variety of educational topics such as using manipulatives to teach concepts, story hour and instructional advice for parents seeking help with unique educational challenges.
Active in the local community, the business has participated in the Toys for Tots Drive, and it sponsored local families in need by donating toys and educational materials over the Christmas holidays. Brilliance also supports two area scholastic athletic teams in local schools, and the Hylton Performing Arts Center.
Laramie and her husband just recently became members of the Prince William Chamber of Commerce.
For hours and more information for Brilliance Educator Supplies and Resources, Inc, call 571-292-2331 or visit brilliance-ed.com.
