Sylvan Learning, Inc. Converts 21 Corporate Centers to Local Franchises in Last Six...

Sylvan Learning, Inc. Converts 21 Corporate Centers to Local Franchises in
Last Six Months

Entrepreneurs Across U.S. Have Joined Pioneer of Supplemental Education to
Help Children Excel Academically

BALTIMORE, June 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Sylvan Learning, Inc., North America's most
recognized provider of supplemental education, announced today it has
converted 21 corporate centers to local franchises in more than 10 markets in
the U.S. Earlier this year, Sylvan embarked on a national expansion plan that
included converting 40 existing corporate-owned centers to franchises, while
expanding in new and existing territories.

"We are thrilled to have made so much progress toward our goal of converting
these corporate centers to locally owned and operated franchises. Under the
leadership and dedication of these new franchisees, Sylvan will continue to
satisfy a growing demand in these markets for high quality, individualized
supplemental education," says Curt Hapward, Sylvan Learning's vice president
of franchising. "We will continue to convert these corporate locations to
local franchises because Sylvan has found that local center ownership,
community involvement and partnerships with local school systems are integral
components to each center's success."

Franchisees have signed agreements for centers in Baltimore, MD (Abingdon,
Waldorf, Crofton, Silver Spring and Lanham); Evergreen Park, IL; Arlington,
TX; Pittsburgh, PA (Monroeville and Robinson); Salt Lake City, UT; Marlton,
NJ; Mountain View, CA; Atlanta, GA (Dunwoody, Austell, Snellville, Buford,
Suwanee and West Cobb); and most recently in Las Vegas, NV (Green Valley and
Buffalo); and Winter Park, FL.

With more than two million students served since 1979, the pioneer of
personalized, supplemental education is still looking for qualified candidates
interested in helping children build confidence and success in school and in
life. Sylvan has identified additional existing corporate-owned centers that
it would like to convert to franchised centers in Houston, Dallas, Milwaukee,
Salt Lake City, Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Sacramento,
and Orlando. In these markets, interested franchisees have the potential to
generate revenue from these existing centers ranging from $200,000 to nearly
$1 million.

"Despite an economic environment where many businesses are struggling, the
supplemental education market is proving resilient, and as a result, there is
increased interest by entrepreneurs in aligning themselves with Sylvan," said
Hapward. "Our franchisees come from differing backgrounds and have various
reasons for joining this growing family at Sylvan, but all seem to share a
passion for providing every student with the skills, habits and attitudes
needed for lifelong success."

Natalie Sobkow was a teacher and a Sylvan Center Director prior to joining
Sylvan as a franchisee in November 2008. Natalie and her fiance, Fran Norris,
decided to use the money they saved for a wedding to purchase the corporate
center in Deptford, NJ, located just outside of Philadelphia. "As someone who
has always worked for someone else, it's great to have your own business
without the risk of starting it from scratch," said Sobkow. "Even if you are
unsure if you can do it financially, you'd be surprised. It's an investment
that you can be passionate about," she added.

Another new franchisee, Nicholas Skene, was an investment manager prior to
joining Sylvan in Salt Lake City, UT. His passion for supplemental education
came from his volunteer work with Rotary International's volunteer program at
Olympus Junior High, where he helped students with their reading skills. In
addition, his wife, Larisse, was a student at Sylvan as a child and went on to
graduate at the top of her periodontal class.

"I have come from industries where most measures of success are monetary. It
has been nothing but positive to participate in the Sylvan system that really
helps boost families to where they want to be academically. It is so
fulfilling to be able to measure success by the amount of good this business
does for our students," said Skene.

When looking at franchises, purchasing an existing corporate center appealed
to Chris Pittner, who now owns 10 centers in the greater areas of Houston and
Waco, as well as Oklahoma City. "You are able to make a more informed
decision because the data on the center is very detailed. Furthermore, a lot
of systems are already in place and the transition process is a pretty
effective one," said Pittner. "You also already have a good reputation in the
community and in the schools, so your customer base is well established and
there's not a ramp-up period like a new center opening," he added.

Sylvan currently operates nearly 1,100 centers worldwide including operating
in 49 states in the U.S. and six provinces in Canada. Sylvan has served more
than two million students since 1979. In 2008, Sylvan Learning was ranked
number 57 in Franchise Times magazine's "Top 200 Systems" based on total
number of units and has been ranked 24 times in Entrepreneur magazine's
"Franchise 500 Ranking," the industry's premier franchise ranking. Most
recently, Sylvan was named one of the "25 Top Franchises for Hispanic American
ownership" by Poder Enterprise magazine, and was ranked in Bond's "Top 100
Franchises.".

Entrepreneurs interested in exploring opportunities in supplemental education
franchising may contact Curt Hapward, Sylvan Learning's vice president for
franchising, at 800-627-4276, ext. 8242.

About Sylvan Learning
Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of in-center, online and at home
tutoring to students of all ages, grades and skill levels. With 30 years of
experience and nearly 1,100 centers located throughout North America and
abroad, Sylvan's proven process and personalized instructional methods have
inspired more than two million students to discover the joy of learning.
Sylvan's trained and certified instructors provide individual instruction in
reading, writing, mathematics, study skills and test-prep for college entrance
and state exams. Sylvan helps transform unique kids into uniquely inspired
learners with the skills to do better in school and the confidence to do
better in everything else. For more information on Sylvan's franchise
opportunities call 800-284-8214 or visit www.sylvanfranchise.com.

CONTACT:
Kim Ryan
Fish Consulting
770-932-0695
kryan@fish-consulting.com

SOURCE Sylvan Learning, Inc.

Kim Ryan of Fish Consulting, +1-770-932-0695, kryan@fish-consulting.com, for
Sylvan Learning, Inc.