The Tribune

By FELICITY DARVILLE

NEVER before in the history of mankind have billions of human beings used the internet as a tool for traditional learning at the same time. The delivery of education drastically changed once the Covid-19 virus began to spread all around the world. Adults and children alike were thrust into a new way of learning that will likely become the standard for education going forward. In the Bahamas, spiking Covid-19 cases meant that the online learning mandate had to continue for most schools when they opened in the Fall. While children continue communicating with teachers through laptops and tablets, a growing number of adults are also turning to online learning to improve their knowledge and skills.

Yet, there is no website where trainers and learners in the Bahamas could connect, according to one retired teacher. Lisa R McCartney says almost daily on Facebook, she would come across parents looking for tutors for their children, or adults looking for training and skills development. It made her realise the need for people to have one website to go to in order to gain access to numerous trainers certified to instruct in a variety of disciplines.

With what she considers no less than inspiration from God, Lisa came up with the idea to create The Online Training Authority (TOTA). She is bringing together some of the best trainers in the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

“What makes us unique is that there is no platform in the Bahamas that hosts trainers – no one stop place that learners can go to,” she said.

“For too long, a lot of our tutors, trainers, coaches, and counselors have had to spend exorbitant amounts of money doing their own marketing or building their own websites in order to reach clients. A lot of them don’t have the funds yet to be able to do that. They’re just starting out, getting their client base and so forth. We bring them together, and we push the marketing for them. This is a space where trainers can prosper; they can make income for themselves and their families. We also want to see learners prosper and get the training they need.”

On October 15, Lisa will officially launch www.theonlinetrainingauthority.com. In the meantime, she is building up a reputable cadre of trainers. In addition to their certifications, trainers will provide a police character reference and two referral letters before the final vetting process, in order to be included on the site.

Now is the time for interested trainers to reach out and sign up in time for the launch. They must be ready to deliver top quality service to their students. Once the site is launched and courses begin, students will have the ability to rate the trainers, to ensure that learners are satisfied. Live training sessions will also be available.

Lisa set core values for her platform – growth, productivity, change and development. As a veteran educator, she ultimately desires to see people really improve themselves in order to improve their quality of life.

She spent the early years of her career as a science and family life high school teacher. She taught at CH Reeves High School, and did her teaching practice at St. Augustine’s College (SAC).

Lisa is a 1989 SAC graduate and there, she met her best friend who became the love of her life, C Kino McCartney. Together, they built a beautiful life and family, including daughter, Krysten and son, Daniel.

“My husband has been my source of encouragement from day one; always praying for me, supporting me and encouraging me,” Lisa says of her husband of 26 years.

Once the McCartneys had children, they decided that Lisa would stay home and homeschool the children. She did that for 16 years. Krysten is now a business major at Gordon College in Massachusetts. Daniel is now in the 11th grade attending Northstar Academy School online school. He wants to study computer science in college and he aspires to become a computer animator. Lisa envisions that her website will actually become a legacy that she and Kino can leave for their children, both of whom will be able to utilise their skills and talents on the platform after college. Kino not only offers moral support and encouragement, but he also became Lisa’s initial investor for her business. It was he who pushed her to reinvent herself and discover her passion as her homeschooling days came to an end.

Lisa is also thankful for the support of her mother, Sandra Alleyne, who has been covering her in prayer throughout her life and has shown much support as she embarks on this new path. Her brother Julian Alleyne has also been instrumental in the launch of TOTA. Owner of Red Theory Design, Julian is responsible for the logo and most of her graphic designs for the business.

The Online Training Authority received its biggest endorsement to date from the Academy of Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) Programme,, when Lisa won a $5,000 grant to help jumpstart her business. The 16-week programme brings together scores of women who want to launch or improve their business. The programme is designed to give them all the tools to create an effective business plan that will translate into successful enterprises.

The programme is sponsored by the United States Embassy, the Small Business Development Centre, the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and the Bahamas Development Bank. Lisa was the fortunate winner of one of seven grants that were awarded at the end of the programme. The seven winners were chosen out of 132 candidates who participated in the programme. A pitch competition was held to determine the winners. The AWE Programme’s graduation exercise took place last month.

During one of the government-mandated lockdowns at the onset of the pandemic, Lisa was listening online to coach Ricardo Miller of “Effective Living”. He was talking about creating other sources of income when she started to think about what path she would take to entrepreneurship.

“I knew that whatever I did had to be passive income – something that would make money while I’m sleeping, she said.

“I also knew it had to be generational income. As I thought about what that could be, the Lord inspired me. I took out a book and began to write every single thing that was coming to me. The first person I shared my idea with was my husband, and then my brother. Since then, God has been opening doors for us.”

As a result of her experience as an educator, trainer, author and veteran homeschooler, Lisa said people consistently sought her advice with regards to homeschool curricula, online education and training.

She has now turned that need into a service she hopes will be successful. Lisa serves as the founder and president of this start up company.

Prior to the creation of TOTA, Lisa qualified herself as a personality trainer, in association with Personality Insights, Atlanta, Georgia. She also authored a children’s book, “Three Young Pigs”. More recently, she was appointed as the treasurer of the Bahamas Homeschool Association. Her passion for learning and educating only stands to continue to grow as she develops what she hopes will be a sought-after learning platform for the region. The Online Training Authority broadcasts live every Tuesday at 6pm from its Facebook page. Last week’s speaker was Tansey Louis of the Student Shed. This week, Lisa will host the show and speak on: “The Vision for Online Trainers in the Bahamas and the Caribbean”. To find out more about becoming a trainer, email info@theonlinetrainingauthority.com or WhatsApp 801-8153.