America’s First Scholars’ Studio™
A modern micro-campus built for fully online and hybrid students, offering focused, resource-rich space, flexible hours, and room to connect and move forward.
SERVICES
Journey Planning
In-person sessions that help learners explore academic pathways, goals, and next steps.
Scholars’ Studios™ Learning Spaces
Focused, resource-rich study environments with flexible hours and seating options.
Shared Academic Resources
Campus-level tools, including high-speed internet, loaner devices, and discipline-specific study aids.
Child Watch
Time-limited support that enables student parents to engage in uninterrupted study time.
In-Person Learning Community
Optional lectures, peer meetups, and small group discussions that foster connection and accountability.
Wellness and Supportive Resources
Quiet restoration spaces and connections to non-clinical supportive resources.
Community Engagement
Accessible volunteer opportunities with trusted partner organizations.
POV
"Libraries rarely provide the kind of atmosphere as they once did. University campuses used to be more open than they are now. Coffee shops are hardly the place unless they start offering more dedicated quiet spaces. A co-working space model is a good idea..."
Reddit: pondercraft
"Co-working has the potential to improve well being and improve performance when working remotely and to democratize and improve education by reducing geographic, institutional and disciplinary barriers to collaborative scholarship."
"...Community spaces are hard to come by, and its so wonderful to hear when people are looking to create some."
Reddit: u/slimpickings
“Hybrid and flexible study environments that merge the strengths of coworking culture with academic needs represent a promising model for the future of learning.”
OUR WHY
As higher education moves beyond the physical campus, student enrollment patterns, learning conditions, and completion outcomes have shifted as well.
OUR MISSION
Adult learners often pursue education without access to a physical campus or focused learning resources, which can make persistence and completion more challenging.
Tenderfoot exists to change that.
We build focused, resource-rich learning environments for adult learners, independent of learning modality, providing quiet space, shared academic tools, and flexible access that support persistence and independent learning.
CORE VALUES
1. Education as a Sacred Journey
Learning carries dignity, meaning, and consequence. Every stage deserves clarity, respect, and thoughtful support.
2. Equitable Learning Environments
All learners deserve spaces that protect focus, reduce friction, and support meaningful progress, regardless of circumstance.
3. Equitable Access to Essential Learning Tools
No learner’s progress should be limited by a lack of basic academic resources commonly available on a traditional campus.
4. Access to an In Person Learning Community
Learning can be independent, but many learners benefit from opportunities to connect with others engaged in similar work.
5. Accessible and Inclusive Volunteering
All students should have opportunities to serve others and discover purpose, resilience, and motivation through meaningful contribution.
6. Compassionate Access to Supportive Resources
Every person deserves access to supportive resources that promote stability and well being, independent of identity, background, or circumstance.
FOUNDERS
Tenderfoot was founded when a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse and a retired Navy Search and Rescue Swimmer encountered a simple but persistent challenge while pursuing their own education: there was no dedicated place in Virginia Beach to study outside the home.
In searching for a solution, they studied the model of South Korea’s study cafes, focused learning spaces used by students and professionals alike, and returned with a vision to adapt this proven approach for modern learners in the United States.
Their research affirmed a widely shared reality. Higher education is often harder to complete, not because of ability, but because of access. Many adult learners study while working full-time, raising families, and navigating isolation in an increasingly digital learning environment, without spaces designed to support focus and persistence.
Tenderfoot’s Scholars’ Studios™ respond to this need by providing purpose-built, resource-rich spaces with flexible hours that make distance learning local and accessible for learners enrolled in programs anywhere.
Tenderfoot Co.’s Scholars’ Studios™ are brick and mortar for the modern learner.
SPONSOR PARTNERS
Tenderfoot partners with institutions and organizations whose missions align with expanding access to focused, resource-rich learning environments for adult students.
Sponsorship supports the spaces, tools, and daily practices that remove barriers to learning, from access to technology and childcare to moments of guidance, connection, and renewal. Through these partnerships, sponsors become part of the environments where persistence is strengthened, ambition is sustained, and educational journeys move forward.
Opportunities range from supporting learners who serve their communities to contributing to shared spaces, technology access, and student well-being.
To explore partnership opportunities, contact us or request our sponsorship overview.
