10/08/2026
by Victoria Ritter
Along the southcentral coast of Alaska is Learning Essentials, an educational supply store “where learning is fun.” Founded and operated by Nancy Broach, the retailer has served local homeschoolers and families for more than a quarter century.
The idea for the store came when Broach’s children were in school. On trips to the Sylvan Learning Center in Anchorage, Broach would stop in at Schoolhouse Express, a teacher resource store located in the same strip mall. Broach would often come home singing the store’s praises to her husband. He suggested she could open her own educational supply store in their hometown of Wasilla, about 40 miles away. “The more time I spent at Schoolhouse Express, the more I thought I could do something like this,” Broach recalled.
Having no retail or teaching experience, Broach took business classes at the Wasilla YWCA, developed a business plan and received a loan at the Alaska Small Business Development Center (SBDC). A counselor at the SBDC even provided Broach with a copy of Educational Dealer, which gave her ideas of which manufacturers to work with and products to carry.
In August 2000, Broach proudly opened Learning Essentials. Since then, the store has become a trusted community hub.
A jaunt around the store
Learning Essentials has a 2,800-square-foot space in a strip mall. While 500 square feet is used for offices and storage, the rest of the store is outfitted with products that cover every subject and interest for kids up to the age of 14.
Just inside the door is a spinning rack with books from Teacher Created Resources, a popular brand. Across the way are DK Eyewitness books.
As customers work their way further into the store, they will find areas dedicated to various subjects, from math to language arts and family fun items. A history section contains geography puzzles and globes. “We carry some fun games, also, like, Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride,” Broach added.
While some students often gravitate toward the science section, others are drawn to the art area where they can find journals, pens and creative supplies. A preschool area, geared for ages 3 years and up, is also popular.
Broach recently took one area of the store and turned it into “The Book Nook,” with novels from Harper Collins, Penguin Random House. Series include the Boxcar Children, Wings of Fire, Magic Treehouse and Junie B. Jones along with tonies and Yoto audio boxes. “That worked out really well for us, because we used to have a bookstore that went out of business about five years ago, Walden Books,” Broach said. “We don’t have near the selection that they had, but I listen to the families and stock the series they want.”
The centerpiece of the store, however, isn’t about merchandise.
“One of the very best things I ever invested in was a train table,” Broach stated. “I don’t sell train sets, but I have a table in the middle of the store. As parents shop, they can either see or hear their kids. Most of the kids will happily just stay there and play.”
In addition to reading Educational Dealer and edplay magazines for ideas, Broach and her team regularly attend Astra Marketplace & Academy and Toy Fest. There, they not only look for new merchandise but also visit local retailers. “They always hold the shows in different cities, and we’ll try to visit the local stores there and get ideas and inspiration from them,” Broach said.
Bestselling brands at Learning Essentials include Carson Dellosa, Teacher Created Resources and Creative Teaching Press. Before they closed last October, TREND Enterprises would provide trimmers, flash cards, bingo games, bulletin board sets and stickers. “They were really easy to work with because they would ship their products straight to me, free freight – which, in Alaska, is a big thing,” Broach said.
Unique challenges and opportunities
Living and running a business in Alaska comes with a unique set of hurdles. The biggest challenge with the store has been freight.
“A lot of companies, when you order from them, they don’t have specials for free shipping (outside of the lower 48 states),” she stated. “Very few companies ship to Alaska, so we have to ship to Tacoma, WA. When it gets to Tacoma, our stuff gets consolidated on pallets and then shipped up on a barge. The added freight of a pallet costs a few hundred dollars.”
One workaround is to support local. Broach works with local artists and carries their books and coloring books on her shelves.
Learning Essentials welcomes everyone, including families looking for presents and teachers redecorating their classrooms. The store often donates gift cards for teacher appreciation promotions and fills purchase orders from school.
Its biggest demographic, however, is homeschoolers. Broach estimates there are several thousand homeschool families in the area, many of whom use their allotted budgets to shop at Learning Essentials. These families come to the store to pick out educational materials which are then set aside. Broach will send a list to the respective homeschool program advisor to sign off on the items. Once approved, the advisor will send a purchase order to the store and the homeschool family can pick up the approved items.
Thrilling events
Learning Essentials is staffed by Broach and four part-time employees, including her daughter who has been by her side “through thick and thin.”
“One employee’s a homeschool mother,” Broach said. “The other one is a retired preschool teacher. Then I have a young lady who just graduated from one of the homeschool programs. I have a good group of help. They all have great ideas, and they can bring their expertise to the table.”
Together, the well-balanced staff is eager to help out customers and ensure they have a positive experience. Learning Essentials has hosted a few in-store events in the past, including story time and a summer STEM camp outfitted with science kits from a supplier. “We have often thought about game night,” Broach said, adding that she plans to host more events in the future.
The biggest event of the year is Learning Essential’s Black Friday sale. Broach doesn’t discount products throughout the year. Instead, she sets aside items that aren’t selling well and saves them for Black Friday. “We’re known for that sale,” she explained. “It’s a fun time for shoppers. We have lots of the same people say, ‘The only sale we’re going to is yours.’”
Learning Essentials has some engagement on Facebook and Instagram, but quite a few new customers come to the store by happy accident. As the retailer is located across the street from an IHOP, people will see the store as they eat and pop over after their meal. Word of mouth is the biggest driver of traffic, thanks to Broach’s close connections with homeschool families.
“Most of the homeschool teachers who are available for the families will say, ‘Oh, you want to go over to Learning Essentials and see what they have,’” Broach stated. “So, I get a lot of new families that way.”
