Tag: literacy

The Coalition on Adult Basic Education Holds Legislative Briefing on Adult Education: The Hidden Talent Pipeline

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WASHINGTON, May 16, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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Today, the Coalition on Adult Basic Education (COABE), the leading association representing 79,000+ educators working with millions of adult learners nationwide, held a briefing on adult basic education. Legislators and their staff were invited to the Senate Russell building to hear from learners whose lives have been transformed through literacy as well as business leaders, a community college vice president, and partners.

The legislative briefing, sponsored by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Todd Young (R-IN) and hosted by COABE, entitled “Adult Education: The Hidden Talent Pipeline,” highlighted the interconnected role of adult education in our workforce development and higher education systems. “The latest National Reporting data clearly shows that over 1,000,000 employment connections have been made over the last four years from adult education programs to the workforce sector. Learners are earning credentials, participating in integrated education and training programs, and getting jobs as a result of attending WIOA Title II federally funded adult education classes,” said Sharon Bonney, Chief Executive Officer for the Coalition on Adult Basic Education.

Jody Angelone, board president, noted, “While local adult education programs continue to experience severe funding issues, receiving on average just $583 per learner compared to $10,000 per pupil in elementary education, WIOA Title II local programs continue to deliver high-quality results.”

The briefing consisted of two panels, which were moderated by public policy chair and president-elect, Regina Suitt. Regina noted that “In addition to hearing from learners, business leaders from Forbes 100 companies, and community college leaders, legislators learned of bipartisan efforts led by Senators Reed and Young to increase adult education funding and introduce new legislation to strengthen adult education so more learners can gain the skills desired by employers, allowing them to earn a family-sustaining wage.”

Senators Reed and Young recently introduced S. 1268, the Strengthening Research in Adult Education Act, to ensure strong and actionable research based on what works best to support adult learners. The Senators plan to soon reintroduce the Adult Education WORKS Act, to update, enhance, and expand access to adult education programs funded under Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

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About COABE

COABE’s mission is to inspire educators so adults succeed and communities thrive. The Coalition on Adult Basic Education exists to provide leadership, communication, professional development, and advocacy for adult education and literacy practitioners to advance quality services for all adult learners. COABE provides a variety of services, including professional development through annual, state-of-the-art national conferences, webinars, symposiums, annually, advocacy and communication, and a peer-reviewed journal.

Source: Coalition on Adult Basic Education

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May 16, 2023
How the Fed affects the stock market

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When members of the Federal Reserve make public statements, investors tend to listen. Over the past two decades, central bankers have consistently shared key information about the future trajectory of important inputs like interest rates. The Fed’s forward guidance on interest rates amid historic inflation has taken stock markets for a ride in 2022. As investors wait for a pivot, a panel of experts explains why many in the market choose not to fight the Fed.

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December 22, 2022
‘Crucial for our city’: Des Moines library asks for funding to promote literacy

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The Des Moines City Council is considering funding a campaign to raise early literacy. The Des Moines Public Library asked the city for money from the American Rescue Plan Act. They want to hire outreach staff to promote reading in preschools, classrooms, and daycares. The Iowa Department of Education reports Des Moines is among the worst in the metro in English Language Arts student progress.The Des Moines Public Library director, Sue Woody, said it’s important to get books into the hands of kids.”This is crucial for our city,” Woody said. “We want a community that is educated and ready to take on all of the challenges of the future, this is economic development and the advancement of our city.”The library is requesting $1 million over the next three years from ARPA funds for the initiative. Council members will make their decision in the coming weeks.

DES MOINES, Iowa —

The Des Moines City Council is considering funding a campaign to raise early literacy.

The Des Moines Public Library asked the city for money from the American Rescue Plan Act.

They want to hire outreach staff to promote reading in preschools, classrooms, and daycares.

The Iowa Department of Education reports Des Moines is among the worst in the metro in English Language Arts student progress.

The Des Moines Public Library director, Sue Woody, said it’s important to get books into the hands of kids.

“This is crucial for our city,” Woody said. “We want a community that is educated and ready to take on all of the challenges of the future, this is economic development and the advancement of our city.”

The library is requesting $1 million over the next three years from ARPA funds for the initiative.

Council members will make their decision in the coming weeks.

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October 24, 2022
Lesley University and The Ohio State University partner to accelerate national early literacy learning post pandemic

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Powerful new tutoring training program delivers educator training to sustain long term student success

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., June 29, 2021 (Newswire.com)
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A new collaboration between Lesley University and The Ohio State University has resulted in the launch of the Leveled Literacy Intervention National Tutoring Scale-up Model, an evidence-based intervention that provides teacher training for implementation of intensive instruction to students who are performing significantly below grade level in reading and writing.

The Leveled Literacy Intervention National Tutoring Scale-up Model is designed to help students in grades K-2 make accelerated and sustained literacy progress. It includes University trainers, based jointly at Lesley University and The Ohio State University, and tutors who are based at the school or district level.

Leveled Literacy Intervention National Tutoring Scale-up Model is featured on the ProvenTutoring.org website, a coalition of organizations founded by Robert Slavin and Nancy Madden of Johns Hopkins University that features highly effective tutoring programs to support students across the U.S. In addition, the model is backed by rigorous independent research, including What Works Clearinghouse™ who found positive effects for beginning readers in Fountas & Pinnell’s Leveled Literacy Intervention system.

“Leveled Literacy Intervention is effective, engaging and efficient. Children’s results have been remarkable,” said Gay Su Pinnell, Professor Emerita in the School of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University. “Thousands of children have made tremendous gains because of their opportunity for this powerful early intervention. Now, with the Leveled Literacy Intervention National Tutoring Scale-up Model, we are able to create equitable literacy opportunities for all students with a coherent systematic implementation of an intensive intervention.”

The Leveled Literacy Intervention National Tutoring Scale-up Model is specifically designed to lift the literacy achievement of students and turn struggling readers into successful readers with engaging leveled books and fast-paced, systematically designed lessons.

“Student success cannot be left to chance. Schools must rely on proven resources, proven instruction and proven tutoring models to assure equitable student outcomes for every child,” said Irene Fountas, Director for the Center for Reading Recovery & Literacy Collaborative at Lesley University. “Leveled Literacy Intervention National Tutoring Scale-up Model is not only an investment in student success, but it is a long-term investment in teacher expertise that will power your scale up for many years to come.”

For more information about training tutors by Lesley University and The Ohio State University, please join us for a complimentary webinar, July 22nd from 3:30-4:30pm EST, to learn more about how your school/district can benefit from this exciting program. To register, visit https://bit.ly/lliscaleup.

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PR contact:
Rebekah Kapfer
rkapfer@lesley.edu
617.349.8424

Source: Lesley University and The Ohio State University

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June 29, 2021
Orlando Magic Baskets for Books Program Presented by Florida Blue Celebrates 10th Year

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The Baskets for Books program has donated more than 54,000 books to the Early Learning Coalition since program inception

Press Release
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updated: Oct 2, 2020

ORLANDO, Fla., October 2, 2020 (Newswire.com)
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In an effort to develop lifelong learners through literacy and education, the Orlando Magic and Florida Blue celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Baskets for Books program presented by Florida Blue. For every point made by the Orlando Magic at every home game one book is donated to the Early Learning Coalition (ELC) of Orange County. Since program inception in 2010, more than 54,000 total books have been donated to the Early Learning Coalition. Nearly 4,000 books were donated last season (2019-20) with the help of Houghton Mifflin & Harcourt Publishing Company.

In celebration of the 10th anniversary, the Magic and Florida Blue teamed up to create a children’s book, STUFF & SUNNY Take Flight, which was distributed virtually over the summer to Orange County Public Schools’ (OCPS) elementary school youth, Magic season ticket holders, premium partners and through the Magic’s eNews subscribers. The two also donated water bottles to the ELC book recipients.

In addition, over the last three years, the Magic and Florida Blue have participated in Orange County Library System’s Summer Reading Program which offered youth ages 6-12 a chance to receive Magic tickets during the upcoming seasons for submitting five book reviews online through the library’s reading program. The two also took part in the Orlando Public Library’s Summer Reading Celebration, the culminating event, with Magic Community Ambassadors Nick Anderson and Bo Outlaw joining in the celebration.

The Baskets for Books program provided a way to continue the team’s literacy efforts, one of the Magic’s three focus areas. Based on the need in this area, literacy remains a point of emphasis for the Magic (research below provided by the U.S. Department of Education).

·         83 percent of the preschool and after-school programs serving at-risk children do not have access to books.

·         68 percent of low-income families have no children’s books in their homes.

·         By age four, children who live in low-income homes will have heard 32 million fewer words than children who read on a daily basis and have access to books in their home.

Orlando Magic Media Contact: Trish Wingerson | 407.538.0892 | twingerson@orlandomagic.com

Source: Orlando Magic

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October 2, 2020
AWC Detroit Celebrates National Reading Month With Westside Christian Academy

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AWC Detroit marched into National Reading Month by sponsoring local author Cindy Orlandi’s visit to Westside Christian Academy on Tuesday, March 19. The visit is part of AWC Detroit’s advocacy program, “Driving Literacy in the D.” AWC Detroit’s advocacy program hopes to shine a spotlight on successful efforts to advance literacy in Detroit.

Press Release
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updated: Mar 23, 2019

DETROIT, March 23, 2019 (Newswire.com)
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Cindy Orlandi, a member of AWC Detroit and author of “Love is a Dog and Some Crayons…Weimaraner Coloring,” will be reading to Westside’s first graders alongside Bennie, her Weimaraner rescue therapy dog. Cindy Orlandi is a resident of Woodhaven.

“It is a real pleasure to share my love of dogs and reading with the young students at Westside Christian Academy,” states Orlandi. “I hope my visit will inspire the children to read more. Westside Christian Academy has achieved amazing success in getting the majority of students to read at grade level.”

Henry Wells, Ph.D., director of Westside Christian Academy, speaks to the school’s success:

“Nearly 80 percent of our first, second and third graders’ reading scores are at grade level. Any child who is not at grade level at the end of the school year is placed in the reading remediation program ‘Beyond Basics.’ We attribute our success to a small student-teacher ratio and the supportive atmosphere of the school. We are honored to have extraordinary teachers like Lucinda Washington, who holds a master’s degree in Early Reading Education, to be teaching in our lower school.”

Detroit’s Westside Christian Academy’s success rate is remarkable when considering that in 2018, Detroit Public Schools ranked last in the nation on standardized test scores, with only 5 percent of fourth graders demonstrating proficiency in reading and 7 percent in math.

Deniella Ortiz-Lalain, president of the AWC Detroit, says that as professional communicators, AWC members understand the vital link between literacy and success.

“Our chapter is making a commitment to promote literacy,” she said. “Our group recognizes the impact that the literacy crisis is having on the citizens of Detroit. It’s our hope that we can shine a light on programs that are making a difference in our community.”

Additionally, AWC Detroit will be conducting a book drive with students at Walsh College on behalf of Westside Christian Academy in conjunction with Orlandi’s visit in April. Driving Literacy in the D is the heart of AWC Detroit’s advocacy program. Members are encouraged to participate and bring their unique skills to the program.

# # #

The Association for Women in Communications (AWC) Detroit Chapter is dedicated to advocating for women’s needs and honoring communication excellence. Established in 1938, the chapter supports the advancement of members by connecting women from a diverse range of communications professions. AWC Detroit provides professional development, volunteer enrichment opportunities, and insightful programs on hot topics and leading trends in communications.

For more information contact: Melinda Kollins at melinda.kollins@gmail.com.

Source: Association For Women in Communications – Detroit Chapter

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March 23, 2019
Raising A Reader Marks 20-Year Anniversary as Leading Children’s Literacy Nonprofit in the U.S.

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Organization has reached 1.7 million families across the country, providing literacy and family engagement programs at more than 3,000 locations including public schools, libraries and community agencies

Press Release
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updated: Mar 21, 2019

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., March 21, 2019 (Newswire.com)
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Raising A Reader, a national nonprofit organization that provides resources and guidance for families to implement home-based literacy routines, is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2019 and marking two decades of supplying and coordinating children’s literacy programs to public schools, libraries, community agencies and other organizations across the country.

Approximately 63 percent of children in the United States fail to read proficiently by the time they start fourth grade due in part to lack of books in the home and family engagement. Research indicates if a child is not reading at grade-level by the end of third grade it will likely result in long-term academic failure for the child. Third-grade reading proficiency is one of the most significant predictors of high school graduation and children who do not read on grade-level by the end of third grade are less likely to graduate than their peers. Many of a child’s literacy habits and abilities are formed before the age of 8.

Research also shows a direct and proven relationship between family engagement and the academic growth and development of children, including social competence and relationships, cognitive development, communication skills, literacy development, vocabulary growth, expressive language and comprehension skills.

“Raising A Reader has accomplished much during the past 20 years and has had a tremendous impact on the lives of almost two million children,” said Michelle Torgerson, president and CEO of Raising A Reader. “As proud as we are, there is still much work to be done to improve the literacy of elementary-level children in this country and get them reading proficiently.”

As part of the Raising A Reader program, each week children bring home a book bag filled with award-winning books; the books are exchanged the following week for new ones with more than 100 books rotated through the home during the year. The program also trains parents on engaging their children in reading and connects families to local libraries to sustain the habit of borrowing and reading books after completion of the program.

The Raising A Reader program is evidence-based, with 39 independent evaluations showing that Raising A Reader significantly improves language and literacy skills, cognitive development, communication and comprehension skills, school readiness and social competence. The program is implemented through a network of community partners that comprise more than 3,000 locations across the country including public school systems, libraries, afterschool programs, community agencies and other organizations both public and private.

Raising A Reader is a 501c3 charitable organization dedicated to helping families develop, practice and maintain literacy habits for children ages 0-8 that are critical for a child’s success in school and in life. Headquartered in Redwood City, California, Raising A Reader was founded in 1999 and has served more than 1.7 million children nationwide. More information is available at www.RaisingAReader.org. Follow on Twitter @RARnational, Facebook at RaisingAReaderNational and Instagram at raising_a_reader.

Contact: Steve Honig, The Honig Company LLC, 818-986-4300, press@honigllc.com

Source: Raising A Reader

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March 21, 2019
Children’s Author Cindy Orlandi Highlights ‘Free Little Library’ Unveiling at Parkman Library

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The Association for Women in Communications (AWC) Detroit Chapter and the Detroit Public Library Foundation’s NAHC Trustees will be unveiling their second “Free Little Library” on Friday, August 24 between 1-3 P.M. at the Parkman Library located at 1766 Oakman in Detroit.

Press Release
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updated: Aug 22, 2018

DETROIT, August 22, 2018 (Newswire.com)
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The Parkman event will be highlighted by the guest appearance of children’s author and speaker Cindy Orlandi, creator of “Love is a Dog and Some Crayons – Weimaraner Coloring Book.” “Love is a Dog and Some Crayons” teaches about language, idioms, and animal rescue. Cindy has participated in past AWC Detroit activities. She volunteers for Great Lakes Weimaraner Rescue, which benefits from book sales, and will be accompanied by her therapy dog Bennie.

AWC member Gabrielle Burgess-Smith who helped organize the event will lead a reading circle, where children will be able to choose from over a hundred books donated by Marygrove College. The unveiling of the “Little Free Library” and the reading circle are part of the “End of summer” festivities sponsored by the Parkman branch.

We are very excited to our members engage with this program. The partnership with the Detroit Public Library provides a wonderful opportunity for our members promote literacy and bring attention to the excellent resources that are available for free at their local branch.

Deniella Ortiz-Lalain, President, Association for Women in Communication – Detroit Chapter

Richard Kollins, Chair of the Detroit Public Library’s National Automotive History Collection (NAHC) who funded the program will be on hand for the event. “We have seen increased involvement from the community at the branch level as a result of this program. It is rewarding to see such enthusiastic participation.”

Deniella Ortiz-Lalain, president of the AWC Detroit states, “We are very excited to our members engage with this program. The partnership with the Detroit Public Library provides a wonderful opportunity for our members promote literacy and bring attention to the excellent resources that are available for free at their local branch.”

The Detroit Public Library Foundation’s NAHC Trustees and the Association for Women in Communications (AWC) Detroit Chapter have partnered to promote literacy. They are collaborating to help increase literacy rates within Detroit by increasing engagement with local branch libraries.

About the National Automotive History Collection (NAHC)

The National Automotive History Collection is the world’s largest collection of literature, photographs and historic documentation about cars and trucks and the people and companies that produced them.

A department of the Detroit Public Library, the NAHC is open to the public and represents a treasure trove of information for automotive collectors, authors, journalists, historians and enthusiasts. The collection is located at the library’s Skillman branch at 121 Gratiot Ave. in downtown Detroit.

More information about the NAHC is on the Detroit Public Library website at http://www.detroitpubliclibrary.org/featuredcollection/national-automotive-history-collection.

The Association for Women in Communications (AWC) Detroit Chapter

The Association for Women in Communications (AWC) Detroit Chapter is dedicated to advocating for women’s needs and honoring communication excellence. Established in 1938, the chapter supports the advancement of members by connecting women from a diverse range of communications professions. AWC Detroit provides professional development, volunteer enrichment opportunities, and insightful programs on hot topics and leading trends in communications.

Source: The Association for Women in Communications (AWC) Detroit Chapter

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August 22, 2018
‘Paddy’s Forest Trek’ Creates a New Era for Elementary Education

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Brand New Children’s Book Series to Promote Educational Value and Implement Joy in Young Readers

Press Release
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updated: Feb 18, 2018

PHILADELPHIA, February 18, 2018 (Newswire.com)
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Looking for a book to read to your child or students for Earth Day? “Paddy’s Forest Trek” written by Patti Gill is an engaging and informative narrative nonfiction story about a young porcupine and his friend who spend a fun-filled day on a forest adventure, learning fascinating information about trees. The characters develop a genuine friendship as they pursue their quest.

This book is targeted for ages 5-8 or children in pre-kindergarten to second grade. This book creatively introduces scientific concepts about plants and plant growth. The question and answer format along with specific kid-friendly vocabulary is seamless to allow essential information to be delivered in a concise manner to enhance comprehension.

Author Patti Gill strategically formulated this book around the current academic status among elementary schools in both urban and suburban districts. She said, “Due to testing pressures, schools rarely have time to go in-depth at the elementary level with necessary science and history content critical for helping students to become proficient readers. I wanted to provide parents and teachers with a creative solution on how to build background core knowledge, while exposing children to domain-specific language.”

“Paddy’s Forest Trek” is the first book in the new upcoming narrative nonfictional series where Paddy will take adventures around the globe and throughout time learning about different informational topics. The new book, released on Aug. 31, 2017, can be purchased on Amazon, Litfire.com and online at Barnes & Noble.

For more information about the book as well as the upcoming series, check out Patti Gill’s website at www.pattigill.com.

About Patti Gill: With more than 25 years of experience in the teaching field, Patti Gill started out as an elementary school teacher. She expanded her field of expertise as a literacy consultant to confidently help schools achieve their literacy goals. She has been an educator for all levels of schooling, including elementary, middle, high, undergraduate and graduate. Patti Gill founded Personalized Lesson Plans, which provides comprehensive professional development services for grades K-12.

Contact: Kali Gill
Email: kalisgill25@gmail.com
Telephone: (610) 731-4179

Source: Patti Gill

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February 18, 2018
Kids to Interview Apollo Astronaut

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For the 50th anniversary of Apollo 7, children will send questions to Walter Cunningham, the only surviving astronaut from the mission

Press Release
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updated: Jan 11, 2018

NEW YORK, January 11, 2018 (Newswire.com)
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Fifty years ago, the race to the moon was in full swing. Scientists and engineers were making huge leaps in technology to make good on President Kennedy’s promise of reaching the moon. As News-O-Matic covers the current events of 2018, it is also looking back at the news of 1968 that changed the world. And it’s inviting young readers to participate by conducting an interview with Apollo 7 astronaut Walter Cunningham!

Throughout January, students can submit questions to Cunningham through News-O-Matic. The Q&A with the American hero will then be featured in early February. It’s an example of how the Daily News Just for Kids is transforming the news experience — by involving children with the editorial process and letting them ask the big questions.

This is how we make history come alive.

Russell Kahn, Editor in Chief

“This is how we make history come alive,” said News-O-Matic Editor-in-Chief Russell Kahn. “We are getting first-person accounts from 1968 to create powerful connections to our past for the next generation,” he added. “As a result, our users come back to read the news day after day and develop the regular routine of daily reading.” Kahn also said that kids who grow up reading the news on a daily basis become “better-informed global citizens and critical thinkers.”

This feature is part of an ongoing series of 1968 anniversaries, each with rich opportunities for students to gain context to their world. There will be articles on the Mexico City Olympic Games, with its parallels to the recent protests in the NFL. There will also be features on America’s strained relationship with North Korea from 1968.

Students will do more than just learn about the lasting impacts of Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. They will participate in a writing contest to honor the legacy of Dr. King, 50 years after his death. It’s all part of the newspaper’s efforts to engage even the most reluctant readers.

About News-O-Matic

News-O-Matic is the Digital Daily News Platform for Kids. More than 4 million children have downloaded the reading app (iOS and Android) from 140+ countries. Thousands of U.S. schools use the resource as part of their nonfiction literacy curriculum. Interactive technology features engage young readers with breaking news. All texts include multiple readability levels from grades K–8 with audio recordings. The articles are available in English, Spanish and French (text and audio).

Contact:

Russell Kahn
Editor in Chief
646-226-0241
russ@press4kids.com

Source: News-O-Matic

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January 11, 2018
AutoCognita Advances in $7M Barbara Bush Foundation Adult Literacy XPRIZE

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Global Team Develops Mobile Learning Solutions to Transform the Lives of Adult Learners

Press Release
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updated: Jul 18, 2017

Hong Kong, China, July 18, 2017 (Newswire.com)
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AutoCognita, an EdTech innovator with a mission to change lives by delivering scalable literacy solutions to underserved adults and children around the world, today announced that it has been named as one of eight teams advancing in the $7M Barbara Bush Foundation Adult Literacy XPRIZE presented by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, a global competition challenging teams to develop mobile applications for existing smart devices that result in the greatest increase in literacy skills among participating adult learners. AutoCognita, headquartered in Hong Kong, China, and Bellingham, WA, USA, with four core team members, is one of eight semifinalists selected from a field of 109 registered teams.

AutoCognita is comprised of designers, educators, and developers and was formed in 2015 to solve the global literacy crisis. The team competed in both the Adult Literacy XPRIZE and the Global Learning XPRIZE, a separate competition targeting children in less developed countries. AutoCognita is the only team reaching the semifinals in both competitions, marking the first time in XPRIZE history that a single team has reached this milestone in two separate XPRIZE challenges.

We are excited and honored to be chosen as semifinalists in two XPRIZE competitions, marking a first in XPRIZE history.

Frank Ho, Team Leader, AutoCognita

Available for free on Google Play, AutoCognita’s learning app offers a complete curriculum across literacy and numeracy topics. The extensive literacy curriculum covers topics ranging from alphabet, phonics, word, sentence, to comprehension and conversation, while the numeracy curriculum covers counting, addition, subtraction, and multiplication. In addition, students learn core life skills through images of daily encounters, AR-assisted visual recognition, speech-to-text conversion and sharing of text messages through the social network.

“Our team was established specifically to compete in XPRIZE. We are not affiliated with any existing education businesses or institutions. Our fresh perspective allows us to push the boundary beyond existing EdTech solutions. We built our solution from scratch based on five core principles: research-based, constructivist theory, innovative pedagogy, multi-sensory engagement, and minimalistic UX design. Since our solution is effective for a wide range of audiences – adults and children, learners with different language and cultural backgrounds, and students with varying literacy skills – we decided to compete in both the Global Learning XPRIZE and the Barbara Bush Foundation Adult Learning XPRIZE,” said Frank Ho, team leader, AutoCognita. “We are excited and honored to be chosen as semifinalists in both competitions.”

Starting mid-July, the eight semi-finalist teams enter a 15-month long field testing phase across three partner cities – Los Angeles, Dallas and Philadelphia – that includes a total of 12,000 adult-learner participants who read English at a third-grade reading level or below, and at least 750 volunteers to onboard participants and coordinate the download of learning apps. The Adult Literacy XPRIZE will distribute the learning solutions to participating adult learners who will test the semi-finalist teams’ software, with each participant receiving access to one randomly-assigned app. Following 12 months of consistent use, a post-test will be administered to determine the highest gains in literacy achieved by the participants. Participants’ app usage, responses to monthly surveys and self-assessments will also factor in the judges’ final evaluation.

“With the announcement of these semi-finalist teams, we are one step closer to transforming the lives of 36 million adults with low literacy skills in the U.S. by putting today’s cutting-edge learning tools directly in the hands of those who need them most,” said Shlomy Kattan, the senior director of the Adult Literacy XPRIZE.

Upon completion of the field testing, the top mobile applications will be available to the users in the United States for complimentary use for 18 months. The selection of up to five finalists will be announced in May 2018 and winners will be announced early 2019. The $3M Grand Prize will be awarded to the team with the best performance across all adult learners, over the 12-month field test. Two $1M Achievement Prizes will also be awarded to the two teams with the best performance in each of the two key demographic groups: native English speakers and English language learners. An additional $500K will be awarded to up to five finalist teams.

Following the awarding of the Grand Prize and Bonus Prizes, cities across the U.S. will compete to encourage their adult learners to download and use the winning applications, using tailored education, marketing, and outreach campaigns. A $500K purse will be split among all finalist teams that meet the minimum performance benchmark to advance to the Cities Competition. A $1M prize will be awarded to the city that encourages the greatest percentage of its adult learners to download and use any of the finalist solutions over a six-month period.

AutoCognita’s literacy and numeracy app is available on Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.autocognita.alxp&hl=en

For more information about AutoCognita, please visit autocognita.com

For more information about the Adult Literacy XPRIZE, visit adultliteracy.xprize.org.

For more information about the Global Learning XPRIZE, visit learning.xprize.org.

About AutoCognita

AutoCognita is an EdTech innovator with a mission to change lives by delivering scalable literacy solutions to underserved adults and children around the world. The team, in addition to the Adult Literacy XPRIZE and the Global Learning XPRIZE, is also competing in the IBM Watson AI XPRIZE to develop an AI-powered writing assistant.

About XPRIZE

XPRIZE, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is the global leader in designing and implementing innovative competition models to solve the world’s grandest challenges. XPRIZE utilizes a unique combination of gamification, crowdsourcing, incentive prize theory, and exponential technologies as a formula to make 10x (vs. 10%) impact in the grand challenge domains facing our world. XPRIZE’s philosophy is that—under the right circumstances— igniting rapid experimentation from a variety of diverse lenses is the most efficient and effective method to driving exponential impact and solutions to grand challenges. Active competitions include the $30M Google Lunar XPRIZE, the $20M NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, the $15M Global Learning XPRIZE, the $10M Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE, the $7M Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE, the $7M Barbara Bush Foundation Adult Literacy XPRIZE, the $5M IBM Watson AI XPRIZE, the $1.75M Water Abundance XPRIZE and the $1M Anu and Naveen Jain Women’s Safety XPRIZE. For more information, visit www.xprize.org.

Source: AutoCognita

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July 18, 2017
Lightswitch Learning, a Division of Sussman Education, Acquires Scobre Press

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Press Release
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updated: Jan 17, 2017

New York, New York, January 17, 2017 (Newswire.com)
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Lightswitch Learning, a national K-12 publisher and sales organization, has acquired high-interest educational publisher, Scobre Press. A publisher of high-interest fiction and nonfiction devoted to serving striving readers, Scobre Press has a catalog of more than 100 fiction and nonfiction titles that students from grades 4 and up have enjoyed for over 15 years.

Lightswitch Learning plans to continue the Scobre tradition of producing high-quality books that young people want to read, and that are accessible to students reading below level, by releasing 8 new titles from Scobre in the Fall of 2017.

These are titles that students routinely choose to read—and we believe that adding this content to our bookbag will allow us to reach a population that likely needs our help the most.

Ron Sussman, President, Sussman Education

According to Ron Sussman, President of Lightswitch Learning, “The acquisition of Scobre Press is very exciting for us. With the varied high-interest content we now have available to customers through Scobre, we can continue to build on our promise to offer the best resources available at affordable prices. These are titles that students routinely choose to read—and we believe that adding this content to our bookbag will allow us to reach a population that likely needs our help the most.”

Steve Sussman, Lightswitch Learning co-founder adds, “We have seen first-hand the impact that accessible content can have for reluctant or remedial readers. The Scobre library of books gives us the chance to touch so many more students. We are excited and proud to be able to support literacy across the country with this quality content.”

Scobre Press was among the first to pioneer the concept of differentiated instruction. Many of the titles in the Scobre library are offered as paired sets on two unique reading levels, so that striving and proficient readers can access and discuss content together. Scobre has emphasized a variety of stories about sports and careers through their Dream Series and Future Stars Series collections. Recently published Scobre content focuses on empowering young people by inspiring them. Titles that focus on the great achievements of minorities, women, and teenagers, will help show young people that while the obstacles in front of them may be daunting, their dreams are achievable.

About Lightswitch Learning

Lightswitch Learning provides schools, teachers, parents and students with resources on family engagement, social-emotional learning, career exploration and much more.

Sussman Education, the parent company of Lightswitch Learning, was founded in 1971 by Joe and Elaine Sussman. Joe and Elaine’s sons, Ron and Steve, took over the business in 2001. After repeatedly hearing from clients about the lack of meaningful family engagement and social-emotional learning resources available, they decided to launch Lightswitch Learning. This national line of parent guides, high-interest informational texts, and picture books is dedicated to helping educators and parents become stronger collaborators and providing students with resources that build on social-emotional development through literacy.

Sussman Education partners with some of the biggest names in edtech and publishing to get high quality resources into New York City, Long Island, and Northern New York schools.

Media Contact:
Patrick Richardson
212.371.9199
patrick@sussmansales.com

Source: Lightswitch Learning

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January 17, 2017
Help Empower South L.A.—Become a Tutor

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Education, or lack of it, plays a significant role in many family issues and nearly every inner-city social problem. The Church of Scientology Community Center is offering tutoring and tutor training to anyone who wants to help empower the neighborhood.

Press Release
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updated: Jan 5, 2017

South Los Angeles, California, January 5, 2017 (Newswire.com)
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To help achieve all those New Year’s resolutions for 2017, the Los Angeles Scientology Community Center on South Vermont has announced a new program—tutoring and tutor training to empower anyone to accomplish their goals through quality education.

Full scholarships are available to learn to tutor—a skill that can be used in the home, the church, in community programs or any educational institution. This simple yet powerful methodology for educational empowerment can help children become proficient in math, reading comprehension and study skills, opening the door for them to accomplish their personal and educational goals and for anyone to learn new skills.

“We invite the entire community to take advantage of this program—any church, any community group, any school,” says Stormy Stokes, the Community Center director. “We aspire to help transform South Los Angeles by addressing the most fundamental issue underlying social ills and social improvement: Education.”

The tutoring program at the Scientology Community Center at 8039 South Vermont Ave., Los Angeles, kicks off on Saturday, January 21 from 1 to 3 p.m. Doors open at 12 noon.

Source: ScientologyNews.org

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January 5, 2017
July Is National Make a Difference in a Child Month LearningRx Brain Training— Local Girl Named Student of the Year Finalist in LearningRx National Contest for Exceptional Brain Training Results

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LearningRx Student Of The Year Finalist changed her attitude about school and reading after her brain training program at LearningRx’s Chattanooga center.

Press Release
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Jul 13, 2016

Colorado Springs, CO, July 13, 2016 (Newswire.com)
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Chattanooga, Tennessee student Lauren Sims has been named one of five finalists in LearningRx’s national competition celebrating real life changing stories across the country. Lauren’s parents enrolled her in personal brain training after they noticed she was having trouble sounding out words and reading out loud, as well as struggling with math, confidence and memory-related tasks.

Before LearningRx, Lauren avoided reading. Now her parents say she reads voluntarily! They also witnessed her confidence soar, her math and memory skills improve, and her nightly struggles with homework practically disappear. For the summer break, Lauren set a goal to read more than 26 books. “Before LearningRx, I didn’t want to go to college,” she says, “but now I think that could be another challenge that I could do for myself and that I could overcome.” Lauren’s mother says Lauren has talked about becoming a surgeon.

“Before LearningRx, I didn’t want to go to college,” she says, “but now I think that could be another challenge that I could do for myself and that I could overcome.”

Lauren Sims, LearningRx Student Of The Year Finalist

Lauren’s improvements mirror those of a recent study in which students made statistically significant gains on tests of Word Attack, Spelling Sounds, Sound Awareness and Passage Comprehension after completing LearningRx personal brain training. A compilation of recent research studies on LearningRx programs can be found in the 48-page 2016 edition of “Client Outcomes and Research Results,” which can be downloaded here: http://www.learningrx.com/our-programs/learningrx-results/. The winner of the contest will be announced at the LearningRx national conference and on www.LearningRx.com on August 1.

LearningRx, headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the largest one-on-one brain training organization in the world. With 80 Centers in the U.S., and locations in 40 countries around the globe, LearningRx has helped more than 95,000 individuals and families sharpen their cognitive skills to help them think faster, learn easier, and perform better. Their on-site programs partner every client with a personal brain trainer to keep clients engaged, accountable, and on-task — a key advantage over online-only brain exercises. Their pioneering methods have been used in clinical settings for 35 years and have been verified as beneficial in peer-reviewed research papers and journals. To learn more about LearningRx research results, programs, and their 9.6 out of 10 client satisfaction rating visit http://www.learningrx.com/.

Source: LearningRx

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July 13, 2016
Meet a Scientologist—School Principal Fiona Milne, Helping the Next Generation Thrive

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As the daughter of a minister, wanting to help people came naturally to Fiona Milne. But it wasn’t until she learned about Scientology that she found out how.

Press Release
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Jul 11, 2016

New South Wales, Australia, July 11, 2016 (Newswire.com)
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New South Wales, Australia, July 7, 2016 (Newswire) -When Scientologist Fiona Milne of Sydney, Australia, learned about Study Technology developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard, she also found her calling in life.

Milne grew up in a religious family. ”My father was a minister of religion and he was very interested in helping people lead better lives,” she says. “So for me, that was perhaps an inborn idea that you grow up to help people. And I still believe that an important part of growing up and your education is your ability to help others.”

I’m doing what I want to do and the rewards from that are amazing. I really, truly love seeing my graduates and hearing where they are around the world and the impact they are having. They go out from here knowing they can help someone else.

Fiona Milne, Scientologist and headmistress, Athena School, New South Wales, Australia.

Following her parents advice she studied nursing, but she ran into trouble.

“I was very distressed about my nursing exams,” she says. “I met a young man who was a Scientologist and he introduced me to the Study Technology and I was empowered as a student. From that point on I decided I wasn’t going to let children suffer how I’d suffered in the classroom. I went back to university and then studied my post graduate degree in education.”

Scientology also helped Milne as a wife and mother. “Being a Scientologist helped me raise my children with understanding,” she says. “It also led to us having a nice, calm household. Constantly busy, always very active, but very seldom was there an upset in the household because we also knew how to handle upsets very quickly.”

It was when her children were young that she became involved in establishing a school that uses Study Technology. “I have been working here at the Athena School for 25 years now,” she says.

Milne describes how using this technology gets miraculous results. One example was a young man who didn’t like science. She applied a simple technique of clearing words that he didn’t understand. “After sitting down with him for a few minutes and defining the word science and the purpose of science, he’s now one of our most enthusiastic young scientists.”

Milne finds her life very satisfying. “I’m doing what I want to do and the rewards from that are amazing,” she says. “I really, truly love seeing my graduates and hearing where they are around the world and the impact they are having. They go out from here knowing they can help someone else.”

Scientology has given her the tools to handle the various situations that arise in life and to understand and help people. “Instead of being effect of what’s going on in their lives, I can help them do something about it,” says Milne. “It’s a real joy being a Scientologist and being part of a community that can help their fellow man.”

The popular “Meet a Scientologist” video profiles on the Church of Scientology International Video Channel at Scientology.org reflect the diverse backgrounds and walks of life of Scientologists around the world. Meet Scientologists including educators, teenagers, sports enthusiasts, dancers, managers, mothers, fathers, dentists, photographers, actors, musicians, fashion designers, engineers, students and business owners and find out what Scientology means to them personally.

A digital pioneer and leader in the online religious community, the Church of Scientology was the first major religion to launch its own official YouTube Video Channel, which has been viewed by millions of visitors.

Read the article on the Scientology Newsroom.

Source: ScientologyNews.org

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July 11, 2016
15 Months Later, Nepal Still in Urgent Need of Help

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Scientology Volunteer Ministers continue their work in Nepal, helping the country recover from the 2015 earthquakes.

Press Release
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Jul 6, 2016

Kathmandu, Nepal, July 6, 2016 (Newswire.com)
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A permanent Scientology Volunteer Ministers center in Kathmandu is the center of a movement that continues to bring help to those left devastated by the 2015 Nepal earthquakes.

The center coordinates the work of thousands of volunteers working in villages throughout the country. And with more than 2 million still homeless because of the earthquakes, many of these teams of volunteers specialize in construction.

This past week nearly 1,000 Volunteer Ministers worked on construction projects, demolishing condemned structures, clearing out rubble and building houses in 17 districts including Kahtmandu, Sindhupalchowk, Nuwakot, Laliptur and Tanahu.

But Nepal was struggling even before the earthquakes. The country already ranked near the bottom of the United Nations Development Human Development Index. And in 2011, according to the national living standards survey, more than 30 per cent of Nepalese subsisted on less than $14 each month. Increasing the standard of living and moving to a technology-based culture requires skills that are baulked by illiteracy and the quality of schooling in the country.

To help create a better future, Volunteer Ministers are working with schools to ensure youth learn the study skills they need to survive in today’s world. Each week they train hundreds of children and youth on the study technology developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard.

The Kathmandu Volunteer Ministers Center itself is a dynamic and lively activity, training volunteers from districts throughout the country on the 19 Volunteer Ministers courses so they can return to their homes and help their communities.

Whether serving at home or on the other side of the world, the motto of the Scientology Volunteer Minister is “Something can be done about it.” The program, created in the mid 1970s by L. Ron Hubbard and sponsored by the Church of Scientology International as a religious social service, constitutes one of the world’s largest international independent relief forces.

Source: ScientologyNews.org

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July 6, 2016
LearningRx – Brain Training -Reading Study Showed Brain Training Improved State Reading Achievement Tests

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Training weak cognitive skills with a sound to code reading program improved state achievement scores for LearningRx ReadRx students in new study.

Colorado Springs, Colorado, May 27, 2016 (Newswire.com)
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– A study of LearningRx’s (www.LearningRx.com) ReadRx personal brain training program results found that after training, the group of students made statistically significant gains on tests of World Attack, Spelling Sounds, Sound Awareness and Passage Comprehension. Additionally, 91% of students who completed the ReadRx program showed improvement on state reading achievement tests. The results have been published in LearningRx’s 48-page 2016 edition of “Client Outcomes and Research Results,” which can be downloaded here: http://www.learningrx.com/our-programs/learningrx-results/.

For the group of 65 students in the study, the mean gain across reading achievement tests was 3.6 years. Prior to training, the mean percentile for the group was 33. After training, the group jumped to the 47th percentile in reading. The study, “Achievement Outcomes for LearningRx Students: Math and Reading Achievement Before and After Cognitive Training” is currently in preparation for publication but can be downloaded here:

. “With 95,000 students having graduated our brain training programs, we have plenty of data for independent researchers to study our unique cognitive training methodology and results.

Tanya Mitchell, Vice President of Research & Development

http://downloads.learningrx.com/Achievement-Results-LearningRx.pdf

“LearningRx programs are based on 35 years of research and input from a team of psychologists, educators, speech and language pathologists, and occupational therapists,” says Tanya Mitchell, Vice President of Research & Development for LearningRx. “With 95,000 students having graduated our brain training programs, we have plenty of data for independent researchers to study our unique cognitive training methodology and results. We not only encourage independent research, but we also actively seek it out. We are eager to share our results, and independent research helps validate our work among the scientific community in an industry that is still relatively young, and therefore under constant scrutiny. It’s part of the reason we created the Gibson Institute of Cognitive Research (www.gibsonresearchinstitute.org).”

LearningRx (www.LearningRx.com) has a network of 78 centers across the United States and locations in over 35 countries (www.BrainRx.com). The company’s average customer rating is 4.9 out of 5. In addition, when asked how likely customers were to recommend the company to someone, 19,000 of 21,836 customers rated LearningRx a 9 or 10. LearningRx specializes in identifying and correcting the underlying cognitive skill deficiencies that keep people from achieving their full potential in school, business, or life. Using a comprehensive skills assessment test and intensive one-on-one training, LearningRx programs enhance weak cognitive skills such as attention, memory, auditory & visual processing, processing speed, and problem solving. The company has garnered countless awards, including Entrepreneur’s Franchise 500 lists multiple years in a row.

Source: LearningRx

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May 27, 2016