ELMHURST, Ill. — Dec. 3, 2024 — To support teachers and students in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), the Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools has partnered with TinkRworks. To date, several schools in the archdiocese have signed up to implement the TinkRworks hands-on STEAM education system in their classrooms and afterschool programs, at family STEAM nights, and in other programs.

“Catholic Schools in the Archdiocese of Chicago are dedicated to providing a challenging academic program for all students,” said Deputy Superintendent for Academics Therese Craig. “The opportunities for project-based STEAM learning through TinkRworks have been a welcome addition to our offerings.”

TinkRworks provides a comprehensive solution to help schools implement STEAM project-based learning in grades K-8 in a variety of classes and learning environments. It includes a standards-rich supplemental curriculum, hands-on STEAM project kits, a user-friendly coding environment, and professional development and support.

To date, schools in the archdiocese that have adopted TinkRworks include: St. Francis Xavier School in La Grange, School of St. Mary in Lake Forest, St. Francis de Sales School in Lake Zurich, St. Catherine-St. Lucy School and St. Giles School in Oak Park, St. Michael School in Orland Park, and St. Luke School in River Forest, as well as  Our Lady of the Snows School, Queen of All Saints School, St. Viator School, and St. Walter-St. Benedict School in Chicago.

At St. Michael School, for example, Principal Paul Smith partnered with TinkRworks to support the launch of a new schoolwide STEM program in grades K-8. The school’s STEM teacher and classroom teachers now utilize TinkRworks to deliver standards-rich, project-based learning instruction.

“I spent more than a year visiting and speaking with educators from dozens of schools across the country, and it just so happened that the right solution was in our own backyard,” said Smith. “TinkRworks is extremely robust, and it’s flexible too, which made the integration into our curriculum very seamless. The TinkRworks projects provide a great balance, offering simplicity to our teachers and a sense of accomplishment to our students. The activities also engage our students in problem-solving, communication, and collaboration, so they’re helping them build life skills as well.”

About TinkRworks

TinkRworks is a supplemental K-8 STEAM solution that supports project-based learning and transforms learners into innovators. It includes a standards-rich curriculum, innovative hands-on project kits, professional development, and a web-based learning platform and coding environment that students use to bring their projects to life. TinkRworks comesready to teach and can be implemented in a variety of settings, including classrooms, makerspaces, after school programs, and summer school. For information, visit TinkRworks.com.                              

Charlotte, NC (Tuesday, December 3, 2024)—Alaska’s Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District (MSBSD) today announced a new partnership with global edtech leader Discovery Education that will enhance science education across the school system. Through this new collaboration, MSBSD teachers and students in 15 district schools serving grades 6-12 will receive access to a suite of new, state-of-the-art digital resources that will unleash the power of student curiosity in the classroom and deepen engagement in learning. 

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District is located approximately 35 miles north of Anchorage in one of Alaska’s fastest growing communities, Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Consisting of 49 schools serving almost 20,000 students, MSBSD spans approximately 25,000 miles or an area roughly the size of Scotland. Committed to serving as a model of excellence in teaching and learning, the district’s central mission is to prepare all students for success in either the military, technical training, college, or career.    

As part of MSBSD’s effort to deliver a dynamic curriculum that utilizes innovative tools to improve instruction and boost student success, achievement, and performance, the district recently sought to update the district’s science curriculum for students in grades 6-12.  Specifically, MSBSD’s team sought an innovative, hands-on, standards-based curriculum that fosters rigorous, engaging learning experiences for all students. Following a careful review of available resources, MSBSD selected the following two Discovery Education services: 

•  Discovery Education Experience. Connecting educators to a vast collection of high-quality, standards-aligned content, ready-to-use digital lessons, intuitive quiz and activity creation tools, and professional learning resources, Discovery Education Experience is an engaging learning platform that facilitates instruction in all subjects and in any environment. These resources are sourced from trusted partners, are aligned to state and national standards and help educators bring the outside world into teaching and learning every day.  Through expanded, lasting partnerships with Microsoft Teams, ClassLink, Google Classroom, Schoology, Canvas, Brightspace, and Clever, integrating Discovery Education’s K-12 learning platform into existing IT architecture is easier than ever.

• Discovery Education Science Techbooks. The Discovery Education Science Techbook series is a comprehensive, research-backed science solution for grades K-12. Used in classrooms across the United States, the Science Techbooks drive engagement with exclusive phenomena and interactive content. The Science Techbooks that will be used by MSBSD’s teachers and students are aligned to state standards and feature virtual and hands-on investigations, STEM activities, and instructional supports that enhance the delivery of impactful, blended instruction. The Science Techbooks also include standards connections and differentiation activities that inform instructional planning and guide three-dimensional learning. Available with the Science Techbooks are coordinated teacher guides offering unit, concept, and lesson overviews, and pre-packaged kits that make classroom activities easy to implement. 

•  Recently, Discovery Education’s Science Techbook was certified as meeting the rigorous, evidence-based ESSA Tier III standards as set forth in Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Multiple studies show that regular use of Discovery Education Science Techbook in the classroom has many positive academic results for educators and students across a variety of districts and populations in the United States. This research and more can be found here. 

Discovery Education Experience and Science Techbooks will be used alongside Mystery Science by Discovery Education, which is already in use in the district’s 19 elementary schools. A unique, award-winning, standards-aligned science curriculum for grades K-5, Mystery Science offers engaging, open-and-go lessons with step-by-step, hands-on activities that explore scientific phenomena using common classroom items. 

“The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District is committed to helping prepare our students for success in any environment,” said Sarah Notestine, the district’s Secondary School Curriculum Coordinator. “We chose Discovery Education’s digital services because they offer opportunities for our students to not only to experience a blended and hands-on learning experience but also link what is learned in the classroom to potential jobs here in our local community and beyond. We look forward to implementing these innovative new resources into instruction.” 

All educators using Discovery Education’s digital resources have access to the Discovery Educator Network. A global community of education professionals, the Discovery Educator Network connects members across school systems and around the world through social media, virtual conferences, and in-person events, fostering valuable idea sharing and inspiration. 

“Discovery Education is proud to support the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District’s efforts to support the future success of its students,” said Discovery Education Account Executive Jordan DeVore Alimohammadi. “MSBSD’s work to enhance science instruction will have lasting benefits to students, and we look forward to working closely with district educators as they implement their new services.” 

For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources and professional learning solutions visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.      

Chicago, (December 2, 2024) — Avantis Education, creator of ClassVR, announces a major enhancement to its virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) solution for education, as the edtech innovator launches Eduverse+, a new library that provides access to four enhanced content suites: EduverseAI, WildWorld, STEAM3D, and CareerHub.

This enhanced VR/AR content will enable schools worldwide to create dynamic, immersive and AI-powered experiences which meet the evolving needs of students, can be tailored to suit a wide range of educational levels, and support more advanced learning opportunities within the classroom.

“Schools are demanding increasingly sophisticated experiences and want to take more ownership of content creation. Curated in partnership with the world’s leading VR/AR content creators, Eduverse+ directly addresses this need by providing access to an advanced suite of new and innovative resources,” said Manjinder Kaur, Vice President of Product, Avantis Education. “Since first launching Eduverse as the content engine for ClassVR, we’ve invested in the continuous development of curriculum-aligned content, which we will continue to do, but with Eduverse+ we’re giving schools the option to expand their VR/AR capabilities even further.”

With EduverseAI, schools can bring interactive, immersive learning experiences to life, creating personalized learning journeys where students can explore and engage in customized virtual worlds. Through AI-powered environments, traditional lessons are transformed into hands-on exploration and interactive experiences that help to deepen understanding and students’ connections with learning. 

WildWorld enables students to take a journey through the natural world like never before. Endorsed by conservationists, WildWorld includes immersive videos that go deep into global habitats for close encounters with wildlife, longer form narrated films, and shorter format ‘wild fact’ resources which focus on specific animals.

STEAM3D is ClassVR’s next generation content for STEAM teaching, introducing a new suite of immersive and interactive experiences to support the teaching of art, biology, physics, and geography. Helping to demonstrate scientific principles, communicate complex concepts, and illustrate microscopic detail, STEAM3D includes 3D models with stunning, lifelike detail and interactive interfaces to support the further exploration of topics.

In the CareerHub, teachers will find content specifically designed to introduce students to future careers. Connecting the classroom with real-world career skills, the CareerHub enables students to explore career pathways in the fields of healthcare, engineering, manufacturing and more.  

“As we move toward a content creation economy, there’s been growing demand for ClassVR to facilitate AI-generated content,” continued Kaur. “This comes at the same time as increased interest in using VR/AR for STEAM teaching and connecting classroom learning with real-world skills. Responding to this need, Eduverse+ provides access to a wide range of deeply immersive content across diverse topics and empowers students and teachers to create their own AI-generated VR experiences.”

Eduverse+ is available as an enhanced subscription with ClassVR. To learn more about upgrading an existing Eduverse subscription, or to explore the benefits of bringing ClassVR to your school, please visit www.classvr.com

About Avantis Education

Avantis Education, the creators of ClassVR, provides simple classroom technology used by more than two million students, in over 200,000 classrooms across 90 countries.

The world’s first virtual reality technology designed just for education provides everything a school needs to seamlessly implement VR technology in any classroom, all at an affordable price. To learn more visit www.avantiseducation.com and www.classvr.com.

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DERRY, N.H. – (Dec. 2, 2024) – Intelitek and educational resource integrator Learning Labs, Inc., announced today that Benton County Schools in Camden, Tenn., has installed the SmartCIM 4.0 training environment in its new computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM) lab. The SmartCIM 4.0 Advanced Manufacturing capstone environment will be installed at Camden Central High School.

Supporting the state’s focus on developing CTE in high schools, the new lab was funded through Tennessee’s Innovative School Models grant program, which empowers schools to eliminate the structural barriers that exist between K-12, postsecondary, and workforce systems. As a result, more students have opportunities to participate in innovative local programs aligned to Tennessee’s highest-demand skills and careers. Benton County Schools is the recipient of a $2.7 million grant, part of which was used to fund the lab.

“Thanks to that historic investment made by Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly, this will be the first CIM lab installed anywhere in the state,” said Tony Oran, CEO of Intelitek. “We are incredibly honored to have been chosen to help Benton County Schools blaze this trail.”

The SmartCIM 4.0 is a real manufacturing line and training system that gives students hands-on experience with industrial-grade equipment and applications within a school lab environment. The system is configured to function as a fully automated factory, supporting the design, manufacture, and testing of products and components. Key components of the Benton County Career and Technical Center’s installation include:

• A closed loop conveyor for seven manufacturing stations
• A 72-bay ASRS (automated storage and retrieval system) and RFID reader
• A BenchMill 6100 CNC milling machine with a six-axis GP8 Yaskawa Robot serving the mill
• A BenchTurn 7100 CNC lathe machine with a six-axis GP8 Yaskawa Robot serving the lathe
• A laser engraver with a six-axis GP8 Yaskawa Robot serving parts to the engraver
• An automated welding cell with a six-axis GP8 Yaskawa Robot manipulating the parts
• An assembly and QC station with a six-axis GP8 Yaskawa Robot automating the assembly and parts handling

The system is controlled by the CIM System Management Station, which includes Intelitek’s OpenMES software. In addition, the conveyor and stations are monitored by IO-Link sensors and an Allen Bradley CompactLogix 5000 PLC control unit. From the OpenMES control software, students program and monitor the manufacturing process and learn how a real factory process works.

Intelitek and Learning Labs, Inc., will jointly install the SmartCIM 4.0 system, provide training for the instructors and support the system in the future. Intelitek will also offer access to its complete training library of more than 100 courses, so instructors will have the option of combining CIM-specific courses with other Intelitek courses to build a comprehensive Career and Technical Education solution. Course curricula will be delivered through Intelitek’sLearnMate® e-learning platform. 

“I’m more excited about this project than I have been about any project in my entire career,” stated Randy Shannon, the supervisor of college and career readiness at Benton County Schools. Shannon pointed out that the new CIM lab aligns with the state’s BlueOval City initiative, an automotive manufacturing ecosystem located in West Tennessee. “Everything that we’re doing here is going to be a microcosm of what you would find there,” he said.

Shannon continued, “The push for CTE is going to be foundational and fundamental to our economy moving forward, and this project is a team effort in every single way.”

About Intelitek

Intelitek is at the forefront of training for STEM and CTE. With a focus on Kindergarten to Career the company offers CoderZ, a fun and equitable gamified and game-based learning experience to Industry 4.0 education for CTE. For four decades, the company’s innovative learning solutions have provided learners across the globe with the competencies needed for in-demand careers in production. Driven by its pedagogic commitment to students’ career readiness and lifelong learning skills, the company develops state-of-the-art tools and technologies for engineering, manufacturing, automation, and robotics technologies. These technologies, along with Intelitek’s programs, empower instructors and inspire students to pursue careers in cutting-edge businesses. For more information go to: www.intelitek.com