Education Technology, Online Education
NISE | June 23, 2022
The National Certificate for STEM Teaching (NCST) from the National Institute for STEM Education (NISE) has been selected as a winner in SmartBrief’s EdTech Readers’ Choice Awards for 2022. The NCST is one of three co-winners in the professional development category. SmartBrief readers nominated the solutions and platforms they find most effective, and selected their favorite edtech programs in several categories.
The National Certificate for STEM Teaching is an online, competency-based professional development program for preK-12 teachers. It focuses on high-impact STEM instructional strategies that work synergistically across content areas. Designed with working educators in mind, the NCST is personalized, job-embedded, standards-focused, and convenient. Participants can start the 100% online, self-paced program at any time, with support from a virtual STEM coach.
The NCST is part of a unique, stackable professional development solution. NISE’s “STEM Essentials” Micro Certificate online courses can be applied to the NCST, and the NCST can be applied to American College of Education’s (ACE) STEM-focused graduate programs. ACE provides six hours of graduate credit to NCST graduates who enroll in its online STEM Master’s or Doctoral programs. Through this continuum of solutions, NISE provides the only comprehensive, 100% online professional learning path focused on improving and increasing STEM instruction across all preK-12 classrooms.
NISE is more than a certifying body. It is a research-based support system for campuses and teachers seeking to strengthen STEM instruction and outcomes. Based on 15 STEM Teacher Actions that evolved from STEM professional development originally created at Rice University, NISE’s Campus and Teacher Certificates help school leaders and teachers understand and apply research and best practices in STEM, 21st-century learning, and professional development.
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Talent Development
Colibri Group | April 04, 2022
Colibri Group (“Colibri”), a professional education company with leading brands that provide learning solutions to licensed professionals, announces today that the company has acquired Becker Professional Education and OnCourse Learning. With this agreement, Colibri Group adds leading capabilities in accounting, mortgage, and governance, risk and compliance (GRC) to its portfolio of professional education services.
“This expansion of our capabilities continues to serve our mission of leading others to achieve more and thrive in their careers and enables us to work with entirely new categories of accounting and GRC while deepening our mortgage solutions for financial services firms and professionals, We are thrilled that Becker and OnCourse Learning, with their industry leadership and high-quality education, will be joining our group of companies. These businesses support our focus around becoming the most admired professional learning company in the world, and the world-class talent at both businesses will contribute significantly to achieving this vision,”
-Jeff James, Chief Executive Officer of Colibri Group.
Becker is a global leader in Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam prep and offers market-leading products in accounting continuing professional education and Certified Management Accountant (CMA) test prep. Becker has been helping candidates achieve their CPA licensure and further advance their careers for more than 60 years. Becker has served partners in nearly 40 countries including the top 100 accounting firms in the United States.
OnCourse Learning is a leading provider of regulatory and compliance education solutions for the mortgage and financial sectors. OnCourse Learning empowers financial institutions to prepare their frontlines, compliance teams, executive leadership and board of directors with comprehensive enterprise compliance, risk management and professional development education.
Colibri Group is the gold standard in professional education and serves millions of individual and business customers through its flexible, online and in-person solutions. Colibri Group is backed by Gridiron Capital, LLC (“Gridiron Capital”), a leading investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams.
About Colibri Group
Colibri Group is building the future of professional education. Today, millions of licensed professionals start and advance their careers through the company’s online and in-person learning solutions for licensing, continuing education, test preparation and professional development. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Colibri Group provides a holistic learning experience for students and professionals to achieve more and thrive throughout their careers in real estate, financial services, teacher education, healthcare, valuation and property services, among other professions. Visit colibrigroup.com for more information.
About Becker
Becker is the leader in the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) exam review industry offering a full accounting career life cycle solution from training to licensing to continuing education. Founded in 1957, Becker’s global presence includes more than 2,900 partners—including accounting firms, societies, corporations, government agencies and universities.
About OnCourse Learning
OnCourse Learning is the leading educational technology provider for governance, risk and compliance (“GRC”) licensing and webinar solutions for the banking, credit union, state banking associations (“SBA”) and mortgage industries. Founded in 2007, OnCourse Learning has delivered pre-licensing, continuing education, professional development and compliance training to financial institutions and 190,000+ mortgage professionals.
About Gridiron Capital
Gridiron Capital is an investment firm focused on partnering with founders, entrepreneurs, and management teams, and creating value by building middle-market companies into industry-leaders in branded consumer, B2B and B2C services, and niche industrial segments in the United States and Canada. We help transform growing companies by winning together through hard work, partnerships grounded in shared values and a unique culture that comes from hands-on experience building and running businesses. As a team led by former operators and entrepreneurs, we know what it takes to run successful businesses on a day-to-day basis.
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Online Education
Noodle | November 24, 2021
New England College of Optometry (NECO), the longest continually operating college of optometry in the country, today announced plans to develop a distance education doctor of optometry program in partnership with Noodle, the country's fastest-growing online learning network. The proposed Hybrid OD, which is subject to accreditation review and approval, will combine an interactive online learning environment with in-person hands-on clinical training, greatly expanding the availability of optometry education to students in areas without nearby programs.
"Students are increasingly interested in flexible learning opportunities that blend the best of virtual education with in-person clinical experiences. Noodle's expertise in digital technologies and services solutions will help our academic team create the most engaging, impactful program," said Dr. Howard Purcell, President of NECO. "Over the course of the next several months, we will work together to build a curriculum and education platform that benefits the next generation of students."
The proposed program will require review and approval by the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) and the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) in order to begin student recruitment.
NECO's faculty will develop the course curriculum, working in collaboration with Noodle, which has developed an industry-leading design approach to ensure that its college and university partners build the premier curricula for their online programs. The result will be a unique, engaging, and flexible learning experience where students have the opportunity to acquire both the foundational knowledge and in-person experiential clinical training necessary for a successful Optometric career.
"We are honored NECO chose to build its cutting-edge hybrid doctor of optometry program with Noodle, which we believe speaks to the quality of programs we have built thus far, particularly in the healthcare space. We are confident that with a partner like NECO we can achieve a balance of innovation and academic rigor for NECO's future program offerings."
Lee Bradshaw, Chief Strategy Officer, Noodle
About NECO
New England College of Optometry is a private, non-profit optometry school that prepares the next generation of eye care providers, educators, and innovators through a rigorous curriculum and extensive clinical experiences. NECO graduates compassionate and skilled optometrists prepared to practice in diverse settings.
About Noodle
Noodle is a certified B Corp that creates excellent online and agile programs that elevate campus-wide teaching and technology. Since January 2019, Noodle has launched as many online programs with elite U.S. universities as have all of its competitors combined. Its network of universities, higher education leaders, providers, and students fuels innovation and efficiency in learning design, marketing, recruitment, technology, student and faculty support, and clinical placement.
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