ONLINE EDUCATION
Verizon | July 07, 2022
Verizon Innovative Learning, the company’s signature education initiative focused on addressing barriers to digital inclusion for over a decade, is rebranding and expanding its free project-based enrichment program to Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers. Previously known as two separate programs, Young Men of Color and Young Rural Women, the new Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers program, in partnership with the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), will offer a more inclusive learning environment while still providing middle school students in under-resourced communities with the opportunity to discover new problem-solving skills and gain exposure to career opportunities in STEM fields.
Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers will continue to offer an engaging, hands-on experience developed to enrich learning through design thinking, 3D printing, augmented reality, social entrepreneurship and mentorship. Developed by Arizona State University's Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute, the program’s interactive curriculum centers around four educational tracks: immersive media, smart solutions, digital product innovations and artificial intelligence. The year-round program, which begins with a summer immersion experience and then hosts one STEM Enrichment day in the fall and spring for new and returning students, is held in partnership with a total of 44 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) and community colleges across the country.
“One of the core tenets of Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers is to expose students to emerging technologies and teach students to think broadly about how technology can make the world a better place. “Since the program launched in 2017, we’ve been able to reach thousands of students, not only through hands-on learning, but through mentorships that help to deepen their connection to STEM, as well as build their confidence and leadership skills outside of the classroom.”
Alex Servello, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Verizon
“Being a part of Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers gave me access to amazing technology, which allowed me to enhance my skills in STEM and build upon my innate design capabilities,” said Christopher, a 16-year-old student who previously participated in the program at Tuskegee University. “Through the program I also met great new friends and mentors and learned about the latest trends in technology. I enjoyed each day of the program and was always excited to see what new experiences we would engage in next.”
Verizon Innovative Learning HQ, next-gen learning for all
Students and teachers can also take advantage of Verizon Innovative Learning HQ, Verizon’s new, freely available open access education portal that scales the resources of Verizon Innovative Learning and its decade-long proven approach to integrating technology into the classroom. The portal enables any K-12 educator in the country to access innovative learning apps, professional development and tailored lesson plans to empower students to be social innovators and to create solutions using emerging tech.
Citizen Verizon: Goal to 10 million youths with digital skills training
These efforts are all part of Citizen Verizon, the company’s responsible business plan for economic, environmental, and social advancement. Citizen Verizon empowers Verizon to deliver on its mission to move the world forward through action by expanding digital access and resources, protecting the climate, and ensuring people have the skills needed for jobs of the future. Through Citizen Verizon, and the key pillar of Digital Inclusion, the company's responsible business goals include providing 10 million youths with digital skills training by 2030. To learn more about Verizon's digital inclusion efforts, visit CitizenVerizon.com. To sign up for Verizon Innovative Learning STEM Achievers, visit https://naccemeets.nacce.com/vil/home.
Verizon Communications Inc. was formed on June 30, 2000 and is one of the world’s leading providers of technology and communications services. Headquartered in New York City and with a presence around the world, Verizon generated revenues of $133.6 billion in 2021. The company offers data, video and voice services and solutions on its award-winning networks and platforms, delivering on customers’ demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity, security and control.
Read More
CORPORATE LEARNING SYSTEMS
WorkRamp | September 29, 2022
WorkRamp, the All-in-One Learning Platform, today announced the release of WorkRamp Content, powered by one of the world's largest corporate education content hubs, Go1. WorkRamp Content is one of the most comprehensive content solutions for organizations that are invested in developing their people to unlock exponential growth.With this product, relevant industry- and role-based content can be curated to complement the organization's learning strategy, and businesses can leverage the power of prebuilt, proven content to build impactful programs that attract, develop, and retain talent and mitigate corporate risk by maintaining compliance.
"Businesses need their workforces to be highly skilled if they are to stay competitive in today's market, and that means learning cannot stop,Those that really invest in making learning a growth engine for their organizations recognize that effective content is fundamental to this strategy. Now they can find not only flexible content creation and collaboration within WorkRamp's platform but also the most relevant expertise to uplevel their people."
Ted Blosser, CEO and Co-Founder of WorkRamp
With over 85,000 course resources from more than 250 providers in one learning center of excellence, WorkRamp Content provides exactly what employees want, in whichever format, length, and style are effective for them. The catalog of resources from the world's top providers such as EasyLlama, ej4, The Expert Academy, Mind Tools, Pluralsight, Sandler Training, Skillsoft, and Traliant empowers learning administrators to upskill their teams for more meaningful business contributions. They also have access to complimentary content recommendations and curation in partnership with Go1's team. Customers should expect learner engagement to increase sixfold once they leverage the ability to quickly provide employees with meaningful content within their learning platform. Businesses want their learners to be able to develop and apply their skills in the flow of work and in systems they recognize. Those that invest in WorkRamp to support their development strategy and growth can now really achieve this most effective approach to learning by accessing Go1's vast training and content libraries, said Marc Havercroft, President of Go1. With WorkRamp Content, customers are now able to draw on all levels of instructional design capability and better align their learning content strategy with an overall learning strategy. The All-in-One Learning Platform provides course authoring tools out of the box for building content just the way the business wants it, customizable course templates to set teams up with solid starting points, and now prebuilt, proven content that can be rapidly deployed for immediate business impact.
Read More
EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
Zovio | August 02, 2022
An education technology services company that partners with higher education institutions and employers, announced today that it has closed on an agreement to transition its online program management (OPM) business to the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC).
Over the past six months, Zovio has taken steps to implement a process designed to unlock shareholder value by rightsizing the company, accelerating growth of subsidiaries and exploring strategic alternatives, which included the potential divestiture of all three of its businesses.
In May 2022, Zovio completed the sale of TutorMe, for $55 million and used a portion of the proceeds to repay bridge financing. This left the company debt free and allowed Zovio to satisfy obligations stemming from a decision of the Superior Court of California while the company appeals the decision.
Continuing to execute on its strategic alternatives process, Zovio and UAGC negotiated, signed and closed on an asset purchase agreement with an effective date of July 31, 2022, after receiving approval from their respective Boards of Directors. Under the asset purchase agreement, UAGC is acquiring Zovio's operations and assets that previously provided services to UAGC through a long-term Strategic Services Agreement.
"Zovio has been at the forefront of providing innovative online learning products and services for almost two decades, We are pleased to have reached this agreement with UAGC and are excited about their future,"
- Zovio Chief Executive Officer, Randy Hendricks.
Zovio will continue to support the continued growth and expansion of Fullstack Academy and simultaneously explore strategic alternatives for that business.
About Zovio
Zovio (Nasdaq: ZVO) is an education technology services company that partners with higher education institutions and employers to deliver innovative, personalized solutions to help learners and leaders achieve their aspirations. The Zovio network, including Fullstack Academy, leverages its core strengths to solve priority market needs through education technology services. Using proprietary advanced data analytics, Zovio identifies the most meaningful ways to enhance the learner experience and deliver strong outcomes for higher education institutions, employers, and learners. Zovio's purpose is to help everyone be in a class of their own. For more information, visit www.zovio.com.
Read More