EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
Saritasa Technology Solutions | September 21, 2022
Saritasa Technology Solutions, a software partner delivering innovative products and solutions to clients, has developed a new virtual reality (VR) training system for Loadstar, a provider of logistics and product handling services. The system provides a safe, interactive training environment that is faster, more efficient, and safer than previous training programs.Loadstar is the first logistics and product handling company to deploy VR for staff training. In an industry that emphasizes on-the-job training and keeping workers in the field, Loadstar has adopted a different strategy. They put safety and education at the forefront by bringing the on-site experience to trainees using VR. Saritasa developed a comprehensive general purpose railcar inspection & loading application. Trainees can practice completing all the steps required for a standard inspection without the need to travel on-site or work with trainers. Using VR, trainees get hands-on interaction, including visual quizzes and realistic animations. VR provides a more realistic experience and shortens the training process from weeks to days. We believe that our employees' overall safety and well-being start with training, said Stephen Williams, Manager of Operational Excellence.Traditionally, our industry has relied on classroom sessions and manual field training. Some employees have described it as 'death by powerpoint,' and they're not wrong. Loadstar is always looking ahead, and we wanted to bring the latest technology to our training program to create the safest environment possible. By working with Saritasa, we have designed a state-of-the-art training program that is more cost-effective and efficient. Before adopting VR for railcar inspection & loading training, Loadstar used extensive classroom training with lectures, presentations, and study materials. Once the classroom training was complete, new employees needed to apply the material they just learned to real-life field operations. This process could take several weeks as training was entirely dependent on how many and what kind of railcars came on-site on a particular day. Now, they are able to onboard and qualify operators in a fraction of the time. Using VR not only speeds up hands-on training but also standardizes training procedures. On-site, the quality of training can vary due to any number of factors; the manager on duty, the amount or type of railcars on-site, and environmental hazards. VR training eliminates any variance and provides a solid basis for every employee. It emulates field training to provide pre-site training experience, reducing the time and cost required for on-site training.
"Developing a virtual training program for Loadstar is the ideal project for Saritasa's creative and skilled technologists, There are many steps in railcar inspection training, including examination around, under, and on top of different types of railcars. Our 3D design team was able to replicate a realistic environment while optimizing headset performance, and we are extremely pleased with the outcome."
Aaron Franko, VP of Immersive Technology at Saritasa
About Loadstar
Loadstar provides product-handling services to refineries, chemical plants, barge lines, terminals, and distribution sites, loading and unloading cargo of all classifications into railcars, trucks, barges, and ships. Loadstar operates docks, tank farms, terminals, and warehouses, managing marine, rail, truck, and pipeline logistics. The company has its headquarters in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
About Saritasa
Headquartered in Newport Beach, California, Saritasa aims to empower global brands with innovative, customized solutions that fit their needs and support an ever-evolving technology ecosystem. Saritasa specializes in custom software development, mobile development, augmented reality and virtual reality development, IoT solutions, web, database development, and DevOps. Founded in 2005, the Saritasa team employs over 140 employees and has delivered thousands of successful software, hardware, and mobile app projects to a range of clients across multiple industries.
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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
Snapology | November 08, 2022
Snapology, the No. 1 children's STEM/STEAM franchise and part of the world's first Youth Enrichment franchise platform company Unleashed Brands, is celebrating National STEM Day (Nov. 8) after making tremendous strides in STEAM educational enrichment opportunities, franchise offerings, and helping millions of kids across the country develop foundational STEAM skills. The company is consistently seeing significant growth through franchise signings that will continue into 2023 as demand increases for STEAM-based learning programs nationwide. Since its acquisition and joining Unleashed Brands in July of 2021, the brand has been able to elevate its franchise offerings by launching a reimagined Discovery Center, developing a new business model with "Snapology-in-Urban Air," as well as continuing to offer mobile Snapology programs that allow franchisees to reach more families in the community. For franchisees, these redesigned business models offer a variety of revenue opportunities and the freedom to operate year-round. Year to date, the brand has opened 11 classrooms inside Urban Air Adventure Parks, seven community-based locations and two Discovery Center with one of the revamped Discovery Centers being the first-of-its-kind joint location with sister brand The Little Gym International. Snapology has also invested in perfecting the customer experience by offering new membership programs and gamifying education through their "Passport" program, which aims to encourage children to take classes to earn stamps and degrees to win swag and other prizes. This program entices children to continue their Snapology classes by creating incentives for children to learn fundamental STEAM skills, develop critical social skills and create recurring revenue for franchisees. Since the Unleashed Brands acquisition, Snapology has doubled franchise signings over the past year. In 2023, there are plans to open 15 new Discovery Center locations throughout the country, including debuts in New Braunfels and Cedar Park, TX, Lexington, SC, North Tampa, FL, Rogers, AR, Harrisonburg, VA, Troy, MI, San Diego, CA, and Lehi, UT.
"We're incredibly grateful for our company's growth and success which reflects on the progress being made to revolutionize the way kids learn about STEAM, This year, National STEM Day is extra special to our team as we reflect on our success but more importantly, the impact Snapology has made to inspire the next generation of STEAM leaders."
Laura Coe, Brand President & CEO for Snapology.
The key to success has been the brand's understanding and commitment to play an active role in inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians through excitement in STEAM concepts at an early age. Snapology encourages social skills and teamwork by teaching science, technology, engineering, art, math, and literacy concepts in a fun way. The brand uses a research-based curriculum, designed to be inclusive to all learning abilities with a hands-on teaching approach that uses LEGO® Bricks and other building toys, along with coding, video game design and robotics that encourage the perfect mix of play, academic enrichment, and social development.
About Snapology
Founded in 2010, Snapology is the #1 children's enrichment franchise in the country, giving children the opportunity to learn through play with more than 80 enriching, interactive STEAM and STEM programs. With over 180 locations in the U.S. and Internationally, Snapology is quickly growing and impacting children throughout the world with its balance of educational enrichment, social development, and fun. For more information about Snapology including franchise opportunities, visit www.Snapology.com.
About Unleashed Brands
Unleashed Brands, currently includes portfolio brands Urban Air, Snapology, The Little Gym, XP League, Class 101 and Premier Martial Arts and was founded to curate and grow a portfolio of the most innovative and profitable brands that help kids learn, play, and grow. Over the last 10 years, the team at Unleashed Brands has built a proven platform and know-how for scaling businesses focused on serving families. Its mission is to impact the lives of every kid by providing fun, engaging, and inspiring experiences that help them become who they are destined to be.
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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
n2y LLC | October 04, 2022
n2y, provider of comprehensive, technology-powered solutions for students with unique learning challenges, today launches Inspire, a new academic intervention curriculum that guides struggling and at-risk students from teacher-led instruction to independent learning as they acquire the skills they need for success in school and life.The new solution equips educators with research-based instructional strategies that support the development of key academic, critical-thinking and generalization skills that will ultimately help to close learning gaps. Inspire gives teachers efficient assessments to pinpoint the skill gaps, along with lesson plans, explicit instructional resources and interactive activities to address them. Inspire is aligned with key standards in English language arts and math for kindergarten through second grade, where research shows the greatest area of need. Resources for grades K-2 are available now with grades 3-5 available in January 2023.
"Inspire proves that struggling and at-risk students can make tremendous gains with the right support, It provides a pathway for students to build confidence as teachers gradually give learners more control - from explicit instruction to guided practice and independent learning."
n2y Chief Innovation Officer, Alli Vice.
Inspire is aligned to general education standards and can be used across the school — from special education classrooms and resource rooms to those receiving RTI intervention in general education classrooms. It improves student engagement by extending learning beyond the classroom setting and across subject areas, and serves the needs of all students, regardless of their strengths and areas for growth. It also saves teachers time by creating detailed reports showing student progress and growth for students with individualized education programs (IEP), and can help monitor progress for response to intervention (RTI). And because Inspire offers instruction, assessment and reporting capabilities, schools no longer invest time and resources on multiple solutions.
Through Inspire:
Students achieve meaningful outcomes through an evidence-based active learning approach that supports generalization.
Teachers meet the needs of every learner with highly efficient assessments that pinpoint skill gaps, facilitate differentiated intervention and provide critical performance data.
Administrators demonstrate RTI success and IEP compliance with progress monitoring tools and reports that convey student progress and growth across a school or district.
Inspire was designed to reach the needs of students who are struggling and require extra, focused support to learn," Ed Holmes, CEO said. "We can't wait to empower educators with this solution so they can close the learning gaps and get students back on track.
About n2y
n2y is changing the lives of special education administrators and teachers, therapists and paraprofessionals, and all the students they serve. Its award-winning solutions are designed specifically to address the needs of the whole child and help unique learners meet their state's standards. Multiple integrated, evidence- and research-based solutions empower educators to teach and students to achieve. Differentiated, standards-based academic instruction, enhanced by proactive behavior management, combines with collaborative IEP development to support learning for every student.
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