prnewswire | October 19, 2020
ClassWallet has been awarded a contract from the State of Idaho and the Idaho State Board of Education to help distribute close to $50 million in funds for its 'Strong Families, Strong Students Initiative' to families for their remote learning needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds for the initiative come from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by President Trump. ClassWallet will work with Idaho's Office of the State Board of Education to administer the distribution of funds, safely and securely, from its advanced fintech platform to roughly 30,000 eligible families.
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CORPORATE LEARNING SYSTEMS
NASA | June 09, 2022
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson helped hand out food with an extra serving of STEM activities to children and families at New Beginnings Church – The Gathering Place in Orlando, Florida, on Friday, June 3. Called NASA Artemis Learning Lunchboxes, the Center of Science and Industry (COSI) in Columbus, Ohio, created the kits aimed at inspiring and educating youth and families in communities underrepresented in STEM about NASA's upcoming Artemis missions.
NASA's Artemis missions include returning humans to the Moon for the first time in over 50 years. Among the plans, NASA will land the first woman and person of color on the lunar surface as missions at the Moon pave the way for human exploration of Mars.
COSI developed the NASA Artemis Learning Lunchbox to inspire today's students – the Artemis Generation – to consider and pursue careers in tomorrow's STEM workforce. Made possible through NASA's Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) program, the lunchboxes contain five space-focused learning activities that showcase the diversity of STEM at NASA and the importance of STEM education for the future of our workforce.
"Every child has a dream, and every child needs to achieve that dream, and when you talk to adults who are now astronauts or aerospace engineers, it all started with a spark – being taught something that inspired their life. We need to make sure every kid, regardless of zip code or socioeconomic status, has the promise to achieve that because they may be the next astronaut or scientific mind that will get us further in our exploration of space, It's all about partnerships. We can't thank NASA enough for their generosity in both dollars and support of this great initiative."
-Dr. Frederic Bertley, president & CEO, COSI.
Along with COSI, NASA's partners on the initiative also include Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and Orlando Science Center.
The kickoff event supplied 500 NASA Artemis Learning Lunchboxes to students and families, while COSI plans to distribute a total of 30,000 to local food banks across the country. COSI will continue to partner with local nonprofit organizations like the Orlando Science Center where they can showcase interactive dry ice experiments first-hand for children across the country. This innovative, community-based model will bring together other science centers and museums, afterschool providers, and community leaders to highlight the importance of STEM education.
TEAM II awards are funded through NASA's Next Generation (Next Gen) STEM project, which is committed to diversity, inclusion, and equity. By connecting K-12 students and their formal and informal educators to NASA's endeavors in exploration and discovery, Next Gen STEM strives to reduce the barriers to participation in STEM and inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, and astronauts.
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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
Identity Automation | November 19, 2021
Identity Automation, the digital identity platform for education, today announced that the company is partnering with a community of thought leaders in the education IT space to drive transformation, using the concept of digital identities as the cornerstone to achieve change. The Pathfinder Program is a network of experts who are passionate about education and committed to achieving change that focuses on learners, educators and education communities.
The Identity Automation team connected with Pathfinder Program members at this year's EDUCAUSE Annual Conference, which focuses on higher education IT. The company was a sponsor at the event and showcased its flagship RapidIdentity IAM platform and credential monitoring service called SafeID (powered by SpyCloud). Credential monitoring is a crucial capability that helps education institutions counter the growing threat of ransomware, data breaches and rising insurance costs.
The Pathfinder Program aims to raise awareness of digital identities and inspire educational change by building broad consensus with everyone involved, including IT experts, curriculum leaders and other vendors. Pathfinders believe that digital learning environments should be secure, immediately available and free from technology-related friction. Focusing on digital identity as the core, the Pathfinder Program facilitates collaboration and action on critical issues like:
Interoperability
Personalized learning
Digital Equity
Cybersecurity
Regulatory compliance and governance
"My favorite part about connecting with people at events is the sense of community we all share. They know education is changing, and they're committed to helping learners, teachers and staff make the transition successfully. They're curious about what other organizations are doing, and that's what makes the Pathfinder Program so valuable — it's a forum where people can share ideas and find solutions."
Brandon Levine, Director of Sales Development, Identity Automation
"Identity Automation's mission to empower educators and students with a safe and secure place to learn aligns perfectly with the digital citizenship message to help students stay safe, solve problems, and become a force for good both on and offline," shared Pathfinder Dr. Marialice Curran.
The Pathfinder Program includes people with diverse skillsets, including internationally recognized thought leaders who are frequently tapped as Keynote speakers on the topic of education IT. They share a passion for empowering learners, strengthening digital security and promoting digital citizenship.
"Everyone involved in the education system will have to pull together to achieve the level of digital transformation we need to serve learning communities," said Identity Automation CEO Jim Harold. "Any disconnect resulting from vendors working at cross-purposes hurts students and educators. We're better when we work together, and that's why we're so excited about the Pathfinder Program, which is already generating new ideas about how we can focus on what we do best to benefit students."
About Identity Automation
Identity Automation provides identity and access management (IAM) solutions for K-12 and higher education. Its flagship platform, RapidIdentity, safeguards learning environments, maximizes instructional time, and minimizes the load on Information & Educational Technology teams. Technology leaders turn to RapidIdentity for its best-in-class security capabilities, time-saving automation, and flexible approach to managing digital identities. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Identity Automation is trusted by Chicago Public Schools, Public Schools of North Carolina, University of Rochester, Houston Community College, and hundreds of other institutions.
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