ONLINE EDUCATION
Class Technologies | August 27, 2021
Class Technologies Inc., the company enhancing virtual and hybrid classrooms by adding teaching and learning tools to Zoom, has launched Class Cares to support students and communities in need.
"Class was founded from a desire to help people," said Michael Chasen, education software pioneer and Class co-founder and CEO. "Class Cares is a long term initiative that takes our team's desire to help and puts it into action through volunteering, donations, and partnerships to help students in need. We're committed to helping people in need around the world."
As part of the initial Class Cares initiative, DC-based Class employees volunteered to pack hundreds of backpacks full of needed school supplies. Helping students go back to school, Class Cares is providing:
200+ backpacks filled by Class team members and brimming with supplies benefiting DC Public Schools (DCPS) students in southeast Washington, D.C.
150+ backpacks provided through a partnership with Kids in Need Foundation (KINF) to students at the American Indian Academy Charter School in Denver, Colorado.
"These backpacks carry with them our belief that education is the key to a better future," said Natlee Green, Vice President of People at Class. "It is fitting that our first initiative helps kids right here in our hometown in Washington, D.C., where 25% of people live below poverty. At least 1 in 5 children in the US who live below the federal defined poverty line cannot afford back to school supplies. Class is here to help."
Class Cares is a long-term corporate social responsibility program that aims to address education and community needs around the world. The company is committed to planning and participating in ongoing future Class Cares initiatives. The next project is planned for October, when Class Cares will partner with Habitat for Humanity to build a home to commemorate World Habitat Day.
About Class Technologies Inc.
Class is software developed by Class Technologies Inc., a company founded by education software pioneer Michael Chasen. Class adds teaching and learning tools to Zoom and makes the virtual classroom feel like a real classroom. It helps teachers take attendance, hand out assignments, give a quiz or test, grade work, proctor exams, talk one-on-one with a student, and more. Class is headquartered in Washington, DC with staff around the world.
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ONLINE EDUCATION
upGrad | November 30, 2021
upGrad, Asia’s integrated higher edtech leader, has entered into an exclusive acquisition agreement with Global Study Partners (GSP), Australia's largest study abroad company, in a bid to strengthen its overseas education network. upGrad will invest USD 16 Million to buy 100% of GSP and commit a further USD 10 Million for future growth. GSP is slated to close its current financials at a GMV of over USD 10 million which will grow four-fold in the coming year.
Following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, 45.2% of prospective global students are now interested in studying their program virtually as an alternative, according to The Impact of COVID 19 on Study Abroad Survey. Canada’s ApplyBoard in the same segment got funded recently at a USD 4 billion valuation. Leveraging this behavioural change, upGrad’s acquisition of GSP strengthens its foray in Study Abroad, one of the fastest growing segments worldwide.
Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Sydney, Global Study Partners (GSP) boasts of an extensive institution network of over 600, with a focus on countries including, Australia, the UK, Canada, and the US, which are some of the most popular Study Abroad destinations in the world. GSP is also armed with more than 1,300 recruitment partners, including education and migration agents, schools, test preparation centres, alumni associations etc.
“As an Integrated EdTech leader - we span the entire gamut of a learner's need from the age of 18-50 and in that, Study Abroad is a key growth initiative for us - not just out of India which is one of the two largest markets but also for our learners internationally. GSP coming into upGrad’s fold will be a needle mover for us to attain a headstart in being a global leader in this segment too.”
Ronnie Screwvala, Chairperson & Co-Founder, upGrad
Elaine Starkey, CEO and Founder, Global Study Partners, said “I couldn’t think of a more complementary business that is underpinned by shared principles and ethics “to empower learners throughout the world. Ronnie and Mayank are true visionaries with a deep understanding of this sector and truly get that 'it's all about the learner’s experience'. GSP partners' - institutions and recruitment partners - worldwide, will enjoy the benefits that the additional reach and capacity GSP can now deliver, and they can expect significant growth in quality student enrolments.”
Students opting for Higher Education abroad from India are increasing rapidly and expected to reach ~1.8 million by 2024, as per Redseer report. They would be spending USD 75-85 Bn overseas, as Online emerges as the dominant channel for availing these services.
“With 150K students every year, Australia is one of the biggest destination markets for Indian learners. With these two education giants in the key supplier and the demand markets combining forces, we are looking to build a revenue of USD 100Mn in study abroad business in the next 3 years,” Gaurav Kumar, President - Corporate Development and M&A, upGrad.
About upGrad
upGrad - started in 2015 is a pioneer in the online education revolution, focused on powering career success for a global workforce of over 1.3 billion. It is one of the few Integrated LifeLongLearning Tech Companies in the world - spanning the college learner to the working professional from the age group of 18-60 years and across Undergrad courses, Campus & Job Linked Programs, Studying Abroad, short form to executive programs to Degrees, Masters and Doctoral - with a learner base of over 2 million across 50 countries and over 300 University partners & a robust enterprise business with a client base of 1000 companies worldwide.
upGrad’s Global Learning Engine rests on four pillars - (a) its large repository of original & owned content and IP, (b) its own best-in-class proprietary tech platform, (c) its high touch human-led delivery service backed by coaches & mentors, and (d) an 85% course completion track record, backed by a further 80% career outcomes guaranteed performance. Already termed Asia’s higher EdTech leader it has offices in the UK, US, Middle East, India, Singapore & Vietnam, and presence in many more countries.
About Global Study Partners (GSP)
Global Study Partners (GSP) is a leading B2B global EdTech marketplace for international student enrolments that works with 600+ Universities and Higher Education Institutes across the globe. GSP empowers students around the world by providing access to the best educational choices when embarking on studying abroad. Founded in 2015, the firm is headquartered in Sydney, Australia and has placed international students from 22 different countries into key study destination markets including Australia, UK, Ireland, US and Canada. GSP is committed to transforming lives through education and building out a globally connected student community.
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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
Verizon | January 14, 2022
Verizon and Arizona State University are exploring how 5G can enable immersive educational experiences and transform the future of learning. To do this, Verizon has launched a 5G Innovation Hub at the University's Learning Futures Collaboratory, Studios and Emporium. Students, faculty, entrepreneurs, and corporate partners can now work together at the Hub to test and create 5G-powered educational experiences that are more inclusive, equitable and accessible. Digital equity is on the national agenda as leaders aim to address the digital divide, deepened during the pandemic. And in Arizona where as many as one million residents, including more than 200,000 students, do not have regular access to the internet, ASU has been instrumental in leading a series of initiatives aimed at surfacing solutions to help further close the digital divide.
The first program to launch out of the 5G Innovation Hub at ASU will be “The Digital Equity Jam” sponsored by Verizon, AWS and Inseego. This program kicks off in early February 2022. Competing teams will develop use cases showcasing how Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband and mobile edge compute can be used to help bridge the digital divide. Focus areas will include health, climate, poverty, human rights and education. The winning team will receive project seed funding, access to intensive summer entrepreneurship training in partnership with the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) and VentureWell, and the opportunity to pitch their venture to CGI in fall 2022.
“Working with ASU, we have an extraordinary opportunity to research and develop new 5G-enabled experiences that can improve remote learning and help bridge the digital divide. Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband’s super-fast speeds, high bandwidth and low latency can enhance applications ranging from immersive education to connected communities. By collaborating with ASU’s researchers, we hope to accelerate the innovation process and develop technology that will harness the full potential of 5G and edge compute.”
Tami Erwin, Verizon Business CEO
“We are in the most transformative technological moment since the early stages of the industrial revolution. And even with the social, political, and economic impacts that we are still learning to navigate as a society, there have been incredibly meaningful results from this use of technology,” said ASU President Michael Crow this morning during a keynote with Erwin at the Smart Region Summit. “Who gets educated is no longer socially stratified, we are able to unleash human creativity in ways not possible before…and so what these technologies that leverage broadband at the fastest speeds and most advanced level imaginable allow us to create is an environment in which the person, the learner, becomes emotionally connected in the story around the learning process itself. At ASU, we’ve become, with this next phase of our partnership with Verizon, the furthest at the tip of the spear to be empowered with technology and continue to improve the ways in which we learn, work and live.”
Additionally, ASU plans to continue testing and deploying a variety of immersive educational experiences, powered by Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband and mobile edge compute. Students will be able to enter a Dreamscape pod where they can experience a Biology class in virtual reality (VR). Remote students will have access to a VR and web browser version. 5G use cases being explored will also include a career arcade using VR, where students can experience a day in the life of certain careers. 5G applications are also being tested for athlete performance analytics applications and virtual fighter pilot training.
This engagement is part of Verizon’s broader strategy to partner with enterprises, startups, universities, national labs and government/military to explore how 5G can disrupt and transform nearly every industry. Verizon operates five 5G Labs in the U.S. and one in London that specialize in developing use cases in industries ranging from healthcare to public safety to entertainment. In addition, Verizon is collaborating with several customers to establish 5G Innovation Hubs on-premises as part of an ongoing initiative to co-innovate and create new 5G applications.
Verizon's long-standing relationship with ASU includes collaboration and support for Verizon Innovative Learning, Verizon's award-winning education initiative addressing barriers to digital inclusion and a key program under Citizen Verizon, the company’s responsible business plan for economic, environmental and social advancement. The initiative includes bringing 5G to schools, enabling more robust, immersive learning experiences via technologies like artificial intelligence, 3D printing, augmented and virtual reality. Students leverage technology, social innovation and design thinking through a project-based online curriculum, developed by the J.Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute at ASU, to positively impact their communities. Verizon's partnership with ASU also extends to Verizon Innovative Learning HQ, a free next-gen online education portal that includes content curated by ASU, among other academic institutions, that provides immersive AR and VR experiences paired with lesson plans. Through Citizen Verizon, the company is committed to providing 10 million youths with digital skills training by 2030, among other goals.
About Verizon:
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 $128.3 billion in 2020. 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.
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