CORPORATE EDUCATION AND TRAINING
EVERFI | September 17, 2022
Varo Bank, the first all-digital, nationally chartered U.S. consumer techbank, announced today the launch of SaveUp, a free middle school savings curriculum designed in strategic partnership with social impact education innovator, EVERFI. The SaveUp course is the largest initiative to date of the Varo Money Power program, which includes free online financial education lessons for adults and the Russ x Varo Money Power financial education workshops for high school students designed in partnership with NBA superstar Russell Westbrook.SaveUp empowers students by providing them with the tools they need to build a strong savings foundation and will be available to 4,500 middle schools nationwide by June 2024. The course is aligned with Jump$tart National Standards for Personal Finance Education and focuses on middle school students to provide them time to learn and practice savings habits before they start to deal with more pressing financial challenges in high school and beyond.
"Everyone deserves the same access to opportunity, and that starts with financial education,Through this joint initiative, Varo and EVERFI continue to advance our shared mission of expanding financial inclusion and helping young people learn the fundamentals of what it takes to build wealth for themselves and their communities. We plan to leverage this program content in the future to broaden the reach of financial education and literacy to a wider audience going forward."
Colin Walsh, Founder and CEO of Varo Bank
Throughout the course, students will learn the importance of saving, how to budget, how savings can help reach financial goals, and how to open a savings account. This will be accomplished through an interactive learning experience that includes:
Self-guided lessons to help students develop simple, actionable strategies.
Real-world scenarios that prime students for long-term behavioral change using problem-solving and self- reflection activities.
Detailed score reports and offline extension activities to help teachers maximize their impact across all students.
Middle school is a time of financial socialization for students as they start to develop their own values and beliefs around money," said Ray Martinez, Co-Founder and President of EVERFI. "Developing the SaveUp curriculum and bringing it to middle schools around the country, is just part of our commitment to help students, especially those in low-to-moderate income populations, build the knowledge and skills they need to achieve financial wellness and stability while providing equal access to the financial services system.
About Varo Bank, N.A.
Varo Bank is the first all-digital, nationally chartered U.S. consumer techbank built from the ground up, designed to make financial inclusion and opportunity a reality for all. Varo Bank is reimagining the modern banking experience and providing customers with the tools they need to build financial resilience and realize their financial power – with offerings such as Varo Believe, a secured card to help build credit, Varo Advance to help stretch hard-earned dollars between paychecks, the ability to earn cashback at 1,000 merchant locations nationwide, and a newly launched high yield savings account option, more than 38x the national average. A different kind of financial institution – Varo Bank serves everyone striving to build a better future – from those with abundance to people struggling to make ends meet. Varo has been named one of Forbes' World's Best Banks in 2022, Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, and is on the Inc 5000 list of fastest growing companies for 2022. For more information on Varo Advance, Varo Believe, and other offerings such as Perks, visit www.varomoney.com, like Varo Bank on Facebook, and follow us on Instagram and Twitter @varobank. @2022 Varo Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.
About EVERFI, Inc.
EVERFI from Blackbaud is an international technology company driving social impact through education to address the most challenging issues affecting society ranging from financial wellness to mental health to workplace conduct and other critical topics. Founded in 2008, EVERFI's Impact-as-a-Service™ solution and digital educational content have reached more than 45 million learners globally. In 2020, the company was recognized as one of the World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company and was featured on Fortune Magazine's Impact 20 List. The company was also named to the 2021 GSV EdTech 150, a list of the most transformative growth companies in digital learning. Blackbaud, the world's leading cloud software company powering social good, acquired EVERFI in December of 2021.
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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
Otus | November 10, 2022
Otus, a leader in K-12 student-growth edtech, today announced that CenterPoint Education Solutions’ Illustrative Math (IM) certified and EL Education aligned interim assessments, along with state standards assessments will now be available on the Otus integrated learning platform. With these assessments available on the Otus platform, educators and students will have instant access to high-quality assessments aligned with their curriculum or their state’s standards
Since its launch in 2016, Otus has been used by educators to optimize learning and help accelerate student growth for over 1 million students nationwide. Otus provides educators with one place to gather, visualize and act on data to maximize student outcomes. The all-in-one platform saves educators time by integrating traditional and standards-based grading, assessments, progress monitoring, data-informed instruction, and more.
“CenterPoint is excited to bring our aligned assessments to Otus; we hope more districts look toward incorporating assessments that are aligned with their curriculum and (state) standards, Aligned assessments allow educators to gauge both student understandings and misunderstandings paramount information to guide instructional planning. Otus’ learning platform gathers student-growth data and visualizations in one place, which models CenterPoint’s larger mission of monitoring student achievement around assessments.”
LJ Sylvester, Vice President of Growth at CenterPoint.
Interim assessments are administered throughout a school year and are key to supporting learning. They empower educators to measure student learning, identify where students are on their path to grade-level expectations, and provide data to drive instructional strategy. With Otus now hosting CenterPoint’s IM-certified, EL Education, and standards-aligned interim assessments, students and educators are provided with expanded access to high-quality curriculum-aligned assessments. Via Otus’ platform, CenterPoint’s assessments will make use of the existing assessment functionality, including technology-enhanced question types to heighten student engagement and real-time standards-aligned data reporting for teachers to inform instructional strategy. Otus is thrilled to add CenterPoint Education Solutions to its ever-growing network of partners and to be able to offer their top-notch, curriculum-aligned assessments to Otus users,” said Phil Collins, Ed.D., SVP of Client Success. “As Otus continues to expand its offerings of partner assessments available to users on the platform, we aim to provide high-quality, diverse options, and ultimately empower educators to make data-driven decisions that improve their schools. By integrating CenterPoint Education Solutions’ assessments into Otus, we are taking a huge step in that direction. Both the Illustrative Math and EL Education curricula are green rated by EdReports and have shown consistent results for student achievement. CenterPoint was the first organization to develop interim assessments aligned to these curricula to support the important work of teaching and learning at the ground level.
The following grades and content areas are licensed for use on Otus’ platform:
Illustrative Mathematics Aligned Interims Assessments: Grades 3-8, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry
EL Education Aligned Interim Assessments: Grades K-8
Eureka Math Topic Items: Grades K-8
CenterPoint Standards Aligned Interim Assessments in ELA: Grades K-11
CenterPoint Standards Aligned Interim Assessments in Mathematics: Grades K-8, Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry
About Otus
Otus significantly improves the way we support students by providing an all-in-one platform for educators to gather, visualize, and act on student data to ensure every child – no matter their learning level or background – is on a trajectory to achieve their true potential. Otus was created and built for teachers, by teachers. It saves educators time through the streamlined integration of assessment, performance tracking, and third-party data, while its gradebook and dashboard reports make it easy for teachers, administrators, and families to understand each student’s growth. Otus has delivered improved results for more than 1 million learners.
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CORPORATE EDUCATION AND TRAINING
Fullstack Academy | September 15, 2022
Fullstack Academy, a national tech education provider, announced today it has joined the Amazon Web Services Authorized Training Partner program. AWS Training Partners (ATP) are the only organizations that can deliver or offer official AWS Training through their AWS Authorized Instructors (AAI). As an ATP, Fullstack Academy will integrate AWS Training and Certification into several of its existing bootcamp programs. Starting in 2022, students enrolled in the Data Analytics Training Accelerator (DATA), a no-cost training program offered in partnership with NYC’s Tech Talent Pipeline, will receive the training needed to earn the AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner Certification. The certification validates an individual’s cloud fluency and foundational AWS knowledge, establishing credibility within their organization or qualifying for new career opportunities. Training for this certification will be rolled out to additional Fullstack Academy bootcamps later this year. The organization also plans to offer this training standalone to new students and alumni. Cloud computing skills are in high demand, with 85% of organizations reporting the need for employees with cloud expertise, according to a 2020 report from 451 Research, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence.
“Adoption of cloud computing services grew 25% in 2021 alone, and we’re seeing companies using AWS to become more agile, improve scalability and innovate more quickly,For many tech professionals, cloud computing skills are essential to landing a job and advancing their career. By becoming an AWS Authorized Training Partner, Fullstack Academy is better able to support our students and alumni looking to develop the in-demand skills needed to implement cloud solutions.”
Jerrad Tausz, CEO of Fullstack Academy.
Before Fullstack became an ATP, its students and graduates were seeking AWS Certifications outside of the bootcamp to complement their credentials. As I was preparing for a job search in the information technology field, I wanted to set myself up for success and demonstrate my knowledge of cloud computing to potential employers,said Sean Borry, a Fullstack Academy graduate now working as a Consultant at Deloitte. The technical knowledge and professional confidence I gained as a student at Fullstack Academy, combined with becoming an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, played a huge part in me being able to secure a job in the industry. Borry graduated from the Fullstack Academy Cybersecurity Bootcamp in May 2022. “In today’s increasingly cloud-driven world, many of our students and alumni are looking to bolster their cloud expertise with AWS Certifications,” Tausz added. “We’re thrilled to incorporate the training into our offerings.” According to a 2022 report from Enterprise Strategy Group, 83% of learners reported increased job security as a result of AWS Certifications, and 74% reported higher earnings. Employers also report benefitting from AWS Certifications. Among IT leaders that employ staff with AWS certifications, 90% say productivity improved, 89% report faster troubleshooting, and 86% report improved cloud security. Professionals with cloud skills are fundamentally key to helping organizations transform their business and thrive which is why these skills are in such high demand, said Maureen Lonergan, Vice President, AWS Training and Certification. “AWS Training and Certification, along with ATPs like Fullstack Academy, aim to equip the builders of today and tomorrow with the knowledge to tap into the power of the cloud.
About Fullstack Academy
Fullstack Academy is a national tech education provider based in New York City. Founded in 2012, it offers web development, cybersecurity, data analytics, DevOps, and product management bootcamps. Fullstack Academy also offers the Grace Hopper Program, an immersive software engineering course for women and non-binary students, in addition to partnerships with leading universities nationwide, including Virginia Tech, Caltech CTME, and Louisiana State University. Graduates have been hired by Google, Facebook, Fortune 100 firms, and startups
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