TALENT DEVELOPMENT
Melmark | March 10, 2023
On March 09, 2023, Melmark, a non-profit human service organization, started a new school facility for special education and recreational environment in Stoughton, Massachusetts. It selected Maggiore Construction Corporation with Roth and Seelen, Inc. to design and build this facility.
It conducted the groundbreaking ceremony on January 24, 2023. This facility will offer a state-of-the-art and accessible special education learning and recreational surrounding, opening in May. Its New England division presently enrolled about 132 students at its Andover school, and this new facility will educate up to 84 students. It will provide new opportunities for school districts, students, and families deprived of clinically sophisticated educational services. In addition, it would also offer job opportunities with skilled special education leaders.
This facility has a license from DESE and helps students aged 3 to 22 with an intensive individualized education approach. This approach and a behavioral framework create the learning environment needed for education. Its students are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual and developmental disabilities, having secondary to complex behavioral profiles. Melmark New England is also the Massachusetts Association of 766 Approved Private Schools (MAAPS) member.
President and CEO of Melmark, Rita M. Gardner said, "This is a poignant time in the history of Melmark, this is a project that was slated to start during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are thrilled to stay focused on the needs of families in our communities. We are collaborating with school professionals, families, and other stakeholders to share information about the opportunities our new school will make available, as we are keenly aware of the critical, growing need for the evidence-based services we offer. The new school building will support spacious, intentionally designed classroom environments with innovative tools for learning and skills building. This growth in MA reflects our mission and strategic goal to serve children in diverse and inclusive communities who need and deserve Melmark's specialized special education services to reach their best outcomes."
(Source – Cision PR Newswire)
About Melmark
Headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, Melmark, an individual and family services provider, specializes in applied behavior analysis, special needs, intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, autism, education, healthcare, approved private school autism and intellectual disabilities, charity and non-profit, and volunteers. It is a multi-state human service provider with special education schools, training, research centers and professional development. It has transformed the lives of individuals with autism, intellectual and developmental disabilities and supporting their families since 1966. It provides evidence-based and behavior-analytic services to them daily.
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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
Sophia Learning | February 13, 2023
An online-learning and on-demand platform, Sophia Learning provides general education-level courses to higher education level students and recently announced a partnership with one of the world's leading edtech platforms Labster, for virtual lab and interactive science. The partnership delivers college-level science courses incorporating Labster's simulation content designed to meet the higher education needs of Sophia Learning's students and working adults. Sophia Learning is an associate of Strategic Education, Inc., a nonprofit with a mission to reduce the cost of higher education while increasing student success and job readiness.
The American Council on Education (ACE®) recommends the Chemistry lab course made with Labster for college credit. This signifies that many colleges and universities may accept course credit from it towards a degree. In addition, ACE® is looking at other courses to see if they should be recommended for credit. These courses are a good way to get college-level credits in STEM fields at a low cost.
Sophia's Chemistry Lab course was first launched in December with Labster simulations. Sophia Learning will use Labster's simulations to build four more online lab courses in 2023. To help students finish the lab simulations, the courses will have extra Labster content like lab reports, manuals, formative assessments, and introductory videos. Sophia Learning courses with Labster-integrated labs include Introduction to Chemistry, Microbiology, Human Biology, Anatomy and Physiology I and Anatomy and Physiology II.
Labster allows teachers to use the internet to explore, improve, and add to their science lessons and classroom activities. Labster's STEM-related virtual lab simulations catalog now has more than 300 titles. These simulations can be used in more than 50 academic courses. In addition, the browser based Labster simulations can be performed on a range of the most commonly used devices, from desktop computers to iPad and tablets to Chromebooks.
Independent research and case studies show that the gamification techniques and fun, real-world scenarios of the Labster simulations get students more interested and involved. Learners can explore simulations on their own in high-tech labs through their web browsers, eliminating schools from spending millions building new facilities. Students can try out Sophia Learning courses before signing up for a low-cost monthly plan to take college-level courses. In addition, Labster virtual labs and interactive science solutions are available for free to educators.
About Sophia Learning
Sophia Learning offers high-quality online college-credit courses with a curriculum tailored to students and working adults. In addition, the platform provides lots of online, low-cost general education-level courses for college credit that ACE® recommends. Over 1,000 colleges and universities received Sophia's transcripts. The company was established in 2012 and believed in making personal and professional affordable and accessible at every educational career stage.
About Labster
Founded in 2011, Labster is committed to making fully interactive virtual training simulations. These simulations help students learn more by piquing their natural curiosity and showing them how science applies to the real world. The simulations can be used in various ways, from a complete lab replacement to an additional learning activity. As a result, more than 5 million students in high school universities across 70 countries have used Labster to conduct realistic experiments, practice skills in a risk-free environment and learn key science concepts.
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EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
Skillshare | January 11, 2023
Skillshare, one of the biggest online learning communities for creatives, recently announced that Joy Cho, graphic designer, blogger, author, and entrepreneur, is launching an online course for the first time known as “Pitch Please: Attract Brands & Boost Your Creative Business," on their platform. The course will cover how Joy built her dream career through a creative and go-getter mentality and provide a framework for creating remarkable pitches that will drive business and develop collaborations. Joy's course is now available only on Skillshare, which also offers many other courses spanning various creative disciplines.
The Creative Director and Founder of Oh Joy!, a lifestyle brand, Joy Cho has authored seven books and consulted for hundreds of businesses worldwide. In addition, she has launched a line of licensed products that span home décor, travel, baby, pet, and furniture collections. Having the most followed Pinterest account with 15 million followers, Joy Cho was among Time's 30 Most Influential People on the Internet for two consecutive years.
Joy Cho states, "When I first launched my career as a creative, I was filled with doubt. But I focused on crafting meaningful pitches and created a list of brands I dreamed of working with so that people would begin to know who I was. Over time it's been remarkable to see how this simple process helped open so many doors throughout my career." She added, "I'm so excited to tap into Skillshare's community of creatives to help them pursue their dreams. From starting a side hustle to launching products or landing your dream collaboration, this course will help creatives at every level learn how to effectively communicate their craft to potential partners."
(Source: PR Newswire)
Joy Cho's course aims to offer a hands-on course to creatives of all levels, helping them craft impactful pitches for brands and potential partners. In addition to this course, Skillshare offers over 40,000 courses on various topics, including design, illustration, photography, and more, taught by working professionals and industry leaders.
About Skillshare
Founded in 2010, Skillshare is an e-learning provider specializing in curating coursees for creative individuals, with topics ranging from video, illustration, design, photography, freelancing, and more. On their platform, millions of users across the globe can find inspiration and move ahead in their creative journey. The company also offers team-based plans for organizations and the option to join as a teacher.
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