Talent Development
PRnewswire | July 12, 2023
School of Rock, the leader in performance-based music education with over 335 schools across 15 global markets, is looking to expand its presence in Orlando, Fla.
"With Florida ranked third in the U.S. for small businesses, it has become a vibrant hub for entrepreneurs, attracting American and international visionaries alike," said Rob Price, CEO of School of Rock. "Recognizing the tremendous potential this state holds for our music education franchise, we are eager to bring the transformative power of School of Rock to Orlando by nurturing talent, fostering creativity, and empowering individuals to pursue their musical passions. We aim to contribute to Florida's vibrant cultural landscape and inspire communities across the Sunshine State."
School of Rock provides students of all ages an exciting and engaging music education experience, which includes bass lessons, guitar lessons, singing lessons, drum lessons, and piano lessons. Drawing from all styles of rock and roll, School of Rock students learn theory and techniques via songs from legendary artists such as Aretha Franklin, Lenny Kravitz and Led Zeppelin. Thanks to the school's patented performance-based approach, students around the world have gained superior musical proficiency, with some moving on to record deals and larger platforms such as American Idol, The Voice and Broadway.
With over two decades of experience, the world's largest music education franchise provides entrepreneurs with the opportunity to quickly plug into a global brand with a proven business model, a trailblazing educational approach, and a franchisee-focused culture. Through the power of music, prospective franchise investors have the ability to positively impact the lives of their students and their community as a whole.
"As owners and operators of multiple School of Rock locations for 15 years, we continue to witness firsthand the ongoing significance of active involvement in an organization like this," said Burny Pelsmajer, owner of multiple School of Rock locations across Florida. "Countless students have passed through our walls, who have benefited not only from arts education in general but have grown into capable, creative, socially well-adjusted young adults because of the School of Rock culture and teaching approach. We're not making musicians. We're creating butterflies out of caterpillars."
The initial investment for a School of Rock franchise is approximately $395,800 – $537,400 including a $49,900 franchise fee. Ideal candidates, or groups of investors, will have a net worth of $350,000, of which $150,000 is liquid. Additionally, U.S. military veterans receive a special discount on their initial franchise fee.
About School of Rock
School of Rock helps aspiring musicians master skills, unleash creativity, and develop tools they need to thrive in life. Founded as a single school in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1998, School of Rock has become a rapidly growing international franchise with over 500 schools open and in development across 15 global markets. Since 2009, School of Rock has grown its student count from 4,000 to over 60,000. School of Rock offers a wide variety of music lessons, including guitar lessons, singing lessons and piano lessons. The company also sells musical instruments and music gear through its GearSelect program. School of Rock is proud to support Music Will (formerly Little Kids Rock), the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM), and the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide (SPTS). School of Rock was awarded US Patent 10,891,872 in 2021 for its innovative music education method. School of Rock also has garnered the following industry awards: 2023 Global Franchise Grand Champion; 2023, 2022 and 2021 Global Franchise's Awards Best Children's Service and Education Franchise; 2023 Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 Top Children's Music Enrichment Brand; 2021 Franchise Innovation Award for Most Innovative Use of Customer-Facing Digital Tools; Franchise Business Review's 2023 Top 200 Franchises and Culture 200 list; 2020 Entrepreneur Magazine's Top 200 Franchise and the #1 Child Enrichment Franchise; and 2018 Forbes # 2 Best Franchise Medium-Level Investment Award and the #1 Music Franchise in America.
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Corporate Learning Systems
PR Newswire | September 21, 2023
D2L, a global learning technology company, today announced the formal launch of D2L for Business – a corporate learning solution designed to maximize return on investment (ROI) in learning and help empower employers to attract, retain, onboard, and upskill their workforce.
D2L for Business combines the benefits of an existing network of world-class education providers, skill development solutions, and expert consulting services along with D2L's world class Learning Experience Platform (LXP) and authoring tools, creating one integrated, easy-to-use corporate solution.
The 2023 World Economic Forum's Future of Jobs Report predicts that 44% of workers' skills will be disrupted in the following five years – rising significantly from 35% in 2016. And, according to D2L's 2023 White Paper, 80% of U.S. adults expressed some interest in pursuing additional skills training over the next 12 months.
"With recent rapid advancements in AI, the changing nature of jobs, and skills shortages, it's essential for employees to continue to upgrade their skillsets – and for businesses to offer the right learning to remain competitive in the talent market," said John Baker, CEO of D2L. "For over two decades, we've helped hundreds of organizations drive their business forward with the right learning for the skills they need. D2L for Business will help take our customers to the next level with a simple, seamless, and personalized mix of technology and services to help fuel a skilled workforce prepared to take on the future."
D2L for Business helps employers maximize organization-wide learning ROI and their workforce's satisfaction, retention, and internal mobility through:
Skills Mapping and Pathways: D2L for Business uses AI-driven algorithms and industry experts to help develop a comprehensive skills audit, map skills to careers, and identify custom learning pathways for desired careers and skill sets. This helps businesses create a skills pipeline aligned with business objectives, fill open roles, and close skills gaps.
Network of World-Class Education Partners: D2L for Business can help businesses streamline their learning administration through a curated provider network of industry-leading universities, colleges, and training organizations. Employers can easily deploy a centralized catalog of career-aligned programs and courses to talent at every level of the organization.
Customized Learning: D2L for Business can help businesses create and deliver their own customized digital learning experiences through D2L's LXP. This can enable organizations to rapidly scale and deploy learning that aligns with their strategic goals.
Learning Analytics: D2L for Business offers built-in insights to help maximize businesses' ROI with a birds-eye-view into learner progress and outcomes. Employers can gather integrated, organization-wide data about course completion rates and employee skill development, and then make data-informed decisions to help ensure future-readiness. "When it comes to revamping your learning and development program, it's important to have a plan in place that's going to take your business to the next level, and into the future," said Melissa Stein, Officer of Learning & Development at Tompkins Financial. "Tompkins specifically chose D2L as its corporate learning platform for its flexibility, ability to provide content in all areas of learning, and its two decades of trends-focused, forward-looking innovation."
D2L for Business can help empower companies to make their skilled teams a competitive advantage, future-proofing their organization to fuel growth. For more information on D2L for Business, please visit https://www.D2L.com/solutions/corporate/.
About D2L
D2L is transforming the way the world learns—helping learners of all ages achieve more than they dreamed possible. Working closely with clients all over the world, D2L is supporting millions of people learning online and in person. Our growing global workforce is dedicated to making the best learning products to leave the world better than they found it. Learn more about D2L for K-12, higher education and businesses at www.D2L.com.
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Talent Development
PRnewswire | July 31, 2023
edX, a leading global online learning platform from 2U, Inc. today announced the launch of a new Study Abroad hub to help edX learners in India advance their education overseas. This new hub, developed in collaboration with Shorelight, a leader in the international education space, will connect millions of edX learners to Shorelight's catalog of over 3,000 in-person graduate and undergraduate programs at top U.S. institutions, including American University, Auburn University, University of Illinois Chicago, University of Dayton, and more.
The new Study Abroad hub will connect edX learners from India directly with Shorelight to help evaluate and select an international study abroad program that best fits their academic and career needs. Shorelight will then help learners navigate the often complex study abroad application process and continue to serve as a support system once the learner is attending classes in the U.S.
"Shorelight is steadfast in our mission to help international students access top U.S. universities, equipping them with the knowledge and support they need to excel in their academic pursuits and launch successful careers. Our partnership with edX enables us to share this mission with an even broader audience globally," said Tom Dretler, CEO of Shorelight Education. "We're excited to introduce edX learners to the diverse programs offered through Shorelight, bridging geographical boundaries and expanding the horizons of countless students."
Shorelight and edX's collaboration comes as more students around the world look to study outside their home country. In 2022, the number of international students attending college in the U.S. grew 4% to nearly 1 million, with the majority coming from India and China. India is edX's second-largest market in terms of registered learners, behind the U.S., and a focus for the company's continued global expansion.
"The Study Abroad hub on edX further enhances our ability to support international learners seeking to study in-person overseas – expanding our global footprint and meeting the needs of a significant and growing segment of the education market," said 2U Co-Founder and CEO Christopher "Chip" Paucek. "Together with Shorelight, we are committed to providing learners in India with greater access to relevant, affordable, and high-quality programs from the world's best colleges and universities."
About edX
edX is the global online learning platform that fuels the world's ambition. edX was developed in 2012 by Harvard and MIT to make the world's best education available to everyone. Today, as a part of 2U, Inc. (Nasdaq: TWOU), edX connects over 76 million people with online learning to meet every professional moment. Together with top-ranked universities and organizations at the forefront of their fields, edX offers thousands of job-relevant programs across nearly every career discipline, from artificial intelligence and robotics to sustainability and public health.
About Shorelight
Shorelight is a leading international student marketplace in the United States. Our platform connects international students, universities, and service providers to drive student enrollment and performance at scale. We do this so that a more globally diverse population can lead and prosper for generations to come. Together, we help Educate the World.
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Continuing Education
PR Newswire | September 28, 2023
Today, Vernier Science Education, a leading provider of innovative science and STEM education solutions, announced a significant organizational shift that will chart the course for its mission and values for the foreseeable future. The company will evolve from partner-owned to being owned by a Perpetual Purpose Trust. This allows Vernier Science Education to ensure values-aligned ownership succession and uphold its core mission and values indefinitely, ensuring that its social and charitable objectives remain a priority in perpetuity, securing the futures of its valued employees, and reinvesting profits back into the business while sharing benefits with employees, customers, and communities alike.
The Perpetual Purpose Trust is a bold and innovative approach that aligns perfectly with Vernier's vision of serving educators, students, the STEM community, and communities at large. The decision to reevaluate and reimagine Vernier's ownership model and long-term commitment to its mission comes as John Wheeler, the CEO of Vernier Science Education, prepares to step back from day-to-day activities, ushering in a new era of innovation and purpose-driven sustainability for the company.
"Our decision to reevaluate our business and establish a Perpetual Purpose Trust stems from our unwavering commitment to STEM education and sustaining the values and principles that have defined Vernier for decades. This transformational shift will enable us to secure the future of our employees, reinvest in our business, and continue our mission of creating a STEM-literate society," said Wheeler. "I am honored to continue to guide our work during this transition, and I look forward to the remarkable achievements that lie ahead for Vernier Science Education."
Wheeler will remain in his position as CEO until a nationwide search identifies a replacement. He will continue to be active in Vernier Science Education providing guidance and leadership to the organization and supporting the new CEO.
The transition from partner-owned to Trust-owned will be funded by both gifting and purchase of shares from current Partners. Dave and Christine Vernier, the company's co-founders and key figures in its success, will remain actively engaged in the Vernier Science Education family, offering their invaluable insights and support as the company embarks on this exciting new chapter.
"Vernier Science Education has always been driven by a deep commitment to advancing STEM education. As we transition to a Perpetual Purpose Trust, we're reaffirming our dedication to our mission and values, and commitment to staying a local independent Oregon-based company for generations to come," said Dave Vernier. "Christine and I are excited to continue contributing to the Vernier family and witnessing the positive impact this strategic move will have on educators, students, and the STEM community. This is how we pay back the years of success our organization has had and give back to our community."
By establishing a Perpetual Purpose Trust, Vernier Science Education joins other socially-conscious organizations, foundations, and companies committed to long-term sustainability, fostering a sense of purpose that extends far into the future.
About Vernier Science Education
Vernier Science Education is a leading provider of innovative solutions for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. For over four decades, Vernier has been dedicated to supporting educators and inspiring students to explore and understand the world of science. With a commitment to quality, Vernier's comprehensive range of data collection and analysis tools, along with its educational resources, empowers educators to facilitate engaging and hands-on learning experiences. To learn more, visit vernier.com.
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