NEWS RELEASE
SCHWAB LEARNING AND BrainPOP TEAM UP TO HELP KIDS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES
SAN MATEO, CA (January 16, 2004) Schwab Learning, a nonprofit program of the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation and BrainPOP, the leading producer of animated educational movies for kids, announced today that they have joined forces to create two new online movies that talk to kids about dyslexia and how to get help in school to succeed in spite of having a learning disability.
Titled "Dyslexia" and "Getting
Help" the movies are 3-minute animated shorts, developed to address the needs of students in 4th-6th grades who find they are struggling in school. Each content module includes a movie, a quiz, and a related game to help kids better understand the issues surrounding their learning disabilities. The need for better understanding is significant, as the National Institutes of Health estimate that 15 percent of the U.S. population has some type of learning disability and many kids have a limited understanding of their learning difficulties, often resulting in low self-esteem.
"We are delighted to partner with BrainPOP to provide these important free resources for kids, parents, and educators. There are few resources for kids with learning difficulties that are truly designed for kids and much of what does exist is technical and difficult to understand," says
Jodell Seagrave, Managing Director of Schwab Learning.
"By teaming up with Schwab Learning, BrainPOP was able to combine its unique ability to create engaging experiences while communicating complex subjects in a fun and understandable way. These movies, quizzes and games will be an effective help to students struggling in school," says
Avraham Kadar, CEO and Chairman of BrainPOP.
The movies can be viewed, downloaded, and emailed to a friend free of charge at SparkTop.org, (Schwab Learning's web site for kids with Learning Disabilities) and at BrainPOP.com, (a leading destination site for kids on the Internet). The movies were developed in a unique collaboration between BrainPOP and the content, research, and design team for SparkTop.org.
About Schwab Learning
Schwab Learning is a nonprofit program of the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation dedicated to helping kids with learning and attention problems be successful in school and life. Headquartered in San Mateo, CA, Schwab Learning develops and delivers resources that provide kids with learning difficulties and their parents with practical information, empathic support and trustworthy guidance. Schwab Learning services are delivered through two web sites - one created expressly for kids, ages 8-12 at SparkTop.org and another designed specifically for parents at SchwabLearning.org, as well as outreach and community services. More information on Schwab Learning can be found at http://www.SchwabLearning.org; http://www.sparktop.org; http://www.chsf.org
About BrainPOP
Headquartered in New York City,
BrainPOP is the leading producer of animated educational movies for K-12.
Each day 2 million kids watch BrainPOP movies and exchange messages with
a dynamic cast of five characters who lead the user through related activities
- interactive quizzes and games, comic strips and experiments. Fifteen percent
of US school districts subscribe to BrainPOP.com and integrate it into their
lessons. BrainPOP has developed partnerships with McGraw-Hill, National Geographic,
AOL @ SCHOOL and Yahoo!. BrainPOP has won multiple education and media awards
including; The Flash Film Festival 2003 & 2001, District Administration Curriculum Award 2003 & 2002, Forbes Best of the Web 2002 & 2001.
More information about BrainPOP can be found at http://www.brainpop.com.
