Press Release
Old Greenwich, Conn. – June 1, 2017 – A pioneering provider of Global STEAM (STEM + Arts) enrichment, Level Up Village (LUV) today announced it has been named an “Emerging Private Sector Partner” by The State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA). Founded in 2001, SETDA is the national non-profit association representing the interests of U.S. state and territorial educational technology leadership.
“Level Up Village was selected for this year’s cohort of emerging partners because it shows incredible promise to deliver transformational learning experiences for students in curriculum areas where state leaders have shared that schools in their states are looking for support. LUV provides a unique solution that integrates topics like STEAM, 21st century (collaborative) learning and global citizenship.” – Melissa Greene, SETDA Director of Strategic Partnerships
As a 2017 Emerging Private Sector Partner, Level Up Village will engage directly with SETDA state leaders, affiliates and annual partners over the next 12 months. The Emerging Partners program was designed to foster opportunities for young companies to be seen and heard by state and national digital learning leaders through a variety of intentional, in-person and virtual opportunities to engage in meaningful dialogue regarding trends in the field as well as products and services that states and districts need.
“SETDA’s Emerging Private Sector Partner Program exemplifies the value of our public-private sector partnerships with young companies seeking to positively impact education through innovation. Our members and these emerging educational technology companies have the same goal in mind – supporting innovation to transform learning and teaching,” said Melissa Greene, SETDA Director of Strategic Partnerships. “Level Up Village was selected for this year’s cohort of emerging partners because it shows incredible promise to deliver transformational learning experiences for students in curriculum areas where state leaders have shared that schools in their states are looking for support. LUV provides a unique solution that integrates topics like STEAM, 21st century (collaborative) learning and global citizenship.”
The 2017 SETDA Emerging Private Sector Partners were selected through a competitive application process based on their status as emerging companies with the capacity to leverage technology to serve a need in PreK-12 or pre-service education, as well as their potential to scale on a statewide and multistate basis. These innovative education technology companies will be introduced as a cohort at the upcoming Emerging Technologies Forum on June 24 and 25 in San Antonio, Texas.
“We’re thrilled that Level Up Village has been selected as a SETDA Emerging Private Sector Partner and look forward to working with state and national education technology leaders to provide cutting-edge global education opportunities to even more students, while reinforcing the Four C’s of 21st Century learning in a global context,” said Amy McCooe, CEO and Co-Founder of Level Up Village. “Our goal is to lay the foundation for global awareness while deconstructing the common misconceptions students often have about people from different cultures. At a time when Global Citizenship is a high priority for schools, we are experiencing robust demand for our Global STEAM courses, which have been delivered to more than 20,000 K-9 students in 20 countries around the world in the past four years.”
Level Up Village connects students from around the world for virtual collaboration and cultural exchange through its roster of global STEAM courses, which cover topics such as CAD & 3D printing, web design, programming and water chemistry. Students apply design thinking to real-world challenges, conduct experiments and develop prototypes – all while communicating and collaborating with global partner students who are following the same curriculum. In March, Level Up Village was the first organization to receive the ISTE Seal of Alignment at the Proficiency Level for the 2016 ISTE Standards for Students. LUV courses also meet NCGS and Common Core state standards.
Level Up Village boasts a rapidly growing global network of schools including more than 250 schools across the U.S. and more than 40 global partner organizations (schools and NGOs) in 20+ countries, including Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Ukraine, Nicaragua, Honduras and Brazil. Schools that partner with Level Up Village receive fully developed curriculum, global partners, experienced management of the global collaboration process, comprehensive teacher training and ongoing support. In addition, Level Up Village’s U.S. school partners directly sponsor Global STEAM education in developing countries through LUV’s “Take a Class, Give a Class” model.
About Level Up Village
A social impact company based in Old Greenwich, Conn., Level Up Village (LUV) delivers pioneering Global STEAM (STEM + Arts) enrichment courses that promote design thinking and one-to-one collaboration on real-world problems between students from around the world. Launched in 2012, LUV runs courses during school, after-school and in the summer for students at more than 250 U.S. schools, with 40+ Global Partner organizations in more than 20 countries. For more information, visit us at levelupvillage.com or find us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter @LevelUpVillage.
See SETDA’s announcement about the 2017 Cohort of Emerging Private Sector Partners here.
Media Contact:
Andrea Sherman, Director of PR & Communications for Level Up Village andrea@levelupvillage.com
