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LevLane Announces Hiring of Chief Talent Officer, Adam Heagy

LevLane

LevLane announced today that it has hired Adam Heagy as its new Chief Talent Officer. Heagy is an experienced leader in HR and talent acquisition and development, and a veteran of the advertising talent world. Prior to joining LevLane, Heagy was President of Interactive Recruiting Consultants for nearly 10 years where he led all recruiting and talent efforts. “We’ve worked with Adam for years as our contract recruiter and he’s always been a true partner, providing reliable guidance and sending us fantastic talent,” said Josh Lev, SVP Brand Engagement at LevLane. “It was a natural fit to bring Adam into the LevLane family full-time to help us find the best talent for our future growth.” While at Interactive Recruiting Consultants, Heagy worked with a wide range of advertising and marketing agencies to source and recruit top talent. “LevLane has a phenomenal culture that is truly unique in the advertising world, said Heagy. “So, when the opportunity arose to join the team full-time, it was a no-brainer. I’m excited to be part of such a talented team and can’t wait to find that next generation of LevLane talent.” Heagy will be responsible for all talent acquisition and will head up the Human Resources Department, reporting to Chief Financial Officer, Nicole Landau. --- About LevLane LevLane is an award-winning, full-service, independent advertising agency in Philadelphia, PA that has been building brands people love for nearly 40 years. Contact Details LevLane Liz Weir +1 610-401-4825 lweir@levlane.com Company Website https://www.levlane.com

May 12, 2021 07:56 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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EDUCATORS CAN FOSTER TRUST IN SCIENCE THROUGH GLOBAL PLEDGE

International Day of Light Steering Committee

For more than a year, educators worldwide have been forced to transform the way they teach. However, advancements in science, specifically telecommunications, enabled the shift from a traditional classroom to remote learning environments. Today, scientific developments, including health advancements such as vaccines and testing, are allowing students to return to physical classrooms. The Trust Science pledge, a worldwide campaign to promote support for the scientific process and acknowledge the many benefits of science for society, offers a valuable teaching tool to help educators draw attention to the crucial role science plays in improving our quality of life. In celebration of this year’s International Day of Light on 16 May, the pledge is allowing people, particularly educators and students, around the world to affirm their support for science and the scientific process. Students can be leaders in understanding and defending science. Just as educators teach skills that build students’ scientific literacy to help them evaluate facts, they can offer ways for students to affirm confidence in the scientific process. “A dedicated effort to building—and in some cases, rebuilding—trust in science will prepare students to be the scientifically informed leaders we desperately need,” said Dr. Desiré Whitmore, Senior Physics Educator and Staff Physicist at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, CA. Additional resources for educators are available on the Trust Science website, including hands-on activity videos, lesson plans, posters to download, activities and lessons, links to online resources and the Laser Classroom. To date, the pledge has seen enthusiastic support worldwide with more than 2,500 signatures, including Nobel and Breakthrough Prize laureates, UNESCO L’Oréal For Women in Science prize winners, Presidents and CEOs of major scientific bodies, as well as scientists and students from more than 20 different countries. The Trust Science campaign is organized by the IEEE Photonics Society, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and The Optical Society (OSA), together with the International Day of Light Steering Committee. To sign the pledge and to learn more, please go to https://www.trust-science.org Contacts For questions about how you can engage with the campaign, please contact: info@trust-science.org For media inquiries, please contact: pr@trust-science.org Social media: please share using #TrustScience and #LightDay2021 Social media links: Facebook; Instagram; Twitter About the International Day of Light The International Day of Light (IDL) is a worldwide initiative that provides an annual focal point for the continued appreciation of light and the role it plays in science, culture and art, education and sustainable development, and in fields as diverse as medicine, communications and energy. The International Day of Light is administered from the International Basic Science Programme (IBSP) of UNESCO by a Steering Committee that includes representatives from a broad range of international partners: the American Institute of Physics (AIP), the American Physical Society (APS), Bosca, the China International Optoelectronic Exhibition (CIOE), Chinese Optical Society (COS), the European Centres for Outreach in Photonics (ECOP), the European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC), the European Physical Society (EPS), the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), the IEEE Photonics Society (IPS), the International Commission on Illumination (CIE), lightsources.org - the international network of accelerator based light sources, Light: Science and Applications, The Optical Society (OSA), Tampere University, SPIE, the International Society for Optics and Photonics, SESAME, Signify, Tampere University, Thorlabs, Transitions, the Université de Franche-Comté and Velux. For information about the International Day of Light, please visit www.lightday.org Contacts for IDL: John Dudley and Joseph Niemela 2021 Steering Committee Chairs Email: contact@lightday.org Bethany Downer 2021 Communications Coordinator Email: contact@lightday.org Media Contact for Trust Science: pr@trust-science.org About IEEE Photonics Society The IEEE Photonics Society is the professional home for a global network of scientists, engineers and allied professionals who advance laser, optoelectronics, and photonics technology. As a technical society representing the IEEE, it is a vital part of the world’s largest technical professional organization of more than 400,000 members dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, educational activities, and humanitarian initiatives, the IEEE Photonics Society provides its members in more than 160 countries the opportunity to grow professionally and stay on the forefront of transformational breakthroughs in photonics. PhotonicsSociety.org About SPIE SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, was founded in 1955 to advance light-based technologies. Serving more than 255,000 constituents from 183 countries, the not-for-profit society advances emerging technologies through interdisciplinary information exchange, continuing education, publications, patent precedent, and career and professional growth. SPIE annually organizes and sponsors approximately 25 major technical forums, exhibitions, and education programs in North America, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific. In 2020, SPIE provided more than $5 million in support of education and outreach programs. www.spie.org About The Optical Society Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional organization for scientists, engineers, students and business leaders in light science and technology. The society serves over 432,000 customers and 22,000 members from more than 100 countries who fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate achievements in the field. OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of optics and photonics experts through world-renowned publications. For more information, visit osa.org. Contact Details pr@trust-science.org +1 703-907-0010 pr@trust-science.org Company Website https://www.trust-science.org

May 11, 2021 09:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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LevLane Advertising Appoints Nicole Landau as Chief Financial Officer

LevLane

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LevLane Advertising, a full-service advertising agency and 37-year veteran of the Philadelphia marketing scene, announced today the addition of Nicole Landau as its new CFO. Landau will oversee all agency financial functions and will serve as a key member of the executive team. Landau is a seasoned business executive with over 20 years of experience in senior financial leadership roles. Before LevLane, Landau served as Chief Financial at Seven C’s Hospitality Solutions, where she oversaw all finance and accounting operations. She began her career at Arthur Andersen before joining Digitas Health as Senior Finance Manager, followed by a decade-long stint as VP of Finance at DiD Agency. “Nicole’s background in financial leadership and operations was a perfect fit for us,” said Josh Lev, SVP Brand Engagement at LevLane. “She is exactly who we need in this role to help us reach the next level.” The agency has expanded services in recent years and is ready to capitalize on that momentum – something Landau will be integral in. “I’m thrilled to be part of the LevLane family. They have already done the hard work of building a unique culture and a stellar reputation in the advertising world,” said Landau. “I'm excited to continue that mission and I'm confident that together we can create the right financial structure to drive consistent growth." About LevLane LevLane is an award-winning, full-service, independent advertising agency in Philadelphia, PA that has been building brands that people love for nearly 40 years. Contact Details LevLane Liz Weir, SVP of Content, Social Media and PR +1 610-401-4825 lweir@levlane.com Company Website https://www.levlane.com

May 11, 2021 07:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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CSG COO Ken Kennedy Joins the TM Forum Beyond Connectivity Advisory Board

CSG

CSG ® (NASDAQ: CSGS) today announced Ken Kennedy, chief operating officer and head of Revenue Management and Digital Monetization for CSG, is joining TM Forum’s Beyond Connectivity advisory board. This strategic advisory board acts as a think tank to empower the service provider businesses of tomorrow by uniting the industry and assembling the critical standards, code assets and know-how to deliver continuous forward-thinking input and guidance to ecosystem challenges. The board aims to ensure TM Forum’s work is innovative and of maximum value to its members and the wider industry. With over 25 years’ experience in the technology and telecom industry and an original founder of software company Telution, Kennedy is a forerunner in cloud technology. His business and technical acumen on critical issues such as digital monetization and global business transformation will help drive continuous impact of the Forum’s work on open digital ecosystems to deliver tangible business value to members. Throughout his career, Kennedy has built and transformed product platforms, partner ecosystems and global strategies to deliver real world use cases that fostered growth and enabled further industry innovation. "The Beyond Connectivity Advisory Board aims to accelerate the growth of new open B2B2X services, transforming traditional connectivity to be fit for the future, and unlocking the value of service provider capabilities,” said Nik Willetts, CEO, TM Forum. "We are delighted to welcome Ken Kennedy to the Board. His expertise in monetizing ecosystem challenges will be valuable to this ambition." “Joining the TM Forum Beyond Connectivity Advisory Board represents CSG’s commitment and responsibility to contributing to a sustainable business model that drives prosperity for the industry as ecosystems evolve and mature,” said Kennedy. “Standardization and collaboration are essential for our market to thrive. TM Forum leads the industry in providing the guiding principles for participants to be successful in emerging ecosystem models driven by the next wave of technology. Without these standards, the industry collaboration needed to deliver true customer value would be unwieldy and untenable.” For more than a decade, CSG has been an active participant in TM Forum activities, including training, compliance, certification and thought leadership. The company is a staunch advocate of TM Forum’s standardized frameworks for applications and processes, along with the common nomenclature needed for the industry to communicate and collaborate. The company is also signatory to the TM Forum’s Open API Manifesto and the Open Digital Architecture. # # # About CSG For more than 35 years, CSG has simplified the complexity of business, delivering innovative customer engagement solutions that help companies acquire, monetize, engage, and retain customers. Operating across more than 120 countries worldwide, CSG manages billions of critical customer interactions annually, and its award-winning suite of software and services allow companies across dozens of industries to tackle their biggest business challenges and thrive in an ever-changing marketplace. CSG is the trusted provider for driving digital innovation for hundreds of leading global brands, including Airtel Africa, América Móvil, AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, DISH, Formula 1, Hutchison 3 Indonesia, Inmarsat, Mastercard, Maximus, Microsoft, Mobily, MTN, New Leaf Service Contracts, State of California DMV, TalkTalk and Telstra. To learn more, visit our website at csgi.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Copyright © 2021 CSG Systems International, Inc. and/or its affiliates (“CSG”). All rights reserved. CSG® is a registered trademark of CSG Systems International, Inc. All third-party trademarks, service marks, and/or product names that are referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners, and all rights therein are reserved. CSG Contacts: Tammy Hovey Global / North America / Asia-Pacific Public Relations +1 (917) 520-2751 tammy.hovey@csgi.com Kristine Østergaard Europe / Middle East / Africa Public Relations +44 (0)79 2047 7204 kristine.ostergaard@csgi.com John Rea Investor Relations +1 (210) 687-4409 john.rea@csgi.com Contact Details Tammy Hovey +1 917-520-2751 tammy.hovey@csgi.com Company Website https://www.csgi.com

May 11, 2021 06:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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HOUSTON AREA URBAN LEAGUE TO EXPAND TECH TRAINING PROGRAM THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WITH COMCAST

Comcast Houston

Unemployed and underemployed Houstonians will have the chance to train for family-sustaining jobs under a major expansion of the Houston Area Urban League Tech Jobs Program, funded by longtime partner Comcast. “The Urban Tech Jobs Program 2.0 provides an opportunity for our participants to receive in-demand IT training at the collegiate level without student debt. In this current environment where we have seen a huge demand for technical skills due to COVID-19 pandemic, our program will help bridge the digital divide in our communities.” “With the support of Comcast, I foresee HAUL becoming one of Houston’s leading agencies in providing quality technical training and ensuring underserved clients in BIPOC communities have access to technology”, stated Judson W. Robinson III, Houston Area Urban League President & CEO. Tech-related job openings are surging, both nationally and in Houston. According to the 2021 Greater Houston Partnership Houston Tech Report, Houston has the 12th largest tech workforce in the U.S. The Greater Houston area ranks as one of the hot spots in the country for an in-demand area of tech expertise. In fact, the top 10 in-demand roles listed by a World Economic Forum Future of Jobs Report are all tech-related — but four in 10 American employers report that they struggle to fill tech vacancies, according to a survey. When tech companies do hire, few of the jobs are going to workers of color. The National Urban League’s 2018 State of Black America® found that of the 40,000 employees of four major Silicon Valley technology firms, only 1,000 were Black. To address the racial opportunity gaps in the digital economy and broadband availability, the National Urban League has developed the Lewis Latimer Plan for Digital Equity and Inclusion. “It is imperative we create new opportunities for underserved communities to participate in the growth of the digital economy,” said Ralph Martinez, regional senior vice Comcast Houston Region. “We are excited to continue our partnership with the Houston Area Urban League and help expand their Urban Tech Jobs Program to ensure more adults have the opportunity to gain the necessary technical skills to compete in today’s workforce.” The Urban Tech Jobs Program is an accelerated training program that recruits unemployed and underemployed adults and provides them with workshops to build solid job readiness and personal resiliency/adaptability skills while offering nationally recognized certification coursework and paid work experience. “The AWS class itself was fine. Jose is an EXCELLENT instructor. Incredibly knowledgeable and great at getting across the information. I am launching a portfolio project on AWS to display some of my knowledge and staying active in the AWS scene in hopes of remaining current. As a freelancer, I have gigs now that utilize the AWS service. As a rule, I am the techie my less techie managers come to, to help them understand an issue. I'm now equipped to have some of those conversations about AWS” “I do hope HAUL continues the program. I keep talking about it to friends who would benefit as a wonderful opportunity to get solid training”. Chere Westmoreland, UTJP 2.0/Amazon Web Service Program Participant. More than 800 workers and jobseekers have taken advantage of the program nationally since 2016, leading to jobs in technology such as network administrator, office manager, installation technician, helpdesk specialist, systems analyst, programmers, and developer. Comcast’s $3 million commitment will enable a total of 240 individuals to be trained through an expansion of the program at six Urban League affiliates: Urban League of Philadelphia (Andrea L. Custis, President & CEO) Chicago Urban League (Karen Freeman-Wilson, President & CEO) Houston Area Urban League (Judson Robinson III, President & CEO) Urban League of Broward County (Germaine Smith-Baugh, President & CEO) Urban League of Greater Atlanta (Nancy Flake Johnson, President & CEO) Urban League of Greater Pittsb urgh (Esther L. Bush, President & CEO) Individuals who are interested in applying for Urban Tech should send their resumes to rwilliams@haul.org. Regular updates regarding future Houston Area Urban League and National Urban League initiatives can be found at www.haul.org and www.NUL.org. Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on broadband, aggregation, and streaming with over 56 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. Contact Details Comcast Michael Bybee +1 281-605-9658 Michael_Bybee@cable.comcast.com Houston Area Urban League Eric M. Goode +17133938700 ericg@haul.org Company Website https://houston.comcast.com/

May 10, 2021 09:00 AM Central Daylight Time

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Goodway Group Forms Strategic Digital Partnership with Online Grocery Delivery Platform Good Eggs

Goodway Group

Goodway Group, the digital partner advertisers trust to deliver campaign performance and media efficiency, has formed a strategic partnership with online grocery delivery platform, Good Eggs. Within this new partnership, Goodway Group is focused on driving Good Eggs’ customer acquisition by building the brand’s performance and direct marketing capabilities. Since the onset of the partnership, Goodway Group has helped achieve Good Eggs’ aggressive new customer goal, delivering more new customers in March 2021 than ever previously recorded as being delivered by paid media. As a growing DTC startup, Good Eggs is committed to providing the best quality groceries directly to customers' doors in the San Francisco Bay area, while supporting local, ethically sourced food. Additionally, the company is the only solution in the market that provides groceries and meal kits without a required subscription. Marketing has always been a key initiative at Good Eggs, and the company found that Goodway Group’s unique approach was unlike any other option it had seen in the market. In order to further highlight the Good Eggs brand, Goodway Group is focused on creating a customer service function that uses site and predictive analytics to drive marketing investment decisions, while prioritizing custom solutions tailored to the platform. Goodway Group is acting as Good Eggs’ direct response agency and is the only provider of digital execution, running all forms of the DTC brand’s media, social, SEM and display, audio, native, video, and CTV. “Everything we do at Good Eggs is centered around our customer. We’ve always looked for the best quality products to offer and local farmers and producers are core to this. Our brand is dependent on a top-of-the-line customer experience, which means that our customer acquisition engine must always be top of mind,” Vineet Mehra, Chief Growth and CX Officer at Good Eggs. “From our website to social media, all touchpoints must be prioritized to offer the best possible experience for our customers. We are excited to be working with Goodway Group as they help us to achieve our business goals.” Through this partnership, Goodway Group is taking site-side data from all major platforms and using that to identify how to best utilize it in the customer acquisition engine, while pulling from data on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual scale to drive top of the line predictive outcomes. Good Eggs has also hired a dedicated team of engineers to make real-time changes, such as tagging, tracking, event UX and website changes or enhancements, based on the needs of the business – ultimately to aid in getting changes to market in a faster, more efficient way. “We are thrilled to partner with Good Eggs as they continue to provide an exceptional experience for their customers,” said Jay Friedman, President at Goodway Group. “Through a focus on performance marketing and unique digital solutions, we’ve been able to act as an extension of the Good Eggs in-house team and form a successful partnership that has already seen valuable results.” About Goodway Group: Goodway Group is the digital partner advertisers trust to drive campaign performance and media efficiency. Proud to be completely independently owned and operated, Goodway provides trustworthy expertise that meets its clients' needs – and no one else's. Using predictive intelligence, Goodway helps advertisers get the most value out of every impression across all paid digital media. Through the combination of employing the smartest technology and the most experienced people in the industry, Goodway delivers authentic results. Find Goodway Group online at goodwaygroup.com. Goodway Group. Honestly Smart Digital. Contact Details Kite Hill PR for Goodway Group Rachel Wyncoop +1 631-338-7248 rwyncoop@kitehillpr.com Company Website https://www.goodwaygroup.com/

May 06, 2021 01:35 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Norwegian Cruise Line Celebrates Teacher Appreciation Week By 'Giving Joy' to Educators Across the U.S. and Canada

YourUpdateTV

In recognition and celebration of the countless teachers who have spent the last 15 months giving their all to students across the U.S. and Canada during these unprecedented times, Norwegian Cruise Line, the innovator in global cruise travel, announced this week the relaunch of its "Norwegian's Giving Joy TM" contest, which provides educators with free cruises and a chance to win up to $25,000 for their schools. Recently, Christine Da Silva, Vice President of Communications and Events at Norwegian Cruise Line, participated in a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss this exciting initiative. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/_QgnTvXUAvQ "Norwegian's Giving Joy" acknowledges the often-undervalued work of educators and highlights the intersection between travel and education. First launched with astounding success in 2019, with over 1.4 million votes for more than 46,000 teachers, and a total prize of over $100,000 for schools across North America, the contest heralds these selfless warriors. This year's campaign is especially significant given the elevated demands of this profession under pressure. For more information and to vote and nominate for a deserving teacher, visit nclgivingjoy.com About Christine Da Silva: Christine Da Silva is the vice president of Communication for Norwegian Cruise Line, responsible for the development and execution of the brand’s global external and internal communication strategy. Overseeing the Communication and Events teams, she leads the development of the brand narrative; is responsible for reputation, crisis and issue management; and has been instrumental in the launch of engagement initiatives including the game-changing Giving Joy and Encore Moments campaigns as well as the debut of the Company’s latest vessels. Da Silva has over 20 years of experience guiding brands and businesses in delivering authentic and impactful messages through integrated communication and marketing strategies that drive growth, sales and awareness. She is based in the Company’s head office in Miami, Florida About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

May 06, 2021 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Osmo’s Math Wizard Debuts Two Additions That Let Students Embrace Math, Just As Studies Suggest Larger Learning Loss in Math Due to Pandemic

Osmo

With research suggesting a greater learning loss in mathematics, over reading, among K-8 students during the pandemic, and many school districts have yet to reopen full-time, in-person learning, parents are looking for affordable, supplemental at-home learning to help kids with math, and avoid a gap in learning. They are also looking for products to help a child struggling with math or needing a confidence boost to learn it. To meet this growing demand, Osmo launched, for the first time ever, a learning series-- Math Wizard, which now offers two additions. The curriculum-inspired series’ active learning approach allows kids to learn math through tactile play and use of creativity and imagination, so much that they are eager, if not thrilled, to learn more. “What’s amazing is that 20,000 kids played Math Wizard and solved more than 3.5 million math problems since Oct. 1, 2020,” says Pramod Sharma, CEO of award-winning STEAM brand Osmo. “Parents who witnessed their kids using the product were thrilled with their child’s engagement and really liked the healthy screen time.” Self-Paced Games Build Math Confidence, Decrease Anxiety The eight-part Math Wizard series allows kids to experience math through hands-on, narrative- and adventure-driven games, where kids use manipulatives to experiment, exercise their imagination and creativity. The self-paced games drive enthusiasm and help build math confidence, decreasing math anxiety commonly-felt by students and parents, and inspire kids to solve problems on their own--a hallmark of all Osmo games. For struggling learners, targeted hints are built into the games to nudge them along so they find a correct answer, and remain engaged. The series is intended for kids 6-8 years (grades 1-2), and perfect for learning at home. The first two titles of the series cover the foundations of addition and subtraction, and introduce students to measurement standards, while the third and fourth titles focus on laying foundations for multiplication and division, adding more than two numbers, understanding how equations are formed, and addition and subtraction fluency. Families can start a child’s education by purchasing any title within the series. Newest Additions to Math Wizard The third title in the series is Math Wizard and the Amazing Airships (available for iPad and Fire; retail $59.99 at playosmo.com and Amazon.com ), which focuses on mathematical thinking, where kids join Rupert the robot mouse in building and designing airships for the many islands of Spellbarrow Port. Using math and Rupert’s magical wrench, kids deliver packages, balance objects so they can fly, and navigate challenges like thunderstorms and high winds. Amazing Airships features two games and the box contains: 1 Magical Board; 16 Ship Pieces; 16 Cargo Pieces; 12 Balloon Pieces. The two games contained within are: Airships - players build airships on their mat and test them in the skies, learning how to balance lift (balloons) and weight (packages, wood blocks) so they can fly. Clockwork - in this all-digital game, players use their fingers and counting skills to wind up a team of quirky clockwork robots, to the right amount, so they can move around the port Kids will learn: Building and balancing equations Practicing addition and subtraction Solving for an unknown value Introduction to algebraic thinking The fourth title is Math Wizard and the Enchanted World Games (available for iPad and Fire; retail $59.99 at playosmo.com and Amazon.com ), which sets the foundations of multiplication and inspires critical thinking. Here, kids create power smoothies and meals for athletes across various competitions! Using math skills, they give their team the right mix of magic ingredients needed to win the gold. The box features 2 games and contains: 1 Lunchbox Mat; 27 Fruit & Veggie Pieces; 1 Juice Mat; 12 Fruit Strips; 1 Magical Token. The two games contained within are: Bento Box - players choose from five different sports and help athletes by packing them a magic lunchbox requiring the best combination of fruits Juice Team - elite athletes across four different sports count upon players to blend the right number of fruits to create a magic juice, so they can win trophies Kids will learn: Repeated addition as a foundation of multiplication Advanced addition and subtraction Number decomposition Analytical skills Osmo also offers a 4-box set featuring 4 Math Wizard titles ( Magical Workshop, Secrets of the Dragons, Amazing Airships and Enchanted World Games ) and includes a base for iPad or Fire ( retail $236 at playosmo.com and Amazon.com). The fifth title in the Math Wizard series will debut in Fall 2021. Praised By Parents & Teachers; Math is a Critical Life Skill “ Math Wizard couldn’t have come at a better time! Since we are distance learning, the kids could use the extra hands on help with math. The creative story lines and fun physical items made teaching math concepts fun! The layout was similar to how they teach common core in school so that was extremely helpful.” Jenielle Chaney, parent, Orange County, California “ Math Wizard is helping my students to subitize basic addition problems. They love to get their turns making potions and that makes them love addition and subtraction. The visual of using tens and ones is also reinforcing place value. Both basic addition and understanding place value are key foundations to success in learning mathematics in the future. To have a successful life, you have to have basic math skills. Math is used in just about every aspect of life.” Zandra Clay, first grade teacher, Lockhart, Texas “In my opinion, math is definitely a critical life skill. Through math, students are able to analyze options, make decisions, and find new ways of thinking and problem-solving. These skills are needed for day-to-day activities....” Alexa Brown, elementary school teacher, Alma, Alabama Additional teacher feedback here. About Osmo Osmo is an award-winning STEAM brand whose products are used in over 30,000 classrooms and 2.5 million homes. It is building a universe of hands-on play experiences that nourish the minds of children by unleashing the power of imagination. The company brings physical tools into the digital world through augmented reality and its proprietary reflective artificial intelligence. Founded in 2013 by ex-Google engineers Pramod Sharma and Jerome Scholler, the Osmo Play System fuses digital gameplay and physical interaction to create fun and nutritious play experiences designed for all kids. Osmo is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. Learn more at playosmo.com. iPad & Fire Compatibility for Math Wizard Contact Details Karen O'Dell +1 310-251-0550 karen@playosmo.com Company Website http://www.playosmo.com

May 06, 2021 04:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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Graphic novel tackles disinformation around COVID-19 Vaccine and critical 5G infrastructure

Stockwood Strategy

Sophisticated social media campaigns sponsored by bad state actors are responsible for creating and spreading disinformation around the critical Covid-19 Vaccine and emerging infrastructure such as 5G technology for communications. Erly Stage Studios has today published Bug Bytes, the digital graphic novel, which sheds a light on the disruptive forces at work. This book is the second installment of the graphic novels that are a part of the Resilience Series commissioned by the US Cyber Infrastructure and Security Agency (CISA). Bug Bytes will inform and educate people on the dangers and risks associated with dis- and mis- information through fictional stories inspired by real-world events. In Bug Bytes, readers will meet the protagonist Ava Williams, a journalist and academic, patriot and member of Symous - a group fighting disinformation and foreign interference in elections as polling day approaches. Ava’s life gets tangled up in a web of lies as her father, a 5G technician gets hurt and she works to understand what a seemingly innocent poll online related to 5G technology has to do with the 5G Vaccine? Ava is surprised by the reaction of the anti-vaccination community at what is proven to be engineered data and has the unenviable task of making the case to the public at large for how they can be weary on data online with unproven provenance. Farid Haque, founder and CEO of Erly Stage Studios commented: “We’re delighted to have been commissioned by CISA to create a practical and engaging communication tool that highlights the existential threat of disinformation in the context of bad state actors. While the story is fictional many of the approaches shown are very much grounded in the reality of the technology we live with and are exposed to almost daily.” Bug Bytes provides a unique education for the reader about the world of social media and how digital resources can be hijacked to serve a more nefarious agenda. The ability for foreign bad state actors to weld this kind of influence on another nation is unprecedented as is their ability to twist and manipulate a narrative to use domestic groups to do their bidding. The work helps the reader understand the need to exercise care when it comes to consuming news and information via social media platforms and online sources of information. In the story, Ava Williams and a team of patriots are racing against the clock to shine a spotlight on the source of disinformation engineered to hurt critical communication infrastructure and damage the Vaccine roll-out efforts. Ava’s investigative journalism leads her through the metaverse to find allies and discovers through hard graft that foreign actors are tinkering with public data to maliciously mislead and influence perceptions of 5G as a communications technology and its fabricated link to vaccine effectiveness. “Bug Bytes is the culmination of the wealth of experience that Clint Watts brings in cyber warfare and disinformation and our studio’s creative direction and storytelling style. We spent months researching the real life incidents and then wrapped them into a fictional story” added Farid Haque. The graphic novel is being made available by CISA to the general public online as a free resource as the Covid19 vaccine roll out continues to have an impact across the United States and the world at large. The work is available for free for the public and media to read at the following URL: https://www.cisa.gov/cfi-resilience-series-graphic-novels. A first title in the series was released a few months earlier last year ahead of the US elections titled Real Fakes. Watch this space and log back into https://publishing.erlystagestudios.com/ to learn more. Contributing artists to Bug Bytes include: Jose Niño Galenzoga, Patricia Beja, Mona Shan and Joel Santiago. Lettering and layouts by Komal N. and Haroon M. Story by Clint Watts and Farid Haque, supported by the script writing team which includes Michael Gianfrancesco and Kabir Sabharwal. Edited by Tolly M. and Laila Khan. Special thanks to Randall Heather and Max Brooks. Erly Stage Studios is an indie publisher, headquartered out of London, United Kingdom, capturing iconic stories in serious graphic novels. We are an expert team of educators, storytellers, and artists working to create awareness about important topics using the graphic novel medium. The team loves shining a spotlight on stories that are yet to see the light of graphic novels. As an expert team of teachers, researchers and designers the team works with innovative organisations and policymakers around the world to deliver soft power through engaging and creative projects. Contact Details Erly Stage Studios Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://publishing.erlystagestudios.com/

May 06, 2021 05:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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