New York, NY (October 21, 2020) – Classroom, Inc., a nonprofit that helps students develop literacy and leadership skills, today announced new support from AT&T to deliver innovative distance learning resources to thousands more educators and students through their Read to Lead program.

Read to Lead is a free, game-based learning platform that gives middle school youth the opportunity to “be the boss” in virtual workplaces. The $50,000 contribution accelerates Classroom, Inc.’s efforts to scale its support of educators, families and students in high-need communities as they face challenges in the wake of the pandemic.

The impact of COVID-19 accentuates the needs that educators and families have for accessible, proven, easy-to-use distance-learning tools. When schools across the country closed in response to the pandemic, Read to Lead launched distance-learning resources that provided teachers with action plans, daily implementation schedules, printable and off-line lessons and activities and short videos on how to use the free platform as an effective tool in any learning environment.

Recognizing that many parents and caregivers lack the experience to support distance learning, Classroom, Inc. also created a Family Portal that includes a collection of easy-to-use resources, videos, tutorials and guides on how to implement Read to Lead in a home-learning setting. 

AT&T’s support is making it possible for Classroom, Inc. to create and deliver new content designed to support effective models of distance learning. Through this contribution, Classroom, Inc. improved the experience and usability of its most popular learning game, Vital Signs, while maintaining the research-based learning model and impact.

Educators shared that the new learning experience provides more opportunities for personalized instruction to reinforce literacy skills using actionable game data, as well as time for collaborative activities – and this flexible model is particularly needed in the context of distance learning. 

“When it became clear that COVID-19 would have a profound impact on education, we launched a $10M plan to help educators, students and families make the transition to teaching through distance learning,” said Anne Wintroub, Director of Social Innovation for the AT&T Foundation.

“AT&T is committed to stepping forward and helping students, educators and families during this unprecedented time, and we’re proud to support Classroom, Inc. as they help students learn more effectively and help caregivers and families get the support they need.”

As students across the country continue to face school closures and risk significant learning loss, Read to Lead offers a proven learning model for educators and families to support students’ in-school and at-home learning needs.

By making students the boss of a virtual workplace, Read to Lead gives young people the opportunity to read closely, make decisions, think critically and solve problems—improving their literacy and 21st-century career skills. The program helps thousands of students ‘be the boss’ as they learn from home—developing academic, social-emotional and career skills in a fun and engaging way. 

“This support from AT&T will accelerate our efforts to support distance learning during this challenging time, allowing us to provide our free and proven learning tools and supports to 4,800 educators to help keep their over 75,000 students learning,” said Christina Oliver, Executive Director of Classroom, Inc. “We’re honored to receive this funding and remain dedicated to meeting the need for high-quality, no-cost distance learning resources to serve our communities most in-need right now.”

Read to Lead is an award-winning learning platform recognized as a finalist for the 2020 EdTech Digest Cool Tools Awards. It is a proven learning model that empowers students to become the next generation of readers and leaders through immersive learning games.

After using Read to Lead, more than 80% of students surveyed expressed confidence in decision making, problem solving, critical thinking, self-direction and initiative, and leadership and collaboration.

In addition to being freely accessible through the Read to Lead website, the games are distributed nationwide through partnerships with PBS Learning Media and BrainPOP. To learn more about Read to Lead and sign up for a free account, visit rtlgames.org.

About Classroom, Inc.

Classroom, Inc. is an edtech nonprofit that uses game-based learning to empower middle school students to develop their literacy, life, and career skills. It’s Read to Lead program is a game-based learning platform that invites students to ‘be the boss’ in a virtual workplace.

Students must read closely, think critically, lead a diverse team, and solve complex problems. The no-cost learning games and curriculum provide educators with a proven model for developing academic and 21st-century skills. Classroom, Inc. has impacted more than 1 million students across all 50 states in its 28-year history.

To learn more, visit www.rtlgames.org

About AT&T Communications

We help family, friends and neighbors connect in meaningful ways every day. From the first phone call 140+ years ago to mobile video streaming, we innovate to improve lives. We have the nation’s fastest wireless network. And according to America’s biggest test, we have the nation’s best wireless network.

We’re building FirstNet® just for first responders and creating next-generation mobile 5G. With a range of TV and video products, we deliver entertainment people love to talk about. Our smart, highly secure solutions serve nearly 3 million global businesses – nearly all of the Fortune 1000. And worldwide, our spirit of service drives employees to give back to their communities.

AT&T Communications is part of AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T). Learn more at att.com/CommunicationsNews.

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Media Contact
Nick Haynes
nhaynes@classroominc.org
212-545-8400