Educational Program Helps Combat Summer Learning Loss in Fun, Convenient Way
Company Offers Scholarship Program to Ensure All Students Have Access to Online Academy
SAN FRANCISCO, May 19, 2010 — Grockit (www.grockit.com), a social network for studying that uses collaborative learning and develops adaptive programs for students, announced today the launch of its Summer Enrichment Academy, an online summer learning program for students in grades 8-12. Students experience a serious degradation of knowledge called “summer learning loss” when they do not engage in educational activities during the break between the school year, and the Summer Enrichment Academy helps students avoid this phenomenon.
Through the application of social networking and online gaming technology, the Summer Enrichment Academy helps make learning fun and creates an engaging way for students to master academic skills. The program is aligned to national and state education standards and allows students to study subjects such as English Language Arts, pre-Algebra, Algebra I and II, Geometry, Calculus, Probability and Statistics, Trigonometry and Pre-Calculus. The Summer Enrichment Academy is convenient, flexible and affordable. It is offered online so students can participate based on their individual schedules and is only $79.99 for the entire summer if students enroll before June 15th.
“It is no surprise that when students spend more time studying, they learn more and get higher test scores and grades. Grockit was created to encourage students to continue their academic pursuits outside the classroom by making learning fun and collaborative,” said Farb Nivi, CEO, Grockit. “The Summer Enrichment Academy leverages these principals by allowing students to take advantage of the summer months while studying with peers in a very fun and convenient way – wherever they are, and whenever they feel like it.”
On average, students lose 2.6 months of grade-level equivalency in mathematical computation skills and almost as much in reading skills over the summer break. Research shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of summer vacation.
“Summer learning loss is a real problem for students in this country and collectively puts them at an educational disadvantage compared to the rest of the industrialized world,” said Mark Bielang, superintendent of Paw Paw Public Schools and president of the American Association of School Administrators. “Summer learning programs such as Grockit’s Summer Enrichment Academy allow students to retain the knowledge they have gained during the school year and position them for continued learning and growth.”
The Summer Enrichment Academy offers:
- Quick and Comprehensive Online Diagnosis – Parents can quickly diagnose their child’s academic strengths and weaknesses from automatically-generated reports pinpointing their child’s academic strengths and needs by specific skill.
- Customized Curriculum – With just a few clicks parents can create a customized curriculum that will focus on the skills their child needs to work on most and further challenge them in the skills in which they excel.
- 24/7 Access to Grockit Group Study – Here students practice with, learn from, and compete with up to 100,000 motivated students using live chat.
- 24/7 Access to Grockit Independent Practice – Students can work independently answering questions against the clock. After each session and for the entire summer students have the opportunity to review the questions they got wrong with a detailed expert explanation.
- Instructor-Led Lessons – Students can work with the highest rated Grockit instructors in live online groups and one-on-one classes for an additional fee, but a fraction of the cost of traditional offline tutoring.
- Detailed Progress Reports – Each month parents will receive a report of their child’s activity, their progress, and a detailed view of their academic strengths and weaknesses by specific skill.
Grockit is offering scholarships for the Summer Enrichment Program for students enrolled in the National School Lunch Program. As low-income children experience significantly greater summer learning losses than their higher income peers, Grockit wants to ensure that each student has the opportunity to get ahead and learn. For more information on the scholarship program please visit: http://grockit.com/summeracademy/scholarship
About Grockit
Grockit was founded in 2007 to leverage the social benefits of the Internet, improve academic achievement and to extend learning outside of the classroom. Through the application of social networking and online gaming technology, the Grockit learning platform offers students a fun and engaging way to master academic skills and to prepare for standardized tests. The diagnostic, prescriptive and adaptive nature of the platform ensures that each student receives an individualized learning experience. Grockit was founded by Farb Nivi, a former Princeton Review Teacher of the Year and academic director at Kaplan. Headquartered in San Francisco, Grockit is funded by Atlas Venture, Benchmark Capital and Integral Capital Partners and angel investors including Reid Hoffman (founder, LinkedIn) and Mark Pincus (founder and CEO, Zynga). For more information, please visit www.grockit.com.
