The new CGI Commitment to Action will help young learners from around the world develop language arts and STEM skills. (image: Korea Bizwire)
DALLAS, Sept. 9 (Korea Bizwire) — Clifford K. Chiu, a member of the Board of Directors of Cambium Learning® Group (NASDAQ:ABCD), made a Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Commitment to Action on “K–12 Learning through Global Connectivity” today in partnership with PenPal Schools. This effort will help young learners from around the world develop language arts and STEM skills while engaging them in topics related to culture, human rights, environmental sustainability, and health.
Specifically, this new CGI Commitment to Action promises to promote skills development in language arts and STEM, and facilitate cross-cultural collaboration for 250,000 learners (targeting 51 percent girls) in schools and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) located in the United States and Greater China, Korea, and India over the next three years. Chiu and PenPal Schools hope to partner with other global CGI members to reach learners across Africa, South America, and other developing regions, and to jointly develop curriculum, communications hardware, technology software, and data analytics.
Founded in 2011, PenPal Schools has been recognized as a leader in global education and online collaboration. The company currently connects more than 70,000 students in more than 70 countries to learn together and share perspectives through free online exchanges guided by high-quality curriculum.
“My 2015 CGI commitment to K–12 Learning through Global Connectivity will serve as a catalyst for uniting young learners around essential educational content for business today through scalable technology,” said Mr. Chiu, a retired Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) & Co. partner and current corporate director and senior advisor in Hong Kong and Austin, Texas. “It helps to fulfill my lifelong passion for embracing and empowering the isolated and underserved population in Asia.”
“We look forward to working with Clifford as well as partner organizations to provide excellent learning opportunities for students both in the U.S. and abroad,” said PenPal Schools Founder Joe Troyen. “Through this commitment to action we will not only help students in underserved populations to develop essential skills, but we’ll also broaden students’ world views and foster greater international understanding and collaboration.”
About Clifford K. Chiu
Mr. Clifford K. Chiu is a corporate director and private investment firm senior advisor, as well as a board or committee appointee to government bodies and non-governmental organizations in financial services, health care, education, social welfare, and the arts located in the United States and Hong Kong. A retired partner in 2014 at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. who founded and led capital raising and investor relations for the Asia Pacific region, Mr. Chiu is currently a member of the Market Development Committee of Financial Services Development Council, Hong Kong. He is a director of Cambium Learning Group (NASDAQ:ABCD), as well as Misys plc and Tibco Software Inc. (two portfolio companies of Vista Equity Partners) and a senior advisor to Neuberger Berman Group in the U.S. and Hong Kong.
Now with residence in Austin, Texas and Hong Kong, he is a director of the St. James Settlement, a member of the finance or investment committees of the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority and the Seton Healthcare Family and a partner/mentor of technology incubator, The Capital Factory, as well as on the global advisory board of the Weingarten Learning Resources Center of the University of Pennsylvania and University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where in 2015 he was also appointed the first “distinguished executive-in-residence” at its new Hong Kong campus.
About PenPal Schools
PenPal Schools is an online learning community where more than 70,000 learners in more than 70 countries connect to discover other cultures, learn about global issues, and practice foreign languages. Learners of all ages connect through 1:1 online exchanges guided by high-quality interactive curriculum. The company has won multiple international awards and was recognized by the President of the United States as one of the world’s leading social impact companies. Learn more at penpalschools.com, connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or visit our headquarters in Austin, Texas.
About the Clinton Global Initiative
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), an initiative of the Clinton Foundation, convenes global leaders to create and implement solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together 190 sitting and former heads of state, more than 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. To date, members of the CGI community have made more than 3,200 Commitments to Action, which have improved the lives of over 430 million people in more than 180 countries.
In addition to the Annual Meeting, CGI convenes CGI America, a meeting focused on collaborative solutions to economic recovery in the United States; and CGI University (CGI U), which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to address pressing challenges in their community or around the world. This year, CGI also convened CGI Middle East & Africa, which brought together leaders across sectors to take action on pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges.
For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.
About Cambium Learning Group, Inc.
Cambium Learning® Group is a leading educational solutions and services company committed to helping all students reach their full potential. Cambium Learning accomplishes this goal by providing evidence-based solutions and expert professional services to empower educators and raise the achievement levels of all students. The company is composed of four business units: Learning A-Z™ (www.learninga-z.com), ExploreLearning® (www.explorelearning.com), Kurzweil Education™ (www.kurzweiledu.com), and Voyager Sopris Learning™ (www.voyagersopris.com). Together, these business units provide breakthrough technology solutions for online learning and professional support; best-in-class intervention and supplemental instructional materials; gold-standard professional development and school-improvement services; valid and reliable assessments; and proven materials to support a positive and safe school environment. Cambium Learning Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABCD), is based in Dallas, Texas. For more information, please visit www.cambiumlearning.com.
Media Contacts:
Sandy Stone
Cambium Learning Group, Inc.
800.547.6747
sandy.stone@voyagersopris.com
Crystal Germond
PenPal Schools, Inc.
210.504.5320
crystal@penpalschools.com
Investor Contact
Cambium Learning Group, Inc.
Barbara Benson, CFO
Source: Cambium Learning Group via GLOBE NEWSWIRE
