School Specialty Joins the Esteemed P21 Coalition

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21) today announced that it has welcomed School Specialty, Inc. , a leading distributor of supplies, furniture and both curriculum and supplemental learning resources to the education marketplace, as its newest member.  School Specialty joins P21’s unique coalition of business, community and education leaders, as well as policymakers working together to prepare students along the entire spectrum of 21st Century Learning.

As a leading provider of innovative 21st Century Learning products across a wide range of areas, School Specialty delivers comprehensive support to teachers and students.  The Company will leverage its expertise to help advance P21’s mission to bring educational experiences that build the knowledge and skills of all learners for success in their careers, life and global citizenship. School Specialty, through essential supplies, curriculum materials, furniture, and equipment resources, supports the fusing of the 4Cs: Collaboration, Communication, Creative thinking and Critical Thinking, with the essential subjects. Connecting the 4Cs to all facets of instruction and learning is at the core of P21’s work.

Andrea Johnson, Director of Marketing, Furniture & Equipment and Early Childhood at School Specialty, commented on today’s news, “We are very excited to join the P21 coalition and know that our unique perspective will serve to enhance the organization’s mission.  School Specialty brings a broad knowledge base for 21st Century Learning objectives across various environments and curriculum areas such as physical education, early childhood, art education, science, and math.  It has been our charge to deliver products and programs that service the progressive needs of all students, ensuring they are prepared for leadership and success in an increasingly competitive global economy.  To this end, it seemed only natural that we collaborate with P21 in support of their immensely vital work for the advancement of 21st Century Learning skills.  Our School Specialty team is extremely honored to take an active role in the organization.”

As a new member, School Specialty’s leaders will lend their considerable expertise to P21’s working groups:

• Ginny Streckewald, Subject Matter Expert for Early Learning, will join the Early Learning Working Group, which develops standards for hands-on learning and early exposure of young students to the 4Cs.
• Andrea Johnson, Director of Marketing – Early Childhood and F&E, will join the Communications Group, which develops relevant messaging, talking points, and outreach opportunities on the work of P21 and the impact of 21st Century Learning.
• Bryan Shark, Director of Business Development & Innovation, will serve as School Specialty’s representative on P21’s Strategic Council, as well as on the Global Workforce Readiness Group, aimed at helping classrooms foster new digital workplace skills for 21st century careers.
• David Quist, Director of Sales – E-tailing, will serve on the Beyond School Working Group, which focuses on engaging student learning both inside and outside the classroom, through afterschool programs, summer camps, internships, and more.

David Ross, Chief Executive Officer of P21, commented, “School Specialty brings incredible insight and experience in the education sector, and we are thrilled to have the Company onboard as an official member of P21.  We are especially excited to welcome Ms. Streckewald, Ms. Johnson, Mr. Shark and Mr. Quist to their respective working groups, and know that they will utilize their tremendous expertise to advance our important work.  Success in the 21st Century requires students to develop attitudes, skills and knowledge that will prepare them for achievements in and beyond the classroom, and School Specialty’s commitment to empowering all learners through innovative approaches to education aligns with P21’s mission.  We look forward to collaborating with the team to further support and inspire learning for years to come.”

About School Specialty, Inc. School Specialty is a leading distributor of innovative and proprietary products, programs and services to the education marketplace. The Company designs, develops, and provides educators with the latest and very best school supplies, furniture and both curriculum and supplemental learning resources. Working in collaboration with educators, School Specialty reaches beyond the scope of textbooks to help teachers, guidance counselors and school administrators ensure that every student reaches his or her full potential. Through its SSI Guardian subsidiary, the Company is also committed to school, healthcare and corporate workplace safety by offering the highest quality curriculum, training and safety and security products. Finally, through its SOAR Life Products brand, the Company offers thousands of products that sharpen cognitive skills and build physical and mental strength in fun and creative ways. From childhood through adulthood, they help individuals live life to the fullest – engaged, happy and well.  SOAR Life Products is a customized offering for hospitals, long-term care, therapeutic facilities, home care, surgery centers, day care centers, physician offices, and clinics. For more information about School Specialty, visit www.schoolspecialty.com .

@SchoolSpecialty Connect with School Specialty on social media; search School Specialty on Facebook , Twitter , Instagram and Pinterest . For Ideas and resources, educational trends and inspiration for today’s educators – visit the Schoolyard blog.

About the Partnership for 21st Century Learning (P21):  P21 recognizes that all learners need educational experiences in school and beyond, from cradle to career, to build knowledge and skills for success in a globally and digitally interconnected world. Representing over 5 million members of the global workforce and over 2 million U.S. students in K-12, P21 is a catalyst organization uniting business, government, and education leaders from the U.S. and abroad to advance evidence-based education policy and practice and to make innovative teaching and learning a reality for all. Follow P21 on Twitter @P21Learning.

P21 Members:  American Camp Association, American Federation of Teachers, AT&T, Crayola, CreativeFuture, Destination Imagination, EF Education First, Education Networks of America, eLearning Solutions, Faber-Castell, First Five Years Fund, Fisher-Price, Ford Motor Company Fund, Future Problem Solving Program International, Goddard Systems Inc., High Performance Learning Environments, Inc., Intel Corporation, Learning.com, LEGO Education, Level Up Village, METEN, National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, National Education Association, National Speech and Debate Association, PBS, Pearson, People to People International, Playworld, Project Management Institute Educational Foundation, Qatar Foundation International, School Specialty, Inc., SKT Education Group, VIF International Education, and The Walt Disney Company.

Company Contacts: Andrea Johnson Director of Marketing – Early Childhood and F&E, School Specialty Tel: 920-740-2361 Email: andrea.johnson@schoolspecialty.com Lizzette Arias Program Coordinator, P21 Tel: 202-750-1362 Email: lizzette@p21.org Media Contacts: Glenn Wiener and Oliver Marsh GW Communications (for School Specialty) Tel: 212-786-6011 / 212-266-0227 Email: gwiener@GWCco.com / omarsh@GWCco.com