GREENVILLE, Wis., April 20, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — School Specialty, Inc. (OTCQB:SCOO) (“School Specialty”, “SSI” or “the Company”), a leading distributor of supplies, furniture and both curriculum and supplemental learning resources to the education, healthcare and other marketplaces, is excited to join with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), as part of the national Week of the Young Child™ (April 24-28, 2017), in honoring children and all those who make a difference in their lives.
Week of the Young Child™, organized by NAEYC, is an opportunity for early childhood programs across the country, including child care and Head Start programs, preschools, and elementary schools, to hold activities that bring awareness to the needs of young children. Young children and their families depend on high-quality education and care, which provide a great start and bring lasting benefits to communities. Week of the Young Child™ is a special time to recognize the importance of early learning and early literacy, and to celebrate the teachers and policies that advance early childhood education.
“All young children need and deserve high-quality, 21st century safe learning experiences that will prepare them to be successful leaders in life, work and as citizens. School Specialty through its early childhood education brand, Childcraft®, is honored for this significant occasion to do our part in supporting young children,” said Soren Sofhauser, Director of Early Childhood Sales. “Inspiring young minds and hearts in the earliest years by providing a sound education and care is an important challenge and opportunity. School Specialty is committed to delivering comprehensive educational solutions – in every subject area – that ensure all students, from the start, reach their full potential. Childcraft is proud to sponsor the Week of the Young Child™ with NAEYC and we look forward to growing our partnership for years to come.”
As part of the week of celebration, School Specialty and Childcraft will share insights that spark an idea or support a special activity. The Company will celebrate each day with lesson plans, thought-leadership articles and views from subject-matter experts that will help make the week a meaningful occasion for educators and their students. In particular, School Specialty will observe April 27th as “Artsy Thursday”, with a focus on developing children’s creativity, social skills and fine motor skills through open-ended art projects where they can make choices, use their imagination and create with their hands. On Artsy Thursday, educators and families will be encouraged to celebrate the joy of learning that children experience when engaged in creative art making – using any materials, including crayons, paint, clay and crafts.
Andrea Johnson, School Specialty’s Director of Marketing – Early Childhood and Furniture & Equipment added, “We’re passionate about art education and inspiring student creativity from an early age. Through Sax®, our premier arts and crafts brand, we provide a wide assortment of art making supplies to support innovative programs for little learners. We understand the importance of providing a young child the path to exploration, cognitive learning and creativity. We also recognize that it is about the process, where children are motivated to be in tune with their sensory feelings, and not the finished product. In celebration of Artsy Thursday, we welcome and look forward to teachers sharing photos of their students’ creations on NAEYC’s Facebook page or Twitter using the #woyc17 hashtag.”
School Specialty takes pride in being an Affiliate of NAEYC, the largest organization of early childhood educators and others dedicated to improving the quality of early education programs for children from birth through age 8. Founded in 1926, NAEYC has nearly 65,000 members and a national network of more than 300 local, state, and regional Affiliates. With a full selection of early childhood educational products, including furniture, manipulatives and games, School Specialty’s Childcraft offering has helped educators create complete and effective learning environments for more than 70 years. The end-to-end assortment of high-quality, safe and developmentally appropriate products support early learning standards and educational outcomes for children from birth through grade 2. School Specialty continues to work closely with NAEYC to meet the needs of all children by building crucial “C” learning skills – communication, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and character building – for the 21st century.
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.
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CONTACT: Company Contact: Andrea Johnson Director of Marketing – Early Childhood and F&E Tel: 920-740-2361 Email: [email protected] Media Contacts: Glenn Wiener and Dionne Manchester GW Communications (for School Specialty) Tel: 212-786-6011 / 212-786-6068 Email: [email protected] / [email protected]