[Digital_Divide] LeapFrog and Sylvan

[bridging_the_divide at touchsmart.net]

LeapFrog and Educate Team Up to Create New Pre-K Through Grade 12 
Retail Learning Center Network

Tuesday December 21, 8:02 am ET

Leading Education Technology Products Maker and Sylvan Learning Center 
Parent to Launch Up to 20 Learning Centers With New Pilot Program

EMERYVILLE, Calif. and BALTIMORE, Md., Dec. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ 
-- LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE: LF - News), a leading designer, 
developer and marketer of innovative, technology-based educational 
products, and Educate, Inc. (Nasdaq: EEEE - News), a leading pre-K 
through 12th grade education services company and parent of Sylvan 
Learning Center and Catapult Learning, today announced a new business 
partnership. The two education companies are joining forces on a pilot 
program to create a network of branded retail learning centers that 
will deliver an affordable, high quality, fun, learning experience to 
thousands of pre-K to grade 12 students throughout the country.

Through this partnership, LeapFrog and Educate will open up to 20 
learning centers throughout the country in the next two years. The 
parties will leverage Educate's 25 years of tutoring and education 
experience in its Sylvan Learning Center business with LeapFrog's 
innovative educational technology products, including the LeapTrack® 
Assessment & Instruction System, to create an affordable, innovative 
and engaging learning center model. The new learning centers will offer 
a range of research-based, educational services for pre-K to grade 12 
students.

This new learning center model will be grounded in basic academic 
subjects, including reading, language arts, and math, with services 
being delivered using an approach which students will find interesting 
and entertaining. Educate, directly and through its Sylvan Learning 
Center franchise system, will operate the retail learning centers and 
provide the educational structure and service format along with 
business systems and methodologies. A combination of LeapFrog's 
consumer products and SchoolHouse(TM) instructional programs will be 
licensed by Educate.

"Our collective vision is to build a leading network of affordable 
learning centers that will supplement children's educational needs in 
positive and fun ways," said Tom Kalinske, chief executive officer, 
LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. "We are excited to create this pre-K through 
12th grade learning center network with Educate -- bringing together 
our world-class products with their educational strengths and 
operational excellence."

"In today's knowledge economy, more and more parents are investing in 
education, to give their children the best start possible," said Chris 
Hoehn-Saric, chairman and chief executive officer, Educate, Inc. "We 
are meeting this growing demand by expanding our offerings to serve 
students of all ages, in all communities, at a variety of price points, 
with a variety of services. That is why we are excited about teaming up 
with LeapFrog to offer parents a new choice in affordable, fun, 
learning services. These new centers will help young students improve 
core learning skills by combining LeapFrog's innovative instructional 
approach with the high quality learning experience that has been 
Educate's hallmark for 25 years."

With consumer spending for education continuing to grow, the 
LeapFrog/Educate venture will provide consumers with a broader 
selection of affordable education services at convenient locations in a 
variety of communities around the country.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/041221/nytu045_1.html

---

Jason Barkeloo
President
TouchSmart Publishing
6522 Waldorf Place
Cincinnati, OH  45230
http://www.touchsmart.net
t: 513.225.8765
f: 206.666.4856

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