BOSTON,
MA - February
26, 2007 - The Massachusetts State House
will be noiser than usual this Monday at 4pm - as kids from
across the Commonwealth descend on the oldest building on Beacon
Hill with some very new ideas. FableVision, the award-winning
Boston-based media and interactive developer & publisher, is
launching a set of Boston-based events designed to inspire young
people to be among America’s next great entrepreneurs and innovators.
Part of EntrepreneurshipWeek USA - a global initiative
sponsored by the Kauffman Foundation - the eWeek
Boston kick-off events will include inspirational talks
by best-selling author/illustrator Peter H. Reynolds
at the Massachusetts State House., The State House kick-off
will take place at 4pm on February 26th. Officials
from newly elected Governor Patrick Deval will participate,
including Ron Bell, Director of the Governor’s Office
of Civic Engagement.
Running Feb. 24 – March 3, 2007, the EntrepreneurshipWeek
USA initiative is designed to serve as an inspiration for young
people to think creatively and to turn their ideas into action
– whether that means starting a new business, developing an
innovation for an existing company or solving a problem that
makes society better.
FableVision has partnered with a number of organizations in
the Boston area to celebrate Entrepreneurship Week – with a
special Boston focus on middle school students. With assistance
from the Office of Governor Deval Patrick, FableVision
has created a consortium of eWeek partners that include Harvard
University’s Technology & Entrepreneurship Center, Citizen
Schools, and The Daniel Marr Boys & Girls Club.
As part of the eWeek events, the group is helping coordinate
the “Making Our Mark – The Big Dot” day, featuring award-winning
author/illustrator Peter
H. Reynolds (THE DOT, ISH, JUDY MOODY), who will speak to
students both in a Dorchester after school program and at the
State House. Plans include modeling and mentoring sessions with
graduate students from Harvard University’s Technology &
Entrepreneurship Center, and graduates from the renowned
Citizen Schools apprenticeship program.
Students at these events, and around the Commonwealth, will
be invited to paint their own dots – labeled with their name
and dreams to “make their mark” – that will be used to build
world’s largest kid-created dot. The resulting giant dot will
be on public display in Boston in the coming months and will
attempt to be listed with the Guinness Book of World Records.
Peter H. Reynolds’ books, films and talks, about navigating
one’s true potential - no matter what the obstacles - have touched
millions around the world. For example, the Mexican government
recently bought 200,000 copies of THE DOT and ISH
Spanish editions for every classroom in Mexico.
“We are delighted with the leadership and expertise that FableVision,
brings to EntrepreneurshipWeek USA as a program partner,” said
Carl Schramm, president and CEO of the Kauffman Foundation.
“Educating our young people about entrepreneurship and reinforcing
the value that entrepreneurs and innovators bring to our economy
is critical to America’s long-term prosperity – more so now
than ever before.”
President of FableVision Paul Reynolds agrees, pointing
out, “The Partnership For 21st Century Skills has outlined the
skills that students must have to compete in an increasingly
competitive global economy – and they include financial, economic,
business literacy, and entrepreneurship skills.” Reynolds adds,
“Our Boston events are designed to inspire the bravery and creativity
required to foster the entrepreneurial spirit, so that those
skills have a chance to take root.”
EntrepreneurshipWeek USA is sponsored by the Ewing Marion
Kauffman Foundation and by government, not-for-profit organizations
and businesses, including The New York Times and Inc.
magazine. Additionally, the House of Representatives
enacted Resolution HR 699 in early June in support of
this national entrepreneurship week.
FableVision (www.fablevision.com)
is a on a 200-year mission to bring the world to a better place
through media, storytelling and technology. With new headquarters
at The Boston Children’s Museum in Boston, and offices
in Portland, Oregon and London, the FableVision team enjoys
an international reputation for its unique brand of innovative,
technology-delivered storytelling and learning, which include
K12 software product offerings (Stationery Studio, BrainCogs,
Essay Express, Get A Clue) distributed around the globe.
FableVision’s partners and clients include PBS, Corporation
for Public Broadcasting, Sesame Workshop, Scholastic, Nickelodeon/Noggin,
the Jim Henson Company, KCET, Carnegie Hall, National Academy
of Sciences, WGBH, Random House, Simon & Schuster, Pearson Education,
the Research Institute for Learning & Development, Learning.com
and Boston University.
For more information on the Making Our Mark! Boston Event,
explore http://www.fablevision.com/eweek
.
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FableVision,
Inc.
Dawn Haley Morton
Mission Specialist
phone: 888.240.3734
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