Durham, N.C., Dec. 7, 2011 - The alignment of Shodor's mission to improve math and science education through the effective use of modeling and simulation technologies, and the mission of the Kramden Institute to empower students by providing them with home computers, seems only natural. Both organizations are working to spread the use of technology and computational science in their local communities, doing so through outreach programs and educational resources.

 

By restoring recycled computers, Kramden has awarded more than 9,000 refurbished computers to students in grades 3-12 who have been nominated by a teacher for being academically motivated and who do not already have a computer in their home.

 

Beginning in January 2012, prior to being handed to clients, a version of Shodor's Interactivate software will be pre-loaded onto each of the more than 2,200 computers Kramden awards to students each year.

 

"We're thrilled for Kramden and Shodor to partner together and make a real impact in helping economically disadvantaged students bridge the digital divide across North Carolina," said Kramden executive director Michael Abensour.

 

This will not only provide students with the physical capabilities to further their academic careers, but also will supply them with educational resources that can be used in conjunction with their academic coursework.

 

"Shodor focuses on content, and Kramden provides a way for students to get a computer to use that content to learn and to explore math and science. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to work together to promote learning for more of the area's students," said Dr. Robert Panoff, Shodor executive director.

 

About Shodor

A national resource for computational science education, Shodor is located in Durham, N.C., and serves students and educators nationwide. In addition to developing and deploying interactive models, simulations, and educational tools, Shodor serves students and educators directly through workshops and other hands-on experiences.

 

Shodor offers innovative workshops, helping faculty and teachers incorporate computational science into their own curricula or programs. For students from middle school through undergraduate levels of education, Shodor offers workshops, apprenticeships, internships, and off-site programs that explore new approaches to math and science education through computational science.

 

Time and time again, Shodor has been recognized as a national leader and a premier resource in the effective us of computers to improve both math and science education.

 

Shodor also is a partner in the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery (XSEDE) project, a five-year $121 million high performance computing project funded by the National Science Foundation. XSEDE lowers the barriers to HPC access and provides resources, tools, education, and support to enhance productivity as it facilitates scientific discoveries.

 

About Kramden Institute

Kramden Institute began as a father-and-son project in a Durham basement in 2003. Since then, Kramden and its 4,000+ volunteers have awarded more than 9,000 computers to students in 54 North Carolina counties. Kramden aims to award more than 2,200 computers this year alone to deserving recipients chosen by area teachers and school administrators. Computer equipment comes from both corporate and individual donors. Any donated equipment not used to support Kramden's program is properly recycled.

 

Visit Kramden's website for information on location, equipment donations, volunteer opportunities, corporate teambuilding workdays, etc., or contact Kramden Institute by phone at 919-293-1133, or Michael Abensour, executive director, by email at mabensour@kramden.org.

 

For more information:

www.shodor.org

www.kramden.org

 

CONTACT:

Hillary Stoker

hstoker@shodor.org

919-530-1911