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Minuteman Press International Founder & CEO Bob Titus Reflects on 50 Years in Business

Minuteman Press International Inc

In 2023, Minuteman Press International is proud to celebrate 50 years in business! The first Minuteman Press center opened in Plainview, NY in 1973. Roy Titus, founder of Minuteman Press along with his son Bob Titus, decided to open the shop after running a successful operation for Parent’s Magazine. While working with other printers for Parent’s Magazine, Roy realized that the printing industry was a huge market that had untapped potential. In 1973, that first Plainview shop served as a quick printing operation that filled the need for 1-color, short-run orders that needed to be done fast. From there, Roy tapped into the potential of the industry, creating the first one-stop Minuteman Press design, marketing, and printing center. Products and capabilities expanded, and over the past 50 years, Minuteman Press has continued to be at the forefront of the printing industry as leaders and innovators. It all started with that first Plainview shop in 1973, where Roy, along with his son Bob and childhood friends Jim Galasso and Dave Scadin, laid the foundation for the worldwide franchisor that Minuteman Press International is today. Bob Titus, who remains our CEO today, shares his thoughts, experiences, and memories of what it was like laying the groundwork in 1973. What was it like working in the Plainview shop in 1973? Bob Titus: “Jimmy Galasso and I ran the shop together, and a couple of months later we brought in Dave Scadin. I have known both of them since I was 6-years-old. I came home from college, and Jimmy was working at a sporting goods store. He came to our house and when my dad offered him the job, he said yes. We needed someone else down the road, and that’s when Dave joined us after working for the Town of Oyster Bay. Originally, Dave was making deliveries for us, but one day our press broke. Dave came into the shop and told us to get out of the way. He fixed the press and from that point forward he was our press operator. Over the years, we’ve had 36 people from Oyster Bay High School and St. Dominic’s High School work with us. It all stemmed from us as childhood friends working together and then expanding from there. It’s been an incredible ride.” What was it like working with your dad Roy Titus? How did you get started running the shop? Bob Titus: “My dad and I didn’t work in the shop together but he would come in and give us great ideas. He was really smart, and did things like start our marketing program and add pickup and delivery as a service to our customers. For me, this all started with my dad hiring an old-time printer named Tom, who taught me and Jimmy Galasso how to run the press and do bindery work. One day, a real estate customer came into the Plainview shop and my dad happened to be there. They wanted flyers printed and delivered down the street to their office once the job was done. Tom said we don’t do delivery, and my dad stepped in and said that yes, we’ll deliver the job once it’s finished. Tom said we wouldn’t want to get into delivery, and Roy disagreed. My dad saw this as a great service we could provide that would make it easy for customers to do business with us. He also decided that we don’t have to wait for customers to come in, and that we can go to the customers ourselves. At the time, the huge commercial printers were looking for home run clients, and they were not going door to door. We started going door to door, starting in the retail area, and we were picking up business.” “The two biggest things we did to really get the shop going strong were: Marketing to the customers, going to them and not waiting for them to come to us; Adding pickup and delivery options at a time where others just weren’t doing that. My dad always told us to never say no to the customer. No matter what the customer wants, get it for them.” -Bob Titus How did Minuteman Press originally grow from there into a franchise? Bob Titus: “First, our Plainview shop went from an AB Dick 1-color press to an older Multi-Graphic Press that really improved the quality of the work we were doing. When we opened the second Farmingdale store, we purchased a new Multi-Graphic Press along with our first 3M camera that lead to us implementing the franchise model for other shops. We found that the 3M company invented a plastic plate camera where the plastic plates would cost about the same as a paper platemaker. The plastic plates allowed for metal plate quality that wouldn’t stretch and allowed for 2-color printing. The salesman told us the camera could help us produce 2, 3, and 4-color printing with plastic plates that don’t stretch like paper plates, and he was right. The cameras did everything the salesman said they could do. We first hired Mike Jutt as our press operator for the Farmingdale shop, where we first used the press with the 3M camera. He did a great job and the Farmingdale center became the prototype for the Minuteman Press franchise. When we started franchising, we asked Mike to create the training program to teach the owners our system. He created and implemented the training program, and he’s done an absolutely fabulous job for 50 years. Mike ultimately became our Executive VP & Director of Training, and is still going strong today.” “I want to share one quick story from our Farmingdale shop. This speaks to the importance of being involved in the community and joining local clubs and organizations. At that time, Farmingdale merchants held their Hardscrabble Day. Families would come to the event and one year, they needed to hire a clown at the last minute. My dad volunteered to pay for the clown, who would blow up balloons for the kids and put smiles on their faces. The families were happy, the merchants saw us as saviors for stepping in to help, and many of them started using us for their printing. That $50 investment and ‘saving the day’ lead to a lot of business.” -Bob Titus “Because the press and camera worked so well in Farmingdale, my dad ordered another one for our Plainview shop, and then a third one. When the head honchos at 3M saw that we had purchased 3 cameras in 6 months, they paid us a visit to see what we were doing. On their end, they were having trouble selling the cameras because other printers were reluctant to change. They said we had a terrific idea for using these cameras and suggested we franchise. 3M really believed in our concept and our program, and so they offered financing to new owners. They allowed the owners to form a shell corporation so that they wouldn’t have personal liability. We then went to a franchise show at the NY Coliseum, just looking to put people into business in the Tri-State Area, and we would support those owners. At that show, we had one prospect who wanted to open in Boston, and another one who wanted to open in Los Angeles. At first, we said no to going out of state, but they were persistent. At that point, my dad reached out to six quality people who had worked for him in the past, who had sons that were around my age. My dad felt this would be a great business for a father and son, and he was able to hire them. He had them go to six different cities - Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, Atlanta, Denver, and Los Angeles – and hire a press operator. They ran these Minuteman Press shops with the press and 3M cameras, and followed our business model. Then, they franchised and supported the new stores that opened around them while also working in their own shops. As these cities expanded with more franchises, we could no longer run our own stores while supporting the new owners. That is when we made the decision to sell those original shops we owned and support the owners full-time. We had the press operator, the marketing person, and the regional vice president for those locations, and that’s how our local support teams were originally formed. Ultimately, we sold hundreds of 3M cameras, and they also were able to sell the ancillary materials needed for those cameras. This really helped us get going as a franchise, and the company-owned stores became profitable very quickly because of the new marketing program we introduced. As we generated more and more business and sold those satellite stores, that’s how we created the support teams that laid the groundwork for our regional teams today.” What are some the key ways that Minuteman Press has evolved over the years? Bob Titus: “One of the biggest changes we’ve ever made was when my dad introduced the royalty cap to our owners around 1977-78. The owners thought we were crazy, but what happened is that this really incentivized our owners to sell more and more. At the time, we saw owners who were making 15K/month at the time start selling 20, 30, 40K, 50K. My dad sent them a letter and told them to act as if you’re paying the full royalties, and use that money to reinvest and build the business. Many of our owners bought into this idea. They appreciated the royalty cap but also understood how important it was to hire that extra marketing person, or add that piece of equipment, etc.” Other key changes Bob noted are: We originally created manual price lists that went from 50 to 1,000 copies, for 1-color printing on 8.5 x 11, 8.5 x 14, or 11 x 17. Eventually, we decided to develop pricing software. Our original pricing software was on a Tandy 1000 from Radio Shack. It was developed by an owner in Dallas, Texas, who had a computer background and previously worked for EDS (Electronic Data Systems). We then hired IT people to create our first software program. This laid the groundwork and planted the seeds to what is the incredibly dynamic FLEX pricing and management software today. When copiers were invented in the 1970s, people wrongly predicted that all of the printers would go out of business. Instead, when Xerox machines were introduced, printers bought the machines and grew their sales. To this day, our partnerships with Xerox and Konica-Minolta have been a tremendous asset to our owners. Everything we’ve done / added from a products and services standpoint has worked. We would add new products based on what our owners would be farming out. That’s how we added apparel and promotional products, as it just made sense to add those based on what they were selling. Other key changes and points of growth include direct mail / EDDM, digital printing, wide format printing. “We started this business by filling a void for our clients. To this day, we continue to fill that void in different areas that make sense and meet their needs.” -Bob Titus Is there anything else you’d like to share? Bob Titus: “My dad was president of Minuteman Press for the first 20 years, and we were in pure growth mode in terms of opening new franchise locations. We expanded from the USA into Canada, and I even ran the Toronto office for two years. For the next 25 years of our history, I was president of the company. We expanded even further internationally to the UK, Australia, and South Africa. I felt that my job was to improve on existing services and add services that made the most sense for our owners. We would conduct studies and see what’s next, then implement new items to benefit our owners. Everything we did and still do, we always try to think of how we can best help them. For over 3 years now, my son Nick has been president of the company. He took over for me just 3 months before the pandemic. Looking back on it now, this is one of the best decisions we made to elevate him to president when we did. There is no way I could have carried us through the way he did. Everything he did and everything our team did was just tremendous. There were daily communications, the Bounce Back program, and so much hard work and dedication. His vision helped all of us adapt. Even though I already knew this, it just assured me that everybody’s in great hands.” Bob concludes: “Looking back, I think of the longtime owners that helped us build the company. And then I think of every owner out there who has since helped us build, whether they realize it or not. We are all like family, and we’re in this together. Let me also say that what makes me feel so gratified is when the business is turned over from parents to their kids. It’s always such a great feeling to see a business that people worked really hard to build carry through to the next generation. I know that from experience, as both a son and as a dad. Over 50 years… it’s certainly been an incredible ride.” For more information on Minuteman Press products and services and to find your local Minuteman Press franchise, visit https://minuteman.com. To learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities, visit https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

February 14, 2023 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Since Elon Musk’s Takeover, Twitter Has Seen a Rapid Rise in Gen-Z, Neo-Nazi Antisemitism, New Study Shows

Combat Hate Foundation

A study by the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) and the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) has demonstrated that extremist elements have viewed Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter as an opportunity to rejoin the social media platform en masse. The study also indicates that a sea change is taking place on Twitter with respect to the proliferation of extremist antisemitic content. Much attention has been paid to Kanye “Ye” West’s antisemitic tirade, and indeed NCRI/CAM’s data finds his remarks triggered a significant increase of 136% in toxic comments, threats, and identity attacks in tweets pertaining to Jews on the platform. Furthermore, the data suggests that the influx of extremist activity onto Twitter began far before West’s statements, with an organized effort of extremist communities like the Gen Z, neo-Nazi “Groypers,” led by white supremacist Nick Fuentes. The report finds they acted as a vanguard: anticipating, planning for, and capitalizing on Musk’s acquisition of Twitter to popularize and disseminate hateful content. They did so with the expectation that Musk would provide a more hospitable platform for their brand of extremist content, joining Twitter at a rapid rate. This report comes on the heels of Twitter briefly reinstating Fuentes’s account in late January, the only mainstream social media platform that has allowed his activity. Within hours of being reinstated, Fuentes’ second tweet was a video showcasing “ye24” and “Death Con 3,” a nod to West’s October tweet where he said he was going to go “death con 3 on the Jewish people.” Using machine learning, natural language processing, open-source investigation of social media content, graph and time series analysis, and econometric techniques, NCRI examined how an antisemitic transformation has taken shape on Twitter and how these changes might relate to physical-world, antisemitic incidents. Combining CAM's expertise in identifying emerging antisemitic trends with NCRI's proprietary technology, insights are drawn from vast amounts of data across social media platforms in near-real time to uncover contemporary antisemitism on social media, and its real-life consequences. Neo-Nazi Groyper accounts joined the platform first in response to Musk joining the board of the company, then surged to their highest levels (~2,000% growth) on April 15th, with the announcement of his purchase offer. Notable spikes also accompanied Musk’s formal acquisition of the platform (~1,000%) and the reinstatement on Twitter of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Baseline levels of new Groyper accounts continuing to join the platform have also surged and remained elevated by over 200%, suggesting sustained growth in Gen-Z neo-Nazi Groyper activity on Twitter. “Since Elon Musk acquired Twitter, it has become not only a safe space for hate, especially antisemitism, but also a vector for its spread,” said Sacha Roytman Dratwa, CEO of CAM. “Many white supremacists and other extremists have perceived it as a place where there is permission to incite, and even a single tweet from someone like Nick Fuentes or Ye has to the power to sow seeds of hate for years to come. It is a very real and tangible threat.” Since Twitter accepted Musk’s offer in April, monthly references to tropes about “Soros” and “Globalists,” which are often antisemitic, have nearly doubled. This is of great concern, as the NCRI/CAM now characterizes online antisemitism as an upstream predictor of real-world incidents. In fact, these impacts have emerged in tandem with a surge in real-world antisemitic activity, and the data suggests key antisemitic conspiracy terms on Twitter both correlated with and were useful for forecasting these activities. “There is almost a horseshoe effect mobilizing against the Jewish people, with white supremacists, Black Hebrew Israelites, Islamists, and others working together on the only cause that unites them -- a hatred of Jews,” said Joel Finkelstein, Chief Science Officer and Director at NCRI. One example was from November last year when Christopher Brown (@vrilgod) replied to a heated argument on Twitter about the history of the transatlantic slave trade with the claim “Jews owned the ships.” Later that same day, Brown was arrested at New York City’s Penn Station carrying a “large 8-inch military-style knife, a blade longer than 4 inches, a Swastika arm patch, and a ski mask,” in connection to threats against a synagogue in the city. The tweet was subsequently uncovered, after being deleted, on the NCRI’s platform. Brown -- a white male linked to online neo-Nazi groups -- had used a trope common to the Black Hebrew Israelites. His quip on Twitter and subsequent planned terror attack shows the convergence of different racial hatreds in new, unexpected ways that appear to be growing in popularity and attention, with a rash against Jews taking place in the physical world. To view the full CAM/NCRI report on Twitter and its responsibility for a rise in antisemitism, click here. The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) is a global coalition engaging more than 650 partner organizations and two million people from a diverse array of religious, political, and cultural backgrounds in the common mission of fighting the world’s oldest hatred. CAM acts collaboratively to build a better future, free of bigotry, for Jews and all humanity. Contact Details JDA Worldwide +1 615-473-0794 Press@jdaworldwide.com Company Website https://combatantisemitism.org/

February 08, 2023 01:32 PM Eastern Standard Time

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Alan Schneider Celebrates 15 Years as Owner of Minuteman Press Franchise in Northvale, NJ

Minuteman Press International Inc

The Minuteman Press franchise in Northvale, NJ has been operating for over 40 years. Alan Schneider and his wife Nadine are celebrating 15 years as owners and share their insights and reflections. Minuteman Press in Northvale, NJ is located at 202 Livingston Street, Northvale, NJ 07647. Congrats on 15 years! What does this milestone mean to you and what are the keys to your success and longevity? Nadine and Alan: “This is a tremendous milestone for us. Although we have hit this milestone in our tenure, the shop has been in business for over 40 years in this community. We are well known and very involved in the town. For years, people were saying the printing industry was dying. Then the pandemic hit and I think everyone feared a little bit for the future. However, I have to say that I never expected the bounce back from the pandemic to be such a boon for business. I think people realized that community is important, supporting local business is important, and although online marketing has a place, it’s not the only game in town. Print is still king. The keys to our success and longevity are: providing a warm and friendly place to do business; being knowledgeable about our products and services; letting our clients know that their success is important to us and we are here to help them; caring about our clients as people—not just as customers; and, most importantly, reliability and integrity.” What are some of the key ways you’ve grown your business? Nadine and Alan: “Believe it or not, the pandemic was a blessing for our business. It forced us to take critical look at how we were operating. We took a hard look at our numbers, and strategized on what we could do better in both operations and marketing. On the operational side, we cut out some of the fat and streamlined things where needed.” Alan: “My wife, Nadine, has an MBA in marketing and has owned a marketing and graphic design business for 15+ years. She joined me in our Northvale, NJ location and is providing all the graphic design services. Not only was this a strategic financial/operational move, it was the best marketing move we could have made. We are now truly a marketing, design and printing company – a one-stop shop!” Nadine and Alan: “Our clients are provided with a free consultation on the best ways to market their business. We do the strategy, design and printing. When the clients see the results, they come back for additional products and services—and they tell their friends! The savings we realized from our reduction in payroll was also reinvested in the business by increasing our participation in the SEO/Internet marketing program. We are starting to see an uptick in our internet leads! A couple of other cool things… Last year, we expanded our marketing strategy by promoting ourselves as a local family business. Our holiday cards now feature our family photo – myself, Nadine, and our 4 grown children. The theme is, Family is everything. We appreciate you being part of ours. I can’t tell you how many compliments we received on that card. People feel like they know our family, and always ask how our kids are doing. This year, we will be planning a marketing program to celebrate my birthday on October 26 th. Why? Because we found out that it’s also National Printing Day! We are going to have a lot of fun with that. We also do a lot of in-person networking by being active in our home and business communities. We are BNI members and directors, are involved with many not-for-profits, serve on the boards of the local Chambers of Commerce, and are Auxiliary Police Officers in our hometown. We are always visible helping the community in whatever way we can.” What are your high-demand products and services? Nadine and Alan: “We do a ton of direct mail, particularly EDDM. Although the program has been around for years, it’s really been gaining traction since the pandemic. Once our clients see how well direct mail works for them, they either expand their reach or frequency…or both. We help them build their customer lists as a result of their EDDM efforts, then assist them with targeted direct mail programs to these new customers. We are proud to say that many of our clients credit us with helping them build their businesses through direct mail. They refer to us as the direct mail experts! We also began heavily promoting branded apparel. It’s featured in the front of our store, and we make a point of mentioning it to our clients when they come into the shop. Once we learn about their business, we suggest what types of apparel and promotional items they may want to consider to boost their brand awareness.” What are your key growth areas? Nadine and Alan: “Again, direct mail and apparel are huge for us. Design as well. Our previous graphic designer was more of a layout/production person. Nadine is a true creative. Everything we do for a client now has a marketing strategy behind it, and a creative, eye-catching design. Clients who come in with their ideas are truly blown away by how we bring their visions to life. One successful campaign for a client usually snowballs into more business—and more referrals! But our true measure of success is knowing how we are helping our clients grow their businesses.” How would you best describe your community? Nadine and Alan: “Northvale, NJ is one square mile in area, right on the New York State border. The community is comprised of mostly residential homes, a small downtown with shopping and a handful of light industrial/manufacturing. Since it’s a small-town area, we focus on serving the local trades, retail stores, restaurants, professional services and industrial businesses. We have also built a client list outside of our small regional area by creating relationships with professionals that can provide us with ongoing business.” Why do you think printing remains so vital to businesses today? What are the benefits of print? Nadine and Alan: “Several years ago, email marketing became extremely popular because it was free. Today, in-boxes are flooded with messages that are deleted before they are even opened. A wasted marketing effort, even though it is ‘free.’ With print, your message is tangible. A direct mail piece in someone’s mailbox is handled – even if it is eventually discarded. Someone saw it, and handled it. Print is the ultimate conversation-starter. Hand someone a brochure, mail them a postcard, or even embroider your company name on your polo – and you are now visible to them. The most successful businesses rely on print for the majority of their marketing, so it is definitely here to stay.” What was your background before franchising? Alan: “I owned a food distribution company prior to owning a Minuteman Press. I wanted something new, but I still wanted to be a business owner. I chose Minuteman Press because of the company’s reputation for training and support of its franchisees. Also, printing is a consumable business which means repeat business.” What has the support from Minuteman Press International been like for you? Nadine and Alan: “Pick up the phone, send an email, and someone is there to help. The conventions are invaluable. We always come back learning something new, whether it’s from corporate or fellow owners. We look forward to seeing everyone, and meeting new people. It’s like a family reunion! We’ve also come back with new vendors to try which really had an impact on our business.” What are the biggest rewards of owning your business? Nadine and Alan: “Being an integral part of other people’s businesses and helping them achieve their goals. Also, being part of the community.” What advice would you give to others? Nadine and Alan: “Be professional and be persistent!” Minuteman Press in Northvale, NJ is located at 202 Livingston Street, Northvale, NJ 07647. For more information, visit their website: https://minuteman.com/us/locations/nj/northvale/ Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities and read Minuteman Press franchise reviews at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

February 06, 2023 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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THE CAMP BROADWAY ENSEMBLE TO PERFORM AT THE NEW YORK POPS 40th BIRTHDAY GALA CONCERT AT CARNEGIE HALL ON MAY 1, 2023

Camp Broadway

The Broadway Education Alliance is pleased to announce that the Camp Broadway Ensemble will perform with The New York Pops at their 40 th Birthday Gala at Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall on Monday, May 1, 2023. The New York Pops’ acclaimed Music Director and Conductor Steven Reineke will direct this all-star concert event that features a world-renowned 78-member orchestra. The New York Pops will honor the Grammy®, Tony®, and Emmy® Award-winning icon, Barry Manilow. Camp Broadway offers aspiring tween and teen performers, ages 12-17, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in a 3-day theater program taught by a team of Broadway professionals that culminates in a musical performance on stage at Carnegie Hall, New York’s most prestigious venue. Camp Broadway’s exclusive program includes classes in vocal performance, movement and acting, special guests and more. Audition tapes are being accepted now. Professional performance experience is NOT necessary. For more information about casting eligibility, audition submission guidelines, rehearsal schedule, and program attributes, visit https://campbroadway.com/new-york-pops-gala. This year’s concert marks Camp Broadway’s 15 th appearance with The New York Pops. ”We are thrilled to have Camp Broadway join us once again for our 40th Birthday Gala,” says Anne Swanson, The New York Pops Executive Director. "Together we share a commitment to bring together students from New York City, throughout the United States, and around the world to share in the joys of musical performance with our orchestra.” Camp Broadway® is an award-winning theater arts enrichment program that provides children access to exceptional performing arts instruction and performance opportunities. To learn more about this and other Camp Broadway camps, classes and events, visit www.CampBroadway.com. To learn more about The New York Pops, visit https://newyorkpops.org/40th-birthday-gala. CAMP BROADWAY® Camp Broadway is an award-winning theater arts enrichment program recognized as Broadway’s “original” summer destination for theater-loving kids. Founded in 1995, the program makes theatre arts an accessible and engaging way for creative children to build confidence, hone presentation skills and discover their unique talents on and off the stage. Owned and operated by the Broadway Education Alliance Inc. (“BEA”), a not-for-profit corporation focused on expanding arts education and enrichment programming, Camp Broadway is known as a theater industry leader in audience engagement and a trusted source for year-round experiential programs. Over 400,000 children have attended Camp Broadway camps, educational workshops, and special performance events held in New York and at partner performing arts centers around the United States. Camp Broadway ® is the recipient of a many industry recognitions including a Special Drama Desk Award for its decades long work in building theatre audiences and artists. BROADWAY EDUCATION ALLIANCE INC. Broadway Education Alliance Inc. (BEA) is a New York based 501(c)(3) organization supporting theater arts education and enrichment programs that inspire creativity, build confidence, and stimulate critical thinking in children of all ages. Founded in 2008, BEA is the international operator of Camp Broadway®. The organization developed and produced the National High School Musical Theatre Awards (aka The Jimmy Awards®) building it into the Broadway’s national education platform, and it continues to present the Greater New York regional award program, called The Roger Rees Awards for Excellence in Student Performance. BEA also serves as the fiscal sponsor and administrator for many theater arts educational programs sponsored by Broadway shows, that providing children in underserved communities access to theater artists and performance opportunities. The organization recently acquired StageNotes®, a library of theatrical study guides, and the At This Stage®, a digital workshop archive that produces and distributes author-approved, rights-cleared education materials into K-12 schools. For more information, visit www.BEAlliance.org. Contact Details Camp Broadway | Broadway Education Alliance Susan E. Lee +1 212-575-2929 slee@bealliance.org The New York Pops Stephen Furda +1 212-765-7677 stephen.furda@nypops.org Company Website https://campbroadway.com/

February 02, 2023 09:37 AM Eastern Standard Time

SEAC Thailand Launches 456 Smart Learning Ecosystem To Upskill Learners

SEAC Thailand

BANGKOK, THAILAND - Media OutReach - 2 February 2023 - SEAC, Southeast Asia's SMART learning leader today launch their 456 Smart Learning Ecosystem to address the slow rate at which the education and training industries are evolving their learning approaches. SEAC has innovated and refined its approach over the last ten years to better meet learners needs in this new era of rapid change and upskilling. SEAC's 456 learning experience solution integrates content, technology, design, and experience expertise to reimagine learning by using their trademarked 456 methodologies. The solution begins with defining the five phases that a learner must go through to ensure buy-in, value, retention, and application: essentially, a bridge across their skill gap. Following that, SEAC weaves four distinct learning lines to support the learners in crossing that bridge to their future. Finally, SEAC incorporates targeted lab experiences to assist learners in accelerating and applying their new skills with confidence and impact. SEAC's 4-Line Learning, 5-Phase Development, and 6 Learning Labs are a technology-enabled ecosystem and toolkit for effectively closing the massive skill gaps learners' face. Understanding the three major frameworks: 4-Line Learning: Weaving four distinct modes of learning, OnLine, InLine, FrontLine, and BeeLine, to foster community and momentum for maximum learning impact. 5-Phase Development: The five stages that learners must go through to effectively buy in, learn, retain, and apply new skills, mindsets, and tools. The suggested order is as follows: -- Phase 1: Introduce & Enroll: What is the significance of what I am about to learn? What is the value to me? - - Phase 2: Baseline and Measure: What does good look like in the context of what I'm about to learn? What am I doing now? Where and with whom might I apply this new mindset/skillset? - -Phase 3: Connect and Inspire: What impact can we have if we truly succeed? How will I/we collaborate with others to learn and grow as a community? --Phase 4: Build and Integrate: How will I apply this content to my work, and where and with whom will I apply this new mindset/skill? --Phase 5: Consolidate and Sustain: What mindsets, skills, and tools are the most useful? Where and how will I put them to use and keep the momentum? 6 Learning Labs: Short, powerful, targeted interventions added at the right moment to speed up and boost learning and application. These are some examples: -- Unpacking: Unpacking for greater comprehension and application -- Skill Practice: 'Acting out' current situations with my new skills and tools. -- S.T.A.R. Application and Reflection: Planning, executing, and reflecting on applying my learning in situations in my work/life that I am attempting to change, -- Group/Individual Coaching: Support for action learning projects and applications on a group, team, and individual basis. -- Impact Presentations: Documenting and sharing the outcomes of my learning with others. -- Communities of Practice: A group of lifelong learners who share a passion for sustaining change. By combining these three learning design and delivery frameworks yield an effective, learner-focused experience that reduces unnecessary content, activities, and distractions in favor of context and application. "This ever-changing environment we live in today has brought us great technological advancements as well as unexpected problems," said Arinya Talerngsri, SEAC Chief Capability Officer, Managing Director, and Founder. "Smart Learning is still getting used to its new normal. As a critical solution provider in Thailand, we are still transitioning from "short-term surge" to "long-term transformation" while overcoming other obstacles. However, our most recent educational innovations are producing astounding results. The context and learner needs are prioritized over content in SEAC's upskilling methodology. As a result, our star 456 Learning Experience is user-oriented and focuses on learners' immediate needs, as should any similar education and training framework." SEAC leads the Thai Smart Learning market and provides high-quality, all-inclusive smart education to a diverse range of learners and organizations seeking to upgrade their capabilities. SEAC are the only holistic SMART Learning Service provider and hold 35% of the Thai upskilling market. The Company created a learning -experience for people of all age that serves as a bridge to the other side and a better self and future. SEAC's innovative 456 Learning Experience encourages learners to find the best and most useful ways to learn, apply, and grow by balancing out other out-of-date L&D models. "Practicality and creativity are important parts of who we are as an organization, and they are deeply ingrained in our DNA," Ms. Arinya Talerngsri continued. "We have obligations to everyone, whether they are users or not. Gaining a larger share of the $7 trillion global consumer market for education is both difficult and worthwhile. We will give back to the industry and rely on the capital market to assist us in empowering our learners and partner organizations through learning." About SEAC Established in Thailand, and with more than 30 years of experience in people development, SEAC has provided innovative and practical approaches to over 2 million learners from more than 1,000 companies, especially in Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Singapore. SEAC helps them to improve their life through bespoke transformative learning experiences. The Company reimagines how people can upskill and reskill themselves. By integrating learner context, content, process, community, and technology, SEAC has built a complete smart learning ecosystem that serves the needs of learners across generations, industries, life changes, and organizational levels. For more details on 456-Learning Experience, please visit: Official website: https://seasiacenter.com/ Download the official brochure: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-z7le3I7lJ1EJlHISiljZXD5jbaBa9oM/view Contact Details SEAC Thailand Mr. James Powell james_p@seasiacenter.com SEAC Thailand Ms. Panadda Ritthiruengdej panadda_r@seasiacenter.com

February 02, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Learning Technologies Group "very happy" with 2022 performance

Learning Technologies Group PLC

Learning Technologies Group PLC (AIM:LTG, OTC:LTTHF) chief executive Jonathan Satchell talks to Proactive's Thomas Warner after a releasing a trading update for 2022 - a year he describes as "transformational" for the business. He gives his take on how the group has been performing and looks ahead to what 2023 is likely to have in store, describing himself as "very confident about the way ahead". Contact Details Proactive Proactive UK Ltd +44 20 7989 0813 uk@proactiveinvestors.com

February 02, 2023 08:05 AM Eastern Standard Time

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News Release

Best Essay Writing Service Reviews

R.P. Writingsmart Technologies

This article will break down the best essay writing service reviews to make sure your student days run smoothly. Here's why you need to read this. Being a student is a challenge, and often a very difficult one. Professors give students a ton of different academic assignments to handle while trying to have a normal social life and an active relationship with their families. Not to mention the lack of time to rest, practice some self-care, or enjoy a hobby. For so many students, this is close to impossible. It's because they still haven't found the right tools to help them overcome those academic difficulties. One of the most common academic tasks is writing an essay or a paper. This is a hugely time-consuming and dreadful task for students who need more writing skills. Luckily, there are essay writing services that students can turn to for writing help. Since dozens of websites write essays for you, finding an affordable but professional one is yet another obstacle you must pass. That’s where we step in. Our objective and well-researched reviews of the best essay writing services are all the information you need. Just keep reading! Best Paper Writing Services It’s time for you to learn about our top choices for writing services aimed primarily at American college students, high schoolers, and other English-speaking students. Let’s take a closer look at each one. 1. WritingUniverse We’ll kick it off with an affordable and solid website that writes essays for you which is WritingUniverse. The service was designed to help students with their writing in different ways. Company Overview The first thing we always look for with the best essay websites is when they were founded. Unfortunately, we were unsuccessful in finding this data. Since we couldn’t learn about their history, we looked at their reviews and found these: Sitejabber: 4.7 Trustpilot: 4.6 Let’s Grade It 4.8 These reviews show they’re truly well-rated and their customers are fairly satisfied with the services they provide. They offer the following services: Free essay examples Academic writing, rewriting, and research Editing and Proofreading This best essay service offers essay examples in more than a dozen subjects which students can use to learn about different writing styles and rules of essay creation. They cover virtually any type of essay, from analytical and argumentative, to reflective and rhetorical. This professional service also has an educational resource for students called Essay Guide, which helps students learn about essay writing, revision, drafting, length, and more. Finally, we were thrilled to learn that they accept a deadline as short as 3 hours. Writers We also learned that WritingUniverse has a huge base of great available writers, who are experts in a certain subject, have college degrees, and are skilled writers, even though they offer cheap writing services. This allows the company to choose the writer that is the best fit for your paper and connect you with them. They only write unique and plagiarism-free papers, so you don’t have to fear being tricked in any way. Quality Based on the USA customer reviews we've read, we can say that the quality of the paper this service offers is satisfactory. Their papers are well-researched and written by highly professional writers. They pass all the plagiarism tests and are completely original. Plus, they cover the given topic in-depth, respecting all academic writing rules. Prices and Discounts As for the prices, WritingUniverse is truly affordable and the best among the best essay writer companies. The price of one academic paper page, with a 14-day deadline, is $10.99. They even provide a 10% discount on the first order. Guarantees When you need help with an essay, the guarantees are immensely important. As for WritingUniverse, they have quite satisfactory guarantees. Those include: confidentiality a money-back guarantee no hidden charges on-time delivery high-quality Plus, all of their writers are native speakers, so your essay will be written accurately. In case you’re not happy with your essay, you can file it for revision and have them take another look at it to correct the mistakes. Customer Support Another reason why WritingUniverse is a top essay writer service is that they offer 24/7 customer support. You can reach them day and night via phone call, WhatsApp chat, or by sending an email. They'll promptly answer to solve any dilemma or help you understand their services better. Pros and Cons 2. ProEssayService Let’s proceed with the next best online essay writing service called ProEssayService. Company Overview This company is based in Manchester but we couldn’t find data about when they were founded. The company may be British, but it provides essay writing services for all English-speaking students from the UK to Canada and USA. We were first a bit put off by the interface and design of their website since it’s fairly simple and somewhat boring. However, this doesn’t change the fact that they’re among the best when it comes to finding a website that writes papers for you. They lack public reviews and ratings, so we can only share their 4.4 grade at LetsGradeIt. We went through the process of placing an order and checking if this truly is the best college essay writing service. We were happy to receive a well-written essay without any grammar or spelling mistakes. The content was fairly good as well, which made us take a closer look at this company. The services they offer are primarily academic writing. They also have editing and proofreading services, as well as rewriting and solving math problems. Their Samples section is a bit under-organized since all their samples are listed randomly. Finally, we wanted to see how fast they can deliver an order and were happy to learn there’s a 6-hours minimum deadline. Writers To make it to the team of this trustworthy writing service, writers first need to prove they're college graduates and hold an academic degree from an English-speaking country. They also have to be native English speakers and pass a research and writing test. Quality The quality of the essays we received from this service was more than satisfactory. There were no errors, stylistic, or in the content. It was punctual, grammatically correct, and well-organized. We can say for sure that they offer great high school and university-level essays. Prices and Discounts The prices of their services are fair. They start with $12.99 per page for a high school paper with the longest deadline of 14 days. If you choose 6 hours, you’ll have to pay$35.99 per page. Also, you become eligible for a lifetime discount if you’ve purchase(d) an essay before. This is great if you plan on becoming a loyal customer. Guarantees This best essay writing website does everything it can to secure its customers feel safe. They provide secure payment and sale options and guarantee confidentiality. They allow revisions and have a money-back policy. Customer Support You can reach customer support at this service via a chat form that you fill out on their main page, so it's easy to find it. You can also send them an email to get the answers you need. Finally, there's a phone you can dial as well. Pros and Cons 3. TopEssayWriting TopEssayWriting is listed next as the best website for essays so let’s take a look at their story. Company Overview This company was founded in 2023. They have a good reputation, and their rating on Trustpilot is 4.6 and 4.7 on Let’sGradeIt. This shows their credibility and the fact they’re trusted by so many customers from all over. We also loved that they have a wide plethora of services, with essay writing being the most important. The list of the type of essay you can choose seems to be going forever and includes custom essays, research papers, term papers, book reports, dissertations, thesis, scholarship essays, and more. They also offer to rewrite and edit services for students who just need someone to check their work. There are free essay samples you can find on the website of this best essay writing service in us. They have an astonishing base of more than 100,000 free essay samples that helped me write my essay more than once. They can meet a minimum deadline of 6 hours. Writers TopEssayWriting has a four-stage selection process after the application to make sure they only hire the best writers. Researchers of talented writers first look at their CVs. Then they take a grammar test, an essay writing test, and finally, their education documentation is checked. They only hire native speakers. Quality The quality of the papers this service writes is great. Dissertation, high school essay, Master’s thesis - you name it, they hold a strong level of quality for each one. We found close to no negative comments about the quality of their work. Prices and Discounts This service starts with the price of $12.99 per page for a regular high-school essay and a 14-days deadline. If you choose the minimum 6-hour deadline, the price will be $39.99. However, they are unique in offering regular discounts to customers. The more you order, the better discounts you'll receive. The discount can go up to 15% per order. Guarantees This company cares about your privacy and your satisfaction. They base their guarantees on these three principles: you’ll get your money back if you’re not happy with the order or want to cancel your identity is 100% protected your paper will be 100% original You can check for plagiarism using Turnitin if you’re suspicious at first. These guarantees are crucial for the best essay writing service online and a must for all customers looking for professionalism. Customer Support Does 24/7 help sound good to you? Whether you’re looking for essay writing assistance or help with your order, this service will provide help whenever you need it. They have a live chat at your disposal at any time, with the answer from an operator coming almost immediately. If you prefer, you can call them or send an email. Pros and Cons 4. GrabMyEssay Finally, we list GrabMyEssay next, here's what we learned about them. Company Overview This company was founded in 2013 and is considered one of the top essay writing services for students. After checking their public reviews on credible websites, we found that their Sitejabber rating is 4.6 and their Let’sGradeIt rating is 4.7 which is all great. There are many reviews and mostly positive ratings on their website as well. They seem to be credible, and we took those into account as well. They offer the three most important services for students: Essay writing Free samples Blog As for essay writing, they cover all types of essays including research papers, research proposal, dissertations, term papers, case studies, lab reports, and more. In addition, they offer editing, proofreading, and rewriting services, as well as the services of writing annotated bibliographies. It's an all-encompassing student website that provides all the necessary services in one place. Their blog is full of useful information for students regarding essay writing and written assignments. As for the deadlines they handle, their minimum deadline is 3 hours. They can complete even the most complex student assignments quickly and remain completely professional in what they deliver. Writers GrabMyEssay proudly announces that all of its writers are: native English speakers degree holders academically qualified to write your essay They allow you to inquire more about the good essay writer you choose and learn about their skills and expertise. You are also in direct communication with your writer the whole time to make sure everything runs smoothly. Quality This service is not listed as the best website for essay writing by accident. The quality of the paper they offer is undeniable, and they offer the best quality out of the four services on our list. This is due to their highly experienced and well-trained writers. Prices and Discounts The prices start at $14.99 per page for a high school-level academic paper due in 14 days. The price is fair considering the quality they offer, and you can rest assured they'll make it worth your money. However, they are a bit more expensive when you buy urgent orders. For a 3 hours deadline, the price per page jumps to $54.99 which is way more expensive than the previous service. But, if you're in luck, you might be offered a discount for a first-time order or as a returning customer. Discounts go up to 15%. Guarantees This service offers all the guarantees a customer can wish for. They guarantee that the paper will be 100% unique and plagiarism free, plus proofread to perfection. If you still find a flaw, they’ll offer a revision to make it better. They also guarantee full confidentiality and data protection. Finally, they have a money-back guarantee in case you want to cancel your order somewhere along the process. Customer Support Customer support is brilliant on this website. They have a 24/7 customer support system, and you can reach them via live chat on their website, phone, or via email. As soon as you open the website, they'll offer assistance through their live chat. Pros and Cons How do we decide what is the best paper writing service? We want to make sure that our reviews are objective and well-researched. We also want to make sure there are only trustworthy websites on our list. This is why we base our decision about what company is the best on a certain set of criteria that we always apply. Below, we’ll explain these criteria to you to help you understand the depth of our research for every website and company. Interface We find that the interface of a website plays a seriously important role. Therefore, we analyze each service's interface in terms of design, sections, ease of placing an order, CTA buttons, and more. The 4 services on our list all satisfy these criteria and offer a seamless UX to their users. Support Team Students who need to order an essay online usually have some questions along the way. This is especially the case if there’s an urgent matter to be solved. We analyze the support team for each company based on their availability, channels through which you can reach them, and their response time. We believe the support team is one of the most important factors for students hiring such services. Best Essay Writers We only wanted to choose the services that offer the top writers. When we say the best, we mean: native English speakers educated and holding a college degree experienced in writing versatile in writing possibilities We found that our top writing services all satisfy these criteria and even help you choose the best essays writers for your needs. Some offer premium and top 10 writers for a higher price, making sure you only receive the best. Quality Paper quality depends on the professional writers that are working for the company and the company's readiness to help you find the perfect match. We carefully selected those companies that assign you to the writer who is the most experienced in the subject matter you need to be covered in the essay. We also made sure there were no negative reviews about the paper's quality and that all the papers passed the plagiarism check. Prices The next criterion we use to make a solid recommendation is the price of the services. We know that students’ budgets are fairly limited, and most of them don’t have any money to waste. This is why we checked if the prices are fair. We choose affordable but quality services. Guarantees When you want to buy a research paper, you also want to ensure you are protected as a client. We looked into the guarantees these services offer and made sure that confidentiality about your identity is a priority. We also looked for Money-Back Guarantees, Revisions, Plagiarism-Free guarantees, and On-Time Delivery. Benefits of Hiring a top essay writing service You may be having doubts about hiring an essay writing service and having them handle your assignment for you. Maybe you don’t trust them enough or fear they’ll trick you. Below, we listed the top benefits that will help you change your mind. Expertise Instead of struggling to write the assignment yourself or hiring some shady freelance essay writer, you can have a writing expert do it instead. The services we’ve listed offer nothing but highly experienced and trained writers who can take care of any type of task you give them. Time-Saving High school and college students both lack the same thing - time. There’s so much to do in so little time, and they often find themselves swamped with academic tasks and private matters. Luckily, a huge benefit of hiring the best essay writer to write instead of you is that it’ll save you a ton of time. You'll be able to use this time to study, prepare for an exam, or simply rest. Healthy Nervous System Stress is extremely dangerous for our health, and students experience high levels of stress almost daily. This only proves that they need help wherever they can find it, especially with homework and studying. This is why writing services help students stress less and maintain a healthy nervous system. Quality and Uniqueness If you’re not a skilled or talented writer, it’ll be very hard for you to write a paper that is both unique and properly written. You’d need a ton of exercise and some poor attempts to reach this level of writing. But, the professional writers at these services already have the necessary experience. This guarantees your essay will be a success. Free Checks Finally, we know you want to make sure your essay is ready to be submitted to avoid any unfortunate situations. These essay writing sites will offer you a free essay check, free of charge. This helps you turn in the essay confidently and without any doubt. FAQ about the websites to write essays Now, let’s take a look at the FAQs that are probably roaming your mind as well. We'll answer them to help you understand how these quality essay services work and benefit you. Is buying papers legal? Buying a paper is completely legal, and there’s no law stopping you from doing it. These websites provide you with a service, and you are fully entitled to spend your money as you like. These companies aren’t responsible for how you’ll use this paper, so that is all on you. Can anyone find out that I buy essays online? All of the companies we’ve listed full offer confidentiality to clients. This way, you can be certain that no one will ever know that you bought college papers online unless you tell them. Also, your private data is safe and not available to any third parties to use, which increases confidentiality. Why am I anonymous? None of the websites for essays want to be responsible for your data or identity in buying essays. They also want to make sure that you feel completely safe and protected while using their services. This way, both parties are much more at ease and have fewer worries to think about. With your identity being hidden, you can freely buy essays and not fear they will somehow become public. How to distinguish a reliable site from scammers? As we've already mentioned, there is a ton of custom essay writing companies offering writing services. But not all of them are credible. Some are just scammers who are looking to get you to pay and then leave you hanging with a poorly written essay. To distinguish a reliable site, you should read the best essay writing service reviews and pay attention to the criteria we’ve mentioned in the sections above. What if I need essay help urgently? Urgency is not a problem for the best essay writing websites. Their writers are trained to write exceptional papers with deadlines as tight as 3 hours. You will have to pay a higher price for such an urgent order, but they'll deliver a quality essay as per agreement. So, even if you forgot about a paper due and need one urgently, they'll be able to handle it. What are the cheapest writing companies? If you're all looking for cheap essay services, you can find them online with just a bit of research. But if you’re looking for a combination of affordable and professional, those are the services from our list above. We sorted them starting from the cheapest one listed first. What is a good website to write essays? Not all essay writing services are good. You’ll get low-quality papers on so many of these services. But, if you read trusted review websites and gather enough information, you’ll be able to choose the services that are highly professional and offer quality papers. What essay writing services are legit? Not all essay writing services are legitimate. Many companies hire unreliable authors, overcharge, have hidden fees, or don't respect the confidentiality agreement. The best essay writing services online are those that have clear company policies they respect and guarantees that make sure their customers are protected. This is exactly what all four websites from our list above offer their customers. How do I find the best essay writing service? You need to do some thorough online research and cross-compare several most popular websites. You need to check what services they offer, what their customers are saying, and how professional they write. Your second option is to read the best custom essay writing service review and trust their research and facts. What problems might I encounter when hiring writers? Hiring a writer as your writing helper can be tricky. You don’t know these people and might have a hard time choosing the best match for your needs. Also, it might be hard to communicate with a writer who’s not from the United States due to the time zone difference. Finally, a writer may not be as experienced in your subject matter and could lack the knowledge to write your paper. Luckily, none of this is the case with our top 4 sites that write essays for you. Conclusion The question of what are the best essay writing services is difficult to answer if you don't have time to do research and dig up information on your own. This reviews list is the ultimate helper that will guide you to find the perfect service for you. The top four services on our list all offer the highest quality essays at affordable prices. They hire the best paper writers to make sure their customers are happy with the result. They're easy to navigate, and it takes a couple of minutes to place an order. They offer confidentiality and professionalism in communication so that you can freely use their services and not feel stressed about it. Hopefully, this ultimate best essay writing services review will help you find the service that is a perfect match for your academic needs and what you need to be written. Use our recommendations to find your writer and a website that you’ll be loyal to in your future orders. Contact Details Mark Blackwood markuskblackwood@gmail.com

February 02, 2023 05:25 AM Eastern Standard Time

NAVEX Recognized Among 2023 USA Top Workplaces

NAVEX Global

NAVEX, the leader in integrated risk and compliance management software, today announced the company has been honored as a USA Top Workplace 2023. This recognition follows NAVEX being named a 2022 Oregon Top Workplace by the Portland Oregonian and a 2022 Charlotte Metro Area Top Workplace by the Charlotte Observer. Top Workplace designation is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a survey administered by Energage LLC., an employee engagement technology and analytics company. The anonymous survey measures 15 unique culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization -- including alignment, execution, and employee connection. In addition to the Top Workplaces honor, Energage also recognized NAVEX for cultural excellence in Employee Well-Being and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. “At NAVEX, we strive to be the one place that people want to grow their careers and thrive in life," said Cindy Raz, chief people officer at NAVEX. “Our workplace culture focuses beyond what people do professionally; we invest in them as a person through meaningful development programs and celebrate their success across the many roles they hold in life. And while this Top Workplace designation is not a goal in itself, we are deeply honored to be recognized for building and maintaining a meaningful work environment. Life is simply too short to not help people thrive.” NAVEX recognizes that people across their team have goals deeply important to them to achieve. By building a workplace culture that is focused on the total experience of a person – beyond the limited boundaries of the employee experience – NAVEX is leaning into its core value to Do the Right Things Right. Under Raz’s leadership, and with support at every level of the company, NAVEX also brings people together through community groups including groups for Women in Sales, LGBTQ+, Blacks at NAVEX, Parents at NAVEX, and more to come. “During this very challenging time, Top Workplaces has proven to be a beacon of light for organizations, as well as a sign of resiliency and strong business performance," said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. "When you give your employees a voice, you come together to navigate challenges and shape your path forward. Top Workplaces draw on real-time insights into what works best for their organization, so they can make informed decisions that have a positive impact on their people and their business.” Learn more about Life at NAVEX: www.navex.com/en-us/company/careers-at-navex/ About Energage Making the world a better place to work together. TM Energage is a purpose-driven company that helps organizations turn employee feedback into useful business intelligence and credible employer recognition through Top Workplaces. Built on 16 years of culture research and the results from 27 million employees surveyed across more than 70,000 organizations, Energage delivers the most accurate competitive benchmark available. With access to a unique combination of patented analytic tools and expert guidance, Energage customers lead the competition with an engaged workforce and an opportunity to gain recognition for their people-first approach to culture. For more information or to nominate your organization, visit energage.com or topworkplaces.com. NAVEX is trusted by thousands of customers worldwide to help them achieve the business outcomes that matter most. As the global leader in integrated risk and compliance management software and services, we deliver solutions through the NAVEX One platform, the industry’s most comprehensive governance, risk and compliance (GRC) information system. For more information, visit NAVEX.com and our blog. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Contact Details NAVEX Scott Levesque +1 617-388-5773 scott.levesque@navex.com Company Website https://www.navex.com

February 01, 2023 04:40 PM Eastern Standard Time

Digital Addiction is Affecting Adolescent Brain Development, Mental Health Experts Warn

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

Is your child addicted to social media? New research shows that social media could be reprogramming children’s brains—and psychologists warn parents that they need to pay closer attention. “Once a habit like constantly checking social media is formed, it’s difficult for adolescents to self-regulate, so parents may need to step in,” said Dr. Michele Nealon, Psy.D., President of The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. The new research focuses on overuse of screen time by adolescents in a three-year neurological study by the University of North Carolina. Results published this month in the Journal of the American Medical Association, show significant changes in the brains of 12 and 13-year-olds who reported habitually checking Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. An earlier neurobiological study reported in the peer-reviewed journal PLOS One, showed another troubling effect: compulsive adolescent tweeters had widespread and significant decreases of functional connectivity in their brain’s cortico-striatal circuits. According to these studies, social media may alter neurodevelopment, significantly changing the ways in which the adolescent brain responds to its environment. Dr. Nealon said that since the brain undergoes significant structural and functional reorganization during adolescence, habitual checking of social media may further increase the already enhanced activity in the amygdala and insula, creating hyperactive neural responses to the anticipation of more “likes” and social media feedback. “The result is an ever-increasing need for digital social rewards and a reduction of ability to resist urges to check for feedback on social media platforms,” she explained. “This never-ending loop could interfere with school, athletics, friendships and other real world social interactions that are important for normal psychosocial development.” To counter addiction to digital media, Dr. Nealon has recommendations for parents: Limit screen time to under three hours a day, depending on your child’s age and activity level. Set parental controls on social media sites and monitor the content your child is viewing. Facilitate play dates and extracurricular activities to help develop other social skills About The Chicago School of Professional Psychology: Integrating theory with hands-on experience, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology provides education rooted in a commitment to innovation, service, and community for thousands of diverse students across the United States and globally. Founded in 1979, the nonprofit, regionally accredited university now features campuses in iconic locations across the country (Chicago, Southern California, Washington, D.C., New Orleans, Dallas) and online. To spark positive change in the world where it matters most, The Chicago School has continued to expand its educational offerings beyond the field of psychology to offer more than 30 degrees and certificates in the professional fields of health services, education, counseling, business, and more. Through its engaged professional model of education, commitment to diversity and inclusion, and an extensive network of domestic and international professional partnerships, The Chicago School’s students receive real-world training opportunities that reflect their future careers. The Chicago School is proud to be a part of TCS Education System, a nonprofit, integrated system of colleges and universities that works collaboratively to advance student success and community impact. To learn more, visit www.thechicagoschool.edu. Contact Details Vivien Hao +1 323-893-4743 vhao@thechicagoschool.edu

January 31, 2023 11:11 AM Pacific Standard Time