Mimio Global Press

Food for Thought
KEY Academy 7th Graders Teach Parents about Healthy Eating
Using Mimio® Interactive Teaching Technology

White House Assistant Chef, USDA Deputy Under Secretary and DC Department of Health Official To Take Notes

WASHINGTON, D.C. - JulY 29, 2009 - On July 30th, seventh grade students from the KEY Academy public charter school in southeast Washington DC will host a healthy breakfast for their parents, community members, government officials and the White House Assistant chef where they will present what they have learned in summer school about food and nutrition. Mimio , a creator of interactive teaching technology, has partnered with the KEY Academy to equip and train the classes on how to produce and share interactive, multimedia-based presentations and lesson plans. Special guests will include White House Assistant Chef Sam Kass, USDA Deputy Under Secretary Janey Thorton, and DC Department of Health Chief Michele Tingling-Clemmons

The KEY Academy is a public charter school that is part of the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP), a network of free, open-enrollment college preparatory public schools in under-resourced communities throughout the United States.

"We are very pleased to support the KEY Academy and its talented students, who can now serve as nutrition ambassadors to their families and communities," said Mel Jackson, general manager of Mimio . "Now, these teachers can bring important lessons to life and the students can experience learning in an engaging and fun way, through active involvement and participation with the teacher."

"The issues of food, nutrition, health and education go hand-in-hand," said Bob Gierschick, Mimio Senior Marketing manager. "Students involved in this special project have a vested interest in both the outcome of their presentations as well as their personal health. What these children create in their sessions will have a positive influence on their eating and health habits well into their adult years and we are excited to help foster that learning."

In a unique, three-week interdisciplinary summer school session, KEY Academy 7th graders focused on how to make informed nutritional choices and studied the importance of healthy eating. In Social Studies, students examined the role of food in the Americas while in Science they focused on the digestive system. In English, students created works based on the book Chew on This and in Math, they focused on energy and caloric intake. Teachers and students used Mimio Interactive and Ink Capture systems and Mimio Pads to produce tailored lessons and presentations in each subject area.

"We all struggle with making good decisions about food and nutrition, so we really wanted to make sure our kids were well prepared with the right information. Through the use of Mimio technology, the students were involved in the research and animation of the lessons themselves, making it a hands-on experience and one they are sure to remember," said David Ayala, Principal KEY Academy/KIPP DC school. "We are grateful for the partnership with Mimio as now, our students and teachers have better tools to exercise their talents."

As part of their new partnership, Mimio equipped several classrooms with a full complement of Mimio Interactive products and provided hands-on training for the teachers from Mimio masters, teachers that have gone through Mimio 's full training program. 3M also donated and installed SCP 712 short-throw projectors and Discovery Education streaming and Discovery Education Health services.

Discovery Education streaming is the only digital video-based learning resource scientifically proven to increase academic achievement, offering teachers and students the largest, high-quality educational video library available in schools today. Discovery Education streaming is searchable by keyword, content area and grade level and contains over 9,000 videos segmented into 71,000 content-specific clips aligned to state academic and testing standards. Discovery Education Health is a comprehensive, online, K-12 health and prevention library that covers a variety of critical topic areas such as Physical Activity, Mental Health, Alcohol and other drugs, Safety, Nutrition, the Body and Growth and Development.

For more information on Mimio , please visit www.Mimio .com; you may also follow Mimio on Twitter @Mimio technology and via Facebook. Download lesson plans and connect with other educators at www.Mimio connect.com.

Mimio was voted Scholastic Instructor's Teacher's Pick "Best of 2009" and Mimio Interactive was voted the 2009 ECOO Vendor Excellence Award winner in both "Best Education Solution" and "Best Technology Product."

About Newell Rubbermaid Global Business and Technology Solutions
DYMO is the master brand name for the Newell Rubbermaid Global Technology Solutions portfolio. In a world that demands greater productivity and measures it at every opportunity, DYMO provides businesses, educational institutions and consumers with innovative and easy ways to share, manage and organize information with improved efficiency and satisfaction.

Our DYMO global technology brands are organized into four solutions:

  • DYMO® Labeling Solutions include DYMO hand-held label makers, PC connected label and postage printers, plus Industrial labeling tools (www.dymo.com).
  • DYMO™ Contact Management Solutions include CardScan business card scanners and contact management software featuring CardScan At Your Service™ (www.cardscan.com), and DYMO File® software for document scanning into digital files (www.dymofile.com).
  • DYMO™ Endicia® Internet Postage Solutions include Endicia online shipping and mailing services (www.endicia.com), as well as customized postage (www.pictureitpostage.com).
  • Mimio® Interactive Teaching Solutions include Mimio interactive whiteboard technology, digital ink recorders and accessories (www.Mimio.com).

These global technology brands complement Newell Rubbermaid’s strong portfolio of global brands, which also includes Rubbermaid®, Sharpie®, Graco®, Calphalon®, Irwin®, Lenox®, Levolor®, Paper Mate®, Waterman®, Parker®, Goody®, Technical Concepts™ and Aprica®.

Media Contact:
Shahrzad Nadizadeh
Ketchum
404-879-9234
shahrzad.nadizadeh@ketchum.com

# # #