Central Islip, NY – NYIT received a $160,000 grant today from the Verizon Foundation. The grant will help NYIT train hundreds of thousands of teachers and community leaders throughout New York State to use online lesson plans, games, and educational materials for today's students, who love technology and crave interactive, engaging lessons that bring their school subjects to life.

Verizon Thinkfinity offers thousands of resources for K-12 lessons. For example, science teachers can use the materials to help their students prepare for state tests with engaging videos that show rather than tell. Children who attend afterschool and community programs can also use Thinkfinity lessons.

"We're in a serious issue right now to make sure every student gets an equitable education," said Stan Silverman, director of NYIT's Technology Based Learning System in the School of Education.

Making Thinkfinity lessons available to teachers and to students—both in and out of the classroom—helps level the field and make learning enjoyable.

"In order to be successful in the classroom, teachers need to be innovative, while constantly updating their approaches to learning," said NYIT President Edward Guiliano, Ph.D. "Thinkfinity offers interactive, educational tools that are effective in advancing teaching and learning, and we are proud to bring these resources to educators throughout New York State through our ongoing partnership with the Verizon Foundation and the Teacher Centers."

The grant enables NYIT's Center for Technology Based Learning Systems, in collaboration with the Teacher Centers, to provide in-person and virtual training to educators in New York on the use of Thinkfinity resources. The partnership brings access to teachers and community educators across eight academic disciplines to improve student achievement.

The materials include K-12 lesson plans, in-class activities, and videos that can be found quickly and are searchable by grade level, keyword, or subject. Thinkfinity also offers a professional development program that allows teachers to sign up for free online or face-to-face training to learn how to make the most of the tools. The Thinkfinity community is an online spot where teachers, parents, and administrators can go to discuss education issues of the day, share ideas, or connect with education experts.

"Whether it's a language arts teacher looking for resources to spark a love of reading in a student, or a parent seeking a convenient and user-friendly educational activity to stimulate the mind of a young child, Thinkfinity.org will help them quickly and easily find the information needed to improve student achievement," said Jim Gerace, Verizon President for the New York Region.

NYIT's collaboration with Thinkfinity, which began in 2005, has trained thousands of teachers and educators on these resources, and brought over 4,000 lessons and resources in alignment to New York State Learning Standards.

The Center for Technology Based Learning Systems has been a leader in instructional technology for K-12 schools for more than 25 years. It has worked with Teacher Centers and with associated BOCES to bring resources and training to teachers throughout the state.

Content for Verizon Thinkfinity is provided through a partnership between the Verizon Foundation and 11 of the nation's leading organizations in the fields of education and literacy: the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Council for Economic Education, International Reading Association, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, National Center for Family Literacy, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Council of Teachers of English, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Geographic Society, ProLiteracy and the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

About the Verizon Foundation

The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, uses its technology, financial resources and partnerships to address critical social issues, with a focus on education and domestic violence prevention. In 2010, the foundation awarded nearly $67 million to nonprofit agencies in the U.S. and abroad. Through Verizon Volunteers, one of the nation's largest employee volunteer programs, Verizon employees and retirees have volunteered nearly 6 million hours of community service since 2000. For more information on the foundation, visit www.verizonfoundation.org.

About Verizon Communications Inc.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ:VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to mass market, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving 94.1 million customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers innovative, seamless business solutions to customers around the world. A Dow 30 company, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of more than 194,000 and last year generated consolidated revenues of $106.6 billion. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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About NYIT

New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) offers 90 degree programs, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees, in more than 50 fields of study, including architecture and design; arts and sciences; education; engineering and computing sciences; health professions; management; and osteopathic medicine. A non-profit independent, private institution of higher education, NYIT has 15,000 students attending campuses on Long Island and Manhattan, online, and at its global campuses. NYIT sponsors 11 NCAA Division II programs and one Division I team.

Led by President Edward Guiliano, NYIT is guided by its mission to provide career-oriented professional education, offer access to opportunity to all qualified students, and support applications-oriented research that benefits the larger world. To date, 89,000 graduates have received degrees from NYIT. For more information, visit nyit.edu.

Briana Samuels
Communications Specialist
516.686.1354