Released on: September 16, 2008, 7:50 am

Press Release Author: MMI ASSOCIATES, INC.

Industry: Education

Press Release Summary: Nevada School District Secures Funding To Make Online
Tutoring And Academic Support Available To Students

Press Release Body: WASHINGTON, D.C. – SMARTHINKING, Inc. (www.smarthinking.com),
the market leader in providing online tutoring and academic support to students, has
announced that The Education Collaborative of Washoe County Incorporated (Education
Collaborative) has secured funding from a local foundation to provide SMARTHINKING
services to all students in the Washoe County School District for the next three
years. SMARTHINKING services will provide students assistance in math, writing,
science and business, 24 hours a day, seven days a week on any Internet connected
computer.

Located in Reno, Nev., Education Collaborative is a nonprofit group that works on
behalf of the Washoe County School District to implement and fund projects that do
not come from the district budget and taxpayer funds. The group recently secured
funding from The Terry Lee Wells Foundation which makes grants to private, nonprofit
organizations and public agencies to carry out projects that address the medical,
educational, and quality-of-life issues faced by the underserved population of
Nevada.

The Washoe County School District operates 92 schools spread over a county larger
than the state of Delaware with a total enrollment of more than 63,000 students.
The district includes two schools in the communities of Gerlach/Empire, one in
Wadsworth, three in the resort area of Incline Village (north shore of Lake Tahoe),
and 89 in the Reno/Sparks metropolitan area. Currently there are 64 elementary
schools, a special education school, 15 middle schools, 12 comprehensive high
schools plus Washoe High School (an alternative school), Truckee Meadows Community
College Magnet High School and the Academy for Arts, Career, and Technology.

With a 75 percent graduation rate in Washoe County School District, the
implementation of SMARTHINKING online tutoring and academic support is designed to
increase student achievement and enhance learning. SMARTHINKING connects students
to E-structor® Certified tutors anytime, from any Internet connection. This fall
semester, the Washoe County School District will begin the agreement to provide
SMARTHINKING access for all students.

Related Links:
www.smarthinking.com
www.e-collaborative.org
http://wcsd.aztech-cs.com
www.terryleewellsfoundation.org
www.straighterline.com
www.mmimarketing.com

Quotes:
“SMARTHINKING’s research-proven online tutoring lets students get help at the moment
of need – whether that’s 10 in the morning or 10 at night,” said SMARTHINKING CEO
Burck Smith. “The ‘teachable moment’ is when a student is frustrated with their
homework, not several days later.”

“Often, when coursework is causing students problems, they can become frustrated and
give up. SMARTHINKING is a wonderful opportunity to get one-on-one individual help
from an expert,” said Paul Dugan, Washoe County School District superintendent.
“Certainly my hope is that SMARTHINKING will play a major role in helping students
succeed in meeting this district's number one goal, which is ensuring that students
graduate with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in either college or the
world of work.”

"Our mission is to give every student the very best educational foundation to
prepare them for the next phase in their lives. We believe that SMARTHINKING.com
online tutoring service will help students improve their overall performance and
over time, increase the numbers of students graduating and decrease the numbers of
students enrolled in remedial college courses,” said Denise Hedrick, executive
director of the Education Collaborative.

“Terry Lee was passionate about providing opportunities for children to achieve
their full potential in life, and education was a high priority for Terry,” said
Dawn Wells, president of the Terry Lee Wells Foundation, Terry’s cousin and Mary Ann
of Gilligan’s Island. “The Foundation feels very strongly that SMARTHINKING.com will
have a significant impact in helping our Washoe County students improve their grades
and ultimately achieve greater success in school. It will be a valuable resource at
home as well: Parents will realize that tutors are available anytime they need them
at no cost.”

About SMARTHINKING:
SMARTHINKING is the market leader in providing online tutoring and academic support
to students. Their services were honored with the Software & Information Industry
Association (SIIA) CODiE award for Best Instruction Solution for Students at Home.
Schools, colleges, universities, libraries, government agencies, textbook publishers
and other education providers partner with SMARTHINKING to increase student
achievement and enhance learning. SMARTHINKING connects students to
e-structor®-certified tutors for assistance in math, writing, science and business,
up to 24/7, on any Internet connected computer. SMARTHINKING’s corporate office is
located in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.smarthinking.com.

Keywords:
SMARTHINKING, Burck Smith, Online Education, Online Tutoring, Education Technology,
Online Academic Support, E-structor, e-structor®, e-scholars, McGraw-Hill,
Blackboard, Whiteboard, Online Learning, College Accreditation, Washoe County School
District, The Education Collaborative of Washoe County Incorporated, Terry Lee Wells
Foundation, Nevada schools, dropout rate, Denise Hedrick, Dawn Wells, Paul Dugan

Patty Briguglio
MMI Associates, Inc.
919-233-6600
patty@mmimarketing.com
PR Firms Raleigh, NC