The study, one of the largest of its kind, finds that children and adolescents consistently reported more positive mood after structured dance classes than before them — across every skill level, instructor, and dance style examined.

LIVERMORE, Calif., June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Raising the Barre – In one of the largest prospective field studies to examine session-level mood change in recreational youth dance, children and adolescents reported maintained or improved mood in roughly 86% of dance classes, according to peer-reviewed research published in Frontiers in Psychology.

Across more than 4,000 class sessions, students’ mood ratings after class were consistently higher than before. Skill level, dance genre, instructor experience, time of day, and day of week made no significant difference to the size of the effect, suggesting the benefit is a general property of well-run dance classes rather than something that requires a specific style, schedule, or instructor.

“What I find incredible is not just that the kids felt better after class. It’s how consistent it was. It didn’t matter what style they danced, how advanced they were, or who was teaching. It showed up for the whole class,” said Tiffany C. Henderson, the study’s lead author, co-founder of Tiffany’s Dance Academy, Twinkle Star Dance Academy, and the non-profit Raising the Barre.

Research began in 2024 as the capstone project of Henderson’s applied positive psychology studies at the University of Pennsylvania and was conducted in collaboration with faculty members there.

With rising rates of youth anxiety and depression reported internationally and many youth mental health resources focusing on clinical intervention, dance represents a widely accessible activity to potentially support young people’s physical, mental, and social wellbeing.

Building on the initial findings, studies are now being led by Dr. Monica Ellwood-Lowe, assistant professor at the Stanford University Graduate School of Education and director of the Minds, Experiences, and Language Lab, to investigate the role of dance and executive and cognitive function.

“We have the incredible opportunity to delve deeper into these initial findings, to watch in real time as children learn and perfect new dance skills,” said Ellwood-Lowe. “In close collaboration with Tiffany’s Dance Academy and the Twinkle Star Dance curriculum, we will investigate children’s moment-to-moment learning dynamics, how those dynamics interact with the broader classroom environment, and how all of this shapes children’s development over time.”

More information is available at https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1719704/full.

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SOURCE Raising the Barre

Siemens Industrial Edge and FFT DataBridge connect shopfloor and plant data directly to the Databricks Platform – no IoT middleware requiredNew edge to cloud connectivity offers scalable advanced analytics and a unified, AI‑ready production data foundation Industrial customers can optimize their operations, reduce costs and increase productivity

ERLANGEN, Germany, June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Siemens announced a new edge-to-cloud integration with Databricks, the Data and AI company, and long‑time automation partner FFT Produktionssysteme GmbH (FFT). Together, the partners will connect production data directly to enterprise AI – without complex IoT middleware. This will help industrial customers transform their production data into actionable insights and scale industrial AI across global operations.  

With the new integration, customers are able to stream contextualized shopfloor and plant data from Siemens Industrial Edge via the FFT DataBridge directly to the Databricks Platform, where it can be analyzed and used to train AI models centrally for implementation across global production networks. These models can then be deployed back to the edge for execution at the point of production. This approach helps industrial companies optimize their operations, reduce costs and increase productivity with low‑latency, data‑driven decision‑making. It lays the foundation for physical AI and future autonomous operations.

“Industrial AI only delivers value when data, context and execution come together,” said Rainer Brehm, COO Automation and CTO at Siemens Digital Industries. “With Databricks and FFT, we enable our customers to scale industrial AI across factories and plants and make AI-powered production real.”

Operationalizing Industrial AI with seamless IT/OT integration

With Siemens Industrial Edge and Industrial Information Hub (integration layer for industrial data), customers benefit from a secure, scalable and low-maintenance edge platform designed to unlock siloed industrial data and execute intelligent applications close to the production process. This includes advanced local analytics, physical AI and closed loop AI workflows that require low latency, high availability and strict security compliance.

Databricks complements this with advanced analytics, machine learning and agentic AI for industrial data in a cloud agnostic, governed environment with minimal infrastructure overhead. This supports a wide range of advanced use cases, including predictive maintenance, quality optimization, energy management, supply chain optimization and agentic AI applications.

“By uniting Siemens’ industrial automation and edge expertise with the Databricks Platform, we help industrial companies close the gap between industrial data and scalable business impact across their industrial network,” said Shiv Trisal, Global Industrials GTM Leader at Databricks. “This partnership is a foundational step in making human-agent collaboration a reality for industrial operations.”

Siemens Industrial Edge enables customers to deploy and manage edge devices and apps on the production site. The app ecosystem allows seamless connectivity to industrial assets, IT systems and the cloud.

FFT DataBridge: Industrial‑grade data pipelines for adaptive production

FFT Produktionssysteme GmbH plays a key role in operationalizing the joint Siemens–Databricks architecture. As a long-standing Siemens partner with deep shopfloor expertise, FFT provides the DataBridge application that securely and efficiently connects Siemens Industrial Edge with the Databricks platform. FFT DataBridge streams contextualized, AI-ready production data from the edge to the cloud, where it can be combined with additional IT and OT data sources.

“Together with our partners Databricks and Siemens, FFT DataBridge provides a simple, powerful gateway to the cloud for more than 30,000 potential customers,” said Volker Stark, COO at FFT Produktionssysteme. It is ready to use and does not require expensive and time-intensive transformation of data. By natively bridging the gap between IT and OT, we eliminate the need for complex IoT layers and significantly simplify industrial connectivity for customers of Databricks.”

With the combined offering from Siemens, Databricks, and FFT, industrial producers can unlock AI‑ready production data, scale Industrial AI, and optimize operations across global production sites

This press release and press pictures are available at https://sie.ag/3qTP9k

For more information on Siemens Industrial Edge Computing Architecture please see https://www.siemens.com/en-us/products/industrial-edge/edge-computing-architecture/

For more information on Databricks please see https://www.databricks.com/

For more information on FFT DataBridge please see https://www.fft.de/en/fft-data-bridge

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Siemens Digital Industries (DI) is an innovation leader in automation and digitalization. Closely collaborating with partners and customers, DI drives the digital transformation in the process and discrete industries. With its Digital Enterprise portfolio, DI provides companies of all sizes with an end-to-end set of products, solutions and services to integrate and digitalize the entire value chain. Optimized for the specific needs of each industry, DI’s unique portfolio supports customers to achieve greater productivity and flexibility. DI is constantly adding innovations to its portfolio to integrate cutting-edge future technologies. Siemens Digital Industries has its global headquarters in Nuremberg, Germany, and has around 72,000 employees internationally.

Siemens AG (Berlin and Munich) is a leading technology company focused on industry, infrastructure, mobility, and healthcare. The company’s purpose is to create technology to transform the everyday, for everyone. By combining the real and the digital worlds, Siemens empowers customers to accelerate their digital and sustainability transformations, making factories more efficient, cities more livable, and transportation more sustainable. A leader in industrial AI, Siemens leverages its deep domain know-how to apply AI – including generative AI – to real-world applications, making AI accessible and impactful for customers across diverse industries. Siemens also owns a majority stake in the publicly listed company Siemens Healthineers, a leading global medical technology provider pioneering breakthroughs in healthcare. For everyone. Everywhere. Sustainably.

In fiscal 2025, which ended on September 30, 2025, the Siemens Group generated revenue of €78.9 billion and net income of €10.4 billion. As of September 30, 2025, the company employed around 318,000 people worldwide on the basis of continuing operations. Further information is available on the Internet at www.siemens.com.

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SOURCE Siemens AG

BOSTON, June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — DelCam Capital announced today that its portfolio company, Space Age Electronics (“SAE”), has acquired SprinkGuard, a leading manufacturer of specialty fire sprinkler protection products used in commercial, industrial, and mission-critical facilities throughout North America.

Founded by Matt Hunsberger and Troy Marino, SprinkGuard has developed a strong reputation for innovative sprinkler-head protection products used in demanding environments where code compliance, facility protection, and system reliability are essential. SprinkGuard products are specified in a wide range of commercial and industrial applications, including distribution centers, manufacturing facilities, warehouses, and other high-value properties.

SprinkGuard will operate as part of Space Age Electronics, immediately gaining access to SAE’s national distribution network, engineering resources, manufacturing capabilities, and relationships with more than 1,000 fire systems integrators across the United States.

“SprinkGuard is a highly respected niche manufacturer with products that solve real problems for fire protection professionals,” said Steve Trotta, Managing Partner of DelCam Capital. “The business has built a strong reputation through product quality, innovation, and customer relationships. By combining SprinkGuard with Space Age Electronics, we believe we can significantly expand market reach while continuing to invest in product development, manufacturing excellence, and customer service.”

“We built SprinkGuard by focusing on product performance, customer trust, and helping contractors meet demanding code requirements,” said Matt Hunsberger, Co-Founder of SprinkGuard. “Joining Space Age Electronics and DelCam Capital provides access to resources, manufacturing capabilities, and distribution channels that will help accelerate the next stage of growth.”

Matt Grady, Chief Executive Officer of Space Age Electronics, added, “SprinkGuard complements our existing product portfolio exceptionally well. The addition strengthens our ability to serve fire protection professionals with a broader range of engineered solutions while leveraging the sales, customer support, and operational infrastructure we have already established nationwide.”

The transaction represents another step in DelCam Capital’s broader strategy of investing in and growing American manufacturing businesses that serve essential infrastructure markets. Through its ownership of Space Age Electronics and related fire and life safety businesses, DelCam continues to build a platform focused on product innovation, operational excellence, and long-term value creation.

Consistent with DelCam Capital’s operating philosophy, employees across the platform participate in ownership and value creation, aligning the interests of management, employees, and investors around long-term growth.

“Fire and life safety remains one of the most attractive sectors within industrial manufacturing,” added Trotta. “The industry benefits from recurring demand, strong regulatory drivers, and mission-critical applications. We continue to seek opportunities to partner with founders and family-owned businesses that have built differentiated products and strong customer relationships.”

About DelCam Capital

DelCam Capital is a Massachusetts-based private equity firm focused on acquiring and growing niche American manufacturing businesses. The firm partners with founders, management teams, and employees to build enduring companies through operational improvement, strategic growth initiatives, and long-term ownership.

About Space Age Electronics

Space Age Electronics is a leading manufacturer of fire and life safety equipment headquartered in Sterling, Massachusetts. The company designs and manufactures engineered products serving the fire alarm, emergency communications, and life safety markets and maintains relationships with more than 1,000 fire systems integrators nationwide.

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SOURCE DelCam Capital, LLC