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LEGO® Education Announces Hands-on Learning Solution for K-8 Science

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Hands-on learning helps build confidence, yet only half of students have access to these experiences in science class, according to a new LEGO® Education report. LEGO® Education Science aims to change that.

BILLUND, Denmark, Jan. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Today, LEGO® Education announced its new learning solution, LEGO® Education Science, to help educators bring hands-on science learning to more students. Designed to boost engagement, LEGO Education Science features 120+ engaging, standards-aligned science lessons and ready-to-use class presentations that bring science to life for teachers and students (K-8 or ages 5-11+).

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/lego/9312551-en-lego-education-science-hands-on-learning 

Critical thinking skills and an understanding of science concepts and practices are increasingly needed for the future. Yet, the State of Classroom Engagement Report: Science Edition, a survey commissioned by LEGO Education, found that 45 percent of students who listed science as one of their “least favorite” subjects described it as “too hard”, and 37 percent felt they were “bad at it.” Notably, 58 percent of these students were girls, highlighting the ongoing STEM gap.

These findings underscore the need to reimagine science class to be more inclusive for students and teachers. In addition to understanding scientific concepts, science learning also plays a crucial role in developing skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and creativity. Every student deserves to succeed in science, and, together with educators, LEGO Education wants to make that a reality.

“Science teaches us to ask curious questions to understand the world around us,” said Victor Saeijs, President of LEGO Education. “If students think they’re not good at the subject or avoid it, we risk losing an entire generation of innovators and problem-solvers. We share your commitment as educators to excite and engage students with high-quality science education.”

With LEGO Education Science, teachers have everything they need to instantly engage students in scientific phenomena and spark student creativity and problem-solving through hands-on learning. Lessons are aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), state, and national standards to easily integrate into existing curriculum. Students will learn about biomimicry (NGSS-LS1-1), ways the impact of natural events can be reduced (NGSS-4-ESS3-2), changes in kinetic energy (NGSS-MS-PS3-5), and much more.

Each lesson starts with a big question to spark curiosity and invite inquiry, while also connecting scientific principles to the real world for deeper comprehension. Students will explore multiple paths to a solution, ask key questions, and work with their peers. Kits are designed for use by up to four students together, with each student taking an active role in the lesson. This supports different learning abilities and develops collaboration and communication skills.

“It was inspiring to see my students’ enthusiasm and creativity flourish,” said Jill Snodgrass, a fourth-grade math and science teacher at Kernan Trail Elementary (Fla.) who tested the new solution with her class. “The tactile nature of working with LEGO bricks helps solidify their understanding by connecting abstract concepts to tangible outcomes. They were so excited to see their finished build for the lesson, especially when the rattlesnake used its shaking tail to ward off predators. Their collaboration and joy were truly a highlight of the day.”

Hands-on learning makes learning more accessible for all students, yet only 55 percent of students globally get these experiences in science class, according to the report. LEGO Education Science unlocks ‘aha’ moments for students, empowers teachers, and engages the whole classroom with hands-on, collaborative lessons. Over 3,000 students in over 100 classrooms tested the new learning solution throughout its development.

“One of the most powerful things we can do as educators is to instill a lifelong love of learning in our students,” said Andrew Sliwinski, Head of Product Experience at LEGO Education. “LEGO Education Science supports educators across the world to bring science standards to life in a new way with ready-made lessons and high quality, reusable LEGO bricks and hardware. I can’t wait to see these learning experiences in the hands of students.”

LEGO Education Science will begin shipping in August 2025. To learn more and sign up for updates, visit: www.LEGOEducation.com/science.

About LEGO Education Science

Includes 120+ lessons, teacher materials, and carefully selected LEGO bricks and hardware to enable hands-on learningProvides getting started materials, lessons, standards mapping, facilitation notes, and ready-to-teach class presentations through the online Teacher PortalFlexibility for teachers to select lessons based on grade bands (approximately 40 lessons per kit) or in the way that best supports their curriculum needsDesigned for use by up to four students per kit for increased collaboration and engagementAvailable in three kits by grade band. In the U.S., it is recommended to purchase classroom bundles, but if purchased separately, the cost per kit is included below. In other markets, please contact your LEGO Education authorized reseller for complete pricing and availability.LEGO Education Science Kit K-2 ($329)277 LEGO bricks1 double motorUSB charging cableBuilding instructionsLEGO Education Science Kit 3-5 ($399)335 LEGO bricks1 double motor1 controller2 connection cardsUSB charging cableBuilding instructionsLEGO Education Science Kit 6-8 ($499)424 LEGO bricks1 single motor1 double motor1 controller1 color sensor3 connection cardsUSB charging cableBuilding instructions

About the State of Classroom Engagement Report: Science Edition 
A global survey conducted by LEGO Education of over 6,000 K-8 teachers, parents, students, and U.S. education administrators. Markets included Australia, Germany, South Korea, the UK, and the U.S. Total sample size: 6,650, including 2,400 teachers, 2,000 parents, 2,000 students (aged 5-14), and 250 U.S. education administrators. Fieldwork was completed May 15, 2024-June 15, 2024.

Download the report here. Key findings include:

Only a third (37 percent) of parents and half (52 percent) of science teachers surveyed globally believe students are engaged in science.The majority of science teachers (73 percent) do not feel equipped to engage students in science, and 50 percent of U.S. administrators reported they don’t understand how to effectively use science-specific resources.Most science teachers and parents surveyed believe science education cultivates curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving, which are critical skills in the classroom and beyond.Students with access to hands-on learning experiences are 1.5 times more likely to be confident in learning science than those that don’t.Three out of four science teachers who incorporate hands-on learning agree it fosters higher test scores and grades.

About LEGO Education
At LEGO Education, we are committed to providing educators and students with the most engaging, joyful learning experiences the classroom has ever seen. Part of the LEGO Group, our future-focused team of educators and innovators has built K-8 learning experiences for 45 years based on the LEGO brick, our learning through play methodology, and standards-driven learning outcomes. Together, we can equip every student with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed and empower them to rebuild the world better than they found it.

LEGO and the LEGO logo are trademarks and/or copyrights of the LEGO Group. ©2025 The LEGO Group. All rights reserved.

Media Contact
Kelley Brescia
Kelley.brescia@LEGO.com

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Johns Hopkins University Athletics Partners with Prospect HQ to Expand Career Opportunities for Student-Athletes

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Partnership connects Johns Hopkins student-athletes and alumni to a growing national talent network and employers seeking the attributes and skills developed through sport

BALTIMORE, Nov. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Johns Hopkins University Athletics has partnered with Prospect HQ, the hiring platform connecting current and former student-athletes with employers seeking culturally aligned talent possessing the dynamic attributes developed through sport.

The partnership reflects the philosophical alignment and shared mission of supporting student-athletes on their career journey and life after sport.

“We are excited to provide all current and former Blue Jays with a platform that will challenge them to reflect on their own personal values, strengths and purpose, as well as provide them curated access to professional organizations that have done the same work and are seeking to hire former athletes who have developed the leadership and teamwork skills uniquely formed by sport,” said Jennifer S. Baker, Associate Vice Provost for Student Affairs and Director of Athletics. “This is a natural complement to all the support provided by our Life Design Lab and will further help our scholar-athletes navigate their unique career journeys. In particular, we’re enthusiastic about connecting the outcomes from our LEAD program to meaningful employment post-Hopkins, and to supporting our Blue Jays as they find a professional path that allows them to continue to grow and thrive, as they’ve done during their years at Homewood.”

“Jen Baker and the team at Hopkins are the vanguard in college athletics in terms of their commitment and approach to supporting student-athletes on their path to purpose,” said Cory Carlesimo, CEO of Prospect HQ. “Prospect HQ and Hopkins are committed to helping student-athletes find the right opportunities that allow them to thrive professionally and personally. We are grateful and excited to have such purposeful and dynamic partners.”

Through Prospect HQ, Johns Hopkins student-athletes and athletic alumni will have access to a growing national network that now includes student-athlete membership from more than 700 colleges and universities. Launched in January 2026, Prospect HQ is built on three principles: aligning hires, elevating cultures and transforming lives.

Prospect HQ is an active community of current and former student-athletes networking with one another while connecting with a diverse range of employers seeking this curated talent pool. Companies subscribe to Prospect HQ to access this distinctive roster of talent and identify candidates aligned with their culture and hiring needs.

The platform also delivers open job opportunities aligned with each candidate’s self-described goals, attributes, skills and cultural fit. This process empowers student-athletes to identify opportunities relevant to who they are and where they want to go.

At the center of Prospect HQ is Purposeful Intelligence, which coaches and guides candidates throughout their career journey while helping them reflect on their own unique experiences and attributes. The platform is designed to help student-athletes convey their authentic story in a way that resonates with prospective employers.

Prospect HQ’s recently launched iOS app makes the platform even easier for student-athletes to access, allowing them to engage with the network, manage their profiles, explore opportunities and build connections wherever their journey takes them.

Through the Johns Hopkins partnership, Blue Jay student-athletes and alumni become part of a community that extends beyond a single campus, connecting current and former athletes across institutions, industries and generations.

Prospect HQ is free for student-athletes, athletic alumni and universities.

About Johns Hopkins Athletics
Johns Hopkins boasts one of the most successful athletic programs in the nation. The winner of two Learfield Directors’ Cup titles in the last five years with nine top-five finishes to its credit since 2014, Johns Hopkins has produced more than 300 all-time Academic All-Americans and more than 60 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients. Blue Jay teams have collectively earned 57 national championships, including 10 NCAA titles since 2012, and won more than 300 all-time conference titles. Quite simply, Johns Hopkins offers one of the nation’s premier combinations of academics and athletics.

About Prospect HQ
Prospect HQ is a digital community and hiring platform connecting current and former student-athletes with employers seeking culturally aligned talent possessing the dynamic attributes developed through sport. The platform is built around three principles: aligning hires, elevating cultures and transforming lives. Prospect HQ combines an active athlete network, employer connections, personalized job opportunities and Purposeful Intelligence to help student-athletes navigate their journey from sport to career. The platform is free to student-athletes, athletic alumni and universities and is supported by candidate-seeking employers.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/johns-hopkins-university-athletics-partners-with-prospect-hq-to-expand-career-opportunities-for-student-athletes-302926598.html

SOURCE Prospect HQ

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PRA Group Celebrates 30 Years of Business by Ringing Nasdaq Opening Bell

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NORFOLK, Va., Nov. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — PRA Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRAA), a global leader in acquiring and collecting nonperforming loans, today celebrated its 30th anniversary by ringing the Nasdaq Stock Market Opening Bell in New York City’s Times Square.

PRA Group President and Chief Executive Officer Martin Sjolund rang the bell alongside co-founder and Executive Chairman of the Board Steve Fredrickson, the company’s senior leadership team and employees representing PRA Group’s global workforce.

“Celebrating 30 years of business is especially meaningful because this milestone belongs to the people who have helped make PRA Group what it is today,” said Sjolund. “Our people are the reason we’ve grown from a startup in Virginia into a global company, and they are the reason we’re excited about our next chapter.”

Founded in Norfolk, Va., in 1996, PRA Group has grown into one of the most globally diversified companies in the nonperforming loan industry, with portfolio operations in 18 countries. The company has been publicly traded since 2002 and continues to play an important role in the financial ecosystem by returning capital to banks and other creditors while working directly with customers to help them resolve their debt.

“As proud as we are of our first 30 years, we’re even more excited about what comes next,” Sjolund said. “Together, we’re advancing our new PRA 3.0 strategy introduced earlier this year, which is focused on helping us become a high-performing, technology-enabled global allocator of capital. I am proud of what our team has accomplished, and we look forward to continuing to deliver value to our customers, employees, partners and shareholders.”

About PRA Group
As a global industry leader with more than 30 years of experience, PRA Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRAA) specializes in acquiring and collecting nonperforming loans. PRA Group purchases portfolios from banks and other creditors and, through its subsidiaries, collaborates with customers to help them resolve their debt. Headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, PRA Group has operations in the U.S., Europe and other markets. For more information, please visit www.pragroup.com.

Media Contact:
Allison Herman
Manager, Public Relations and Strategic Communication
(757) 381-5205
MediaInquiries@PRAGroup.com

Investor Contact:
Najim Mostamand, CFA
Vice President, Investor Relations
(757) 431-7913
IR@PRAGroup.com

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SOURCE PRA Group, Inc.

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Abbott Risk Consulting Ltd. Joins ISASecure to Strengthen Adoption of ISA/IEC 62443 Cybersecurity Standards

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DURHAM, N.C., Nov. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The International Society of Automation (ISA) — the leading professional society for automation — announced that Abbott Risk Consulting (ARC) Ltd. has officially joined ISASecure®, the globally recognized certification program that validates conformance to the ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards for industrial automation and control systems (IACS) cybersecurity.

ARC offers consultancy services across the UK and Australia including risk management; safety engineering, assurance and verification; independent safety assessment; training; functional safety; cybersecurity; and more. ARC focuses on supporting clients with the design, operation, and decommissioning of facilities, plants, and assets in high-risk industries including oil and gas, nuclear, defense, rail, mining, and clean energy.

This new partnership with ISASecure reflects ARC’s ongoing mission to strengthen their knowledge and assistance in providing additional operational technology (OT) cybersecurity consulting and assessments — including ISASecure’s Security Development Lifecycle Assurance (SDLA), Component Security Assurance (CSA), System Security Assurance (SSA), and Automation Control System Security Assurance (ACSSA) — for their clients.

“It is an honor to welcome ARC Ltd. into the ISASecure program, and we look forward to engaging with them as students in the next IC49 ACSSA for Evaluators training course,” said Mark DeAngelo, ISASecure program manager. “Today’s critical infrastructure demands comprehensive, rigorously validated cybersecurity. We look forward to collaborating with ARC Ltd. as we advance our mission of partnership, certification, and standards-based product development to help achieve a more secure world.”

Tom Abbott, who leads ARC’s Cyber Security team, said: “Control system security standards are a fundamental part of the architecture of resilient systems. By joining ISASecure, we’re fully committed to upholding these standards now and influencing their development in the future.”

About ISASecure®

Founded in 2007 by the International Society of Automation (ISA), ISASecure® is a globally recognized certification program that provides assurance for the cybersecurity of industrial automation control systems (IACS). Through rigorous conformance to the ISA/IEC 62443 series of standards, ISASecure certifications validate that products and supplier practices meet internationally recognized benchmarks for OT security. ISASecure is a wholly owned subsidiary of ISA.

ISASecure’s global ecosystem includes leaders such as Chevron, ExxonMobil, GSK, Saudi Aramco, Honeywell, Johnson Controls, Schneider Electric, Trane Technologies, and Yokogawa, among others.

For more information, visit isasecure.org.

About Abbott Risk Consulting Ltd.

Abbott Risk Consulting (ARC) is a dynamic safety engineering consultancy with a world-wide reputation for delivering quality solutions to their clients. It is an independent, employee-owned company. ARC is consistently recognized as one of the best places to work in the UK by the Sunday Times and in Australia, by The Australian.

From offices throughout the UK and Australia, with headquarters in Edinburgh, ARC supports clients and projects globally. ARC’s flexible and innovative approach allows the company to deliver the highest quality services to major international corporations, government bodies, and small- to medium-sized enterprises alike.

Their specialties include safety engineering and risk management, hazard and operability studies (HAZOP), quantitative risk assessments (QRA), safety case, CFD, fire and explosion analysis, facilitation, safety integrity level (SIL) assessments, hazard identification (HAZID), management consultancy, clean energy, sustainability, green hydrogen, renewables, human factors, change management, defense, nuclear, transportation, and hydrogen.

About ISA

The International Society of Automation (ISA) is a nonprofit professional association founded in 1945 to create a better world through automation. ISA’s mission is to empower the global automation community through standards and knowledge sharing. ISA develops widely used global standards and conformity assessment programs, certifies professionals, provides education and training, publishes books and technical articles, hosts conferences and exhibits, and provides networking and career development programs for its members and customers around the world. Learn more at www.isa.org.

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SOURCE The International Society of Automation

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