MONTREAL, July 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ – Explorance proudly recognized 23 organizations as recipients of the inaugural Explorance Metrics That Matter Learning Excellence Awards during a special ceremony at Explorance World 2026. These awards celebrate organizations demonstrating exceptional achievement in learning measurement, impact, and strategic value across three performance tiers: Gold, Silver, and Bronze.

The awards are based on rigorous benchmarks across vital learning KPIs such as learner satisfaction, Net Promoter Scores, reduction of Scrap Learning, and Estimated Performance Improvement. These distinguished organizations exemplify best-in-class learning and development functions that not only deliver effective programs but also prove measurable business outcomes.

The significance of these awards was further highlighted through two keynote addresses at Explorance World. Steve Lange, General Manager of the Metrics That Matter business unit, delivered a compelling keynote entitled “The MTM Vision & Roadmap: Optimizing the Value of Learning Investments.”  Lange emphasized the rising pressure on L&D teams to go beyond program delivery to build critical skills, show business value, and make smarter investments. He showcased how MTM is evolving from traditional measurement tools toward predictive intelligence, prescriptive guidance, and continuous optimization to help organizations surface insights faster and embed learning intelligence into business decision-making.

Complementing this forward-looking vision, Michael Rochelle, Chief Strategy Officer at Brandon Hall Group, delivered a keynote titled “Performance or Irrelevance: The Moment of Truth for L&D and Talent.” Rochelle underscored the urgent challenge L&D leaders face to clearly demonstrate the impact of learning on business outcomes, warning that learning functions must transform from activity reporting to strategic business drivers or risk irrelevance. His insights emphasized the growing expectations for CLOs to demonstrate ROI, influence strategy, and contribute measurably to organizational success.

“These award recipients represent the forefront of a transformational shift in learning and development,” said Steve Lange, GM Metrics That Matter. “They embody the integration of data-driven insight, strategic influence, and measurable impact that the business is asking for.”

The MTM Learning Excellence Awards further reinforce the importance of comprehensive, standardized learning measurement platforms to help Chief Learning Officers and learning leaders answer critical questions such as “what good looks like,” “how learning drives business outcomes,” and “where to best invest resources.”

Award recipients include:

Gold Award (Top 5% performance):

Belle TireHeartland DentalKuwait Institute of Banking StudiesUnited Health Group

Silver Award (Top 10% performance):

Pratt & Whitney Customer TrainingRegeneron PharmaceuticalsSaudi AramcoT-Mobile Corp

Bronze Award (Top 25% performance):

AllegionAramco LDDBlue Cross Blue Shield of AlabamaBlue Cross Blue Shield of MichiganChristiana CareDP WorldFederal ExpressJohnson Controls InternationalOptum UHGPalo Alto NetworksPetronas GroupSLBThermo Fisher Clinical ResearchT-Mobile Customer ManagementTrinity Health

Explorance World 2026 brought together L&D professionals, learning strategists, and industry innovators to explore emerging trends, practical frameworks, and cutting-edge analytics shaping the future of workforce development.

“Together, these awards and keynotes highlight that the future of learning measurement lies in the learning organization becoming a strategic partner to the business. To be a strategic partner, learning organizations need to predict business outcomes, guide business actions, and drive continuous workforce performance improvement at scale,” concluded Michael Rochelle, Chief Strategy Officer, Brandon Hall Group.

About the MTM Learning Excellence Awards

The MTM Learning Excellence Awards recognize organizations that demonstrate exceptional performance in learning measurement and outcomes. Winners are selected based on rigorous benchmarking across four critical metrics: Likert Average scores, Net Promoter Score, Scrap Learning reduction, and Estimated Performance Improvement. Drawing from billions of data points collected through MTM’s standardized measurement framework, these awards identify organizations that exemplify data-driven learning excellence and strategic L&D leadership.

About Explorance

Founded in Montreal in 2003, Explorance is a global feedback analytics company that helps organizations listen deeply, act confidently, and grow meaningfully.

Explorance supports over 1,000 organizations in more than 50 countries, including 30% of the world’s top universities and 25% of the Fortune 500. Explorance offers purpose-built platforms such as Blue, MLY, MTM, and BlueX, along with expert services in change management and analytics consulting.

With over 25 million users and more than 2 billion feedback data points, Explorance empowers institutions to enhance teaching effectiveness, employee engagement, and learning impact. With over two decades of innovation and a 95%+ customer retention rate, Explorance is recognized by Gartner, the QS Reimagine Education Awards, the Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards, and Great Place to Work®.

Learn more at www.explorance.com.

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SOURCE Explorance Inc.

BALTIMORE, July 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Baltimore visitors have a new navigational tool to chart their course through Charm City. Visit Baltimore has launched “Chessie,” an AI travel assistant powered by Matador Network’s industry-leading GuideGeek AI platform, designed to help travelers easily explore everything the city has to offer.

Chessie is named after a bit of Baltimore folklore, a legendary sea monster said to lurk in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. With an engaging persona that exemplifies the city’s friendliness, the new AI is available via an icon in the bottom-right corner of baltimore.org. Chessie is ready to plan full itineraries or provide information about neighborhoods, culture, dining, events, only-in-Baltimore experiences and more.

Visit Baltimore is meeting the rising expectations of visitors who increasingly rely on AI to shape their vacations. Chessie provides personalized responses and adapts to visitor preferences on desktop or mobile, all without requiring travelers to login or download an app.

“Visitors now expect instant, personalized guidance. Chessie provides that while showcasing the depth and character of everything our city has to offer, optimizing our team’s authentic, firsthand expertise,” said Visit Baltimore President & CEO Kireem Swinton. “We want Baltimore to be a city that’s easy to discover and impossible to forget, and giving visitors a smart, friendly tool to plan their journey is one more way we’re investing in that experience.”

Baltimore joins other destinations that have launched GuideGeek-powered AI assistants, including New Zealand, Greece and New York City. Consumers trust AI for travel planning more than any other task and Chessie brings unique Baltimore flair to that experience, building personalized travel plans and making it easier than ever to discover an exceptional destination.

Travelers can ask Chessie highly specific or vague questions such as, “What are the best attractions in Baltimore?” or “We’re a family of 5 with kids ages 4-9 traveling across the East Coast this summer. Can you please plan us a 4-day itinerary in Baltimore?”

Baltimore highlights travelers may want to discuss with Chessie:

Historic sites, like Fort McHenry, the USS Constellation, and the Washington MonumentWorld-class attractions like the National Aquarium, B&O Railroad Museum, and Baltimore Museum of IndustryMust-see art exhibits at the Baltimore Museum of Art, American Visionary Art Museum, and The Walters Art MuseumCultural centers, like the Reginald F. Lewis Museum, National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, and the Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park MuseumRestaurants that serve up the best local cuisine, including crab cakesA seven-mile waterfront promenade passing through multiple neighborhoodsMore than 250 distinct neighborhoods, such as historic Fell’s Point, eclectic Hampden, and charming Mount VernonEvents happening year round throughout the city

“Travelers are increasingly turning to AI as their first stop when planning a trip, and destinations that embrace this shift are the ones that will win visitors,” says Matador Network CEO Ross Borden. “Chessie gives anyone curious about Baltimore an instant, personalized way to explore everything the city has to offer, from its iconic landmarks to its eclectic neighborhoods.”

About Visit Baltimore

Visit Baltimore is the official sales and marketing arm for the City of Baltimore. The 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization generates economic benefits for Baltimore and its residents through the attraction of convention, group and leisure visitors. In 2025, 28.7 million people visited Baltimore for overnight and day trips, generating $4.3 billion for the city’s economy. For more information, please visit baltimore.org.

About Matador Network

Matador Network is the world’s No. 1 media brand for modern adventurers and the creator of GuideGeek, the award-winning AI travel genius. With more than 15 million followers across social media, Matador became a leading travel brand through its production of feature articles, city guides, creator-first content and original streaming shows. Matador’s videos generate over 140M monthly views and its content distribution deals with major airlines, airports, gas stations and ride sharing companies reach travelers throughout their journey. The GuideGeek AI platform has over 1M consumer users and powers custom conversational AI for dozens of travel brands and destinations. matadornetwork.com | guidegeek.com

Media Contact:
Jason Simms
860.526.1555
418242@email4pr.com

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SOURCE Matador Network

Curated selection gives families and educators easier access to screen-free toys that support foundational learning skills through play

VERNON HILLS, Ill., July 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Learning Resources® Family of Brands, pioneers in educational toys and hands-on learning tools for over 60 years, is expanding its availability at Target ahead of the back-to-school season. The increased assortment from Learning Resources®, Educational Insights®, and hand2mind® include learning toys and tools designed to support key classroom and at-home learning moments.

The product lineup includes hands-on learning tools designed to support early literacy, phonics, math, STEM, confidence-building, social-emotional learning, and independent learning. These items have long been part of the brands’ portfolios, and some are returning favorites in Target’s back-to-school assortment. With expanded availability this season, more families and educators can access trusted learning tools for homes and classrooms.

Learning Resources®
Learning Resources’ Target back-to-school assortment features educational toys and tools that help children build school-readiness skills, including early literacy, phonics, math, time and money concepts, problem-solving, and self-regulation. Products include:

Money Activity Set (Ages 5+ | $18.89): Realistic play coins, bills, price tags, and activity cards help children practice counting, adding, subtracting, and making change.MathLink® Cubes Early Math Activity Set (Ages 4+ | $14.99): Children explore addition, subtraction, and early math concepts through tactile play with 100 vibrant cubes and 15 double-sided activity cards featuring 30 challenges.Time Activity Set (Ages 5+ | $14.99): Kids learn to identify the hour and minute hands, understand the difference between analog and digital time, and practice telling time to the hour and half-hour.Skill Builders! Multiplication Quiz Wheel (Ages 7+ | $10.19): Kids practice multiplication by spinning to a math equation, solving it, and flipping the card to check the answer.Skill Builders! Sight Words Quiz Wheel (Ages 5+ | $12.29): Beginner readers practice sight words by spinning to a word and building early reading confidence.Skill Builders! Smart Stickers – Colors, Numbers & Shapes (Ages 3+ | $8.59): Kids practice counting, colors, and shapes through reusable 3D puffy stickers and ready-to-use activity pages.Skill Builders! Smart Stickers – Letters & Phonics (Ages 3+ | $9.59): Kids practice early alphabet and phonics skills through reusable 3D puffy stickers and interactive activity pages.Cool Down Cubes Sensory Fidget Set (Ages 4+ | $9.49): Includes four calming sensory cubes with different fidget actions – squeeze the slow-rise foam, spin the spinner, solve the maze, and sift the falling beads – to help kids reset, refocus, and self-regulate.

Educational Insights®
Educational Insights’ Target back-to-school assortment includes literacy and language products that spark curiosity, support reading readiness, and help children build confidence as they learn. Products include:

Lowercase Alphabet BubbleBrix™ (Ages 3+ | $16.89): Kids build alphabet recognition, letter sounds, and early reading readiness as they pop, snap, and connect lowercase letter blocks to form simple CVC words.Sentence Building Dominoes (Ages 6+ | $19.26): Kids practice reading, parts of speech, and sentence formation with tactile dominoes featuring parts of speech and punctuation.ABC Arc Mat AlphaMagnets® Set (Ages 3+ | $17.69): Children build key early literacy skills through magnetic, hands-on play, from letter matching and recognition to spelling and phonics.

hand2mind®
hand2mind’s Target back-to-school lineup includes learning products spanning literacy, math, STEM, sensory play, and social-emotional learning. Products include:

Express Your Feelings® Sensory Bottles (Ages 3+ | $22.99): Give children a quiet, hands-on way to identify their emotions and explore their feelings! These four engaging bottles embody an emotion with expressive faces, colors, and liquid insides. Collect all the Express Your Feelings® Sensory Bottles from the second and third set as well.Math Practice Boards: Boost math confidence with these tactile, hands-on, self-checking boards. Each board includes 81 equations for independent multiplication, addition, and subtraction practice.Multiplication Practice Board (Ages 7+ | $16.99)Addition Practice Board (Ages 5+ | $17.99)Subtraction Practice Board (Ages 5+ | $17.99)Letter Tracing Sensory Pad (Ages 3-6 | $16.99): Now in new, open-face packaging, the Letter Tracing Sensory Pad encourages young learners to practice letter formation and build fine motor skills through engaging, multisensory exploration.

hand2mind also offers a lineup of new and exclusive back-to-school products at Target, including classroom-ready tools created with its teacher-author partners Tara West and Brooke Brown. The product lineup gives educators and parents easy access to engaging, hands-on learning tools designed to support math, literacy, STEM, and social-emotional learning and includes: STEM Bins® by Brooke Brown Builder Pack ($24.99), Little Minds at Work® Early Math Activity Set ($21.99), and Little Minds at Work® Game Tray Activity Set ($19.99).

“Back-to-school season is a key moment for families and teachers as they look for tools that make learning feel approachable, engaging and fun,” said Kelly Goodwin, Vice President of Sales for the U.S. and Canada at Learning Resources. “Expanding our assortment at Target makes it easier for parents and educators to find trusted, screen-free learning products that help children build confidence in the skills they’ll use throughout the school year.”

Products from the Learning Resources Family of Brands back-to-school lineup are available in Target stores and on Target.com.

About Learning Resources®
We’re Learning Resources®, and learning is where we play. Trusted by parents and teachers since 1984, we create award-winning educational toys that help kids build a lifelong love of learning while developing essential school-ready skills through play. From early concepts like ABCs and 123s to hands-on problem-solving and screen-free STEM, our thoughtfully designed toys support learning for kids ages 18 months to 8 years, across developmental stages and skill levels. Discover learn-through-play favorites like the Pretend & Play® Calculator Cash Register, Farmer’s Market Color Sorting Set, and Toy of the Year winner Botley® the Coding Robot.

For more information, visit www.learningresources.com or follow the brand on TikTok @learningresources, Facebook @LearningResources, and Instagram @learningresources.

About Educational Insights®
Based in sunny Southern California, Educational Insights® has over 60 years of experience creating award-winning toys and games. Our products encourage curiosity, introduce new skills, and build confidence through play-based learning. We prioritize hands-on play and self-led discovery through our products like fan-favorite brainteaser line Kanoodle, GeoSafari science toys, Design & Drill construction toys, Playfoam and Pluffle sensory products, creative arts and crafts kits, foundational early learning sets, and more. 

Learn more at www.EducationalInsights.com, or follow the brand on TikTok @educationalinsights, Instagram @educationalinsights, YouTube @educationalinsights, and Facebook @EducationalInsights.

About hand2mind®
At hand2mind®, we believe children learn best by doing. That’s why, for over 60 years, we’ve been creating hands-on learning tools and educational toys that help kids build skills through exploration, problem-solving, and active play. From math and STEM to literacy and social-emotional learning, our screen-free educational tools and toys support engaged skill development in grades PreK and up. We inspire curiosity, build confidence and make learning fun—at home, in the classroom, and beyond. Unlock the power of hands-on learning by visiting www.hand2mind.com or following the brand on TikTok @hand2mind, Facebook @hand2mindinc, and Instagram @hand2mindinc.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Jillian Kwasizur | Madison Roszko| Amanda de la Cruz
(650) 224-5628
418248@email4pr.com

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SOURCE Learning Resources