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Nation’s Capital Gets SMARTHINKING for GEAR UP Students

Immediate Contact:

Sheila Noon
(206) 283-3054
snoon(AT)smarthinking.com

Lea Douglin
(202) 543-5034 x 245
ldouglin(AT)smarthinking.com

WASHINGTON, D.C. – January 31, 2005 – District of Columbia GEAR UP announced that it has selected SMARTHINKING to provide live online tutoring to help its students excel in school and prepare for success in college. DC joins the statewide Mississippi GEAR UP program already using SMARTHINKING; almost 10,000 GEAR UP students will now have live online tutoring when they need help.

“At DC GEAR UP, we believe that our students will thrive when they get the help they need,” said DC GEAR UP Director Angela March. “SMARTHINKING delivers the kind of help – high quality live tutoring available when and where students need it – that will make a difference.”

Short for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, DC GEAR UP has provided a cohort of over 900 students through middle and high school with the counseling, support and other resources they need to prepare for college. Now in 9th grade, these students now have access to the only live online math tutoring staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and personalized feedback on their writing from SMARTHINKING’s Online Writing Lab. Live after-school help is also available in six subjects (including mathematics taught in English and Spanish).

DC GEAR UP is not only selecting the leading provider of live online tutoring to schools and colleges; SMARTHINKING is a local company founded and based in Washington, DC. “We’re thrilled that our services are helping the local community where we live and work,” said Neil Allison, Vice President of K-12 Services for SMARTHINKING. “While SMARTHINKING’s online services are used around the country, they are just as useful to a student who needs help right down the street.”

Over 80% of SMARTHINKING tutors have a Master’s degree or Ph.D. in their discipline. SMARTHINKING projects that it will provide 300,000 tutoring sessions to 70,000 students in the 2004-2005 academic year. In a survey of nearly 1500 users, 93% of students said they would recommend it to a friend; 73% said that use of SMARTHINKING improved their grade; and 92% said they would use the service again. Corroborating studies conducted by multiple clients confirm that the use of SMARTHINKING’s services improves student performance.

About SMARTHINKING (www.SMARTHINKING.com)

SMARTHINKING, the leading provider of online tutoring to colleges and high schools, provides live, online, easy-access tutoring to students. SMARTHINKING works with schools, colleges, universities, textbook publishers and other institutions to help educators offer students outstanding academic support. SMARTHINKING’s custom solutions improve faculty support and raise student performance by connecting students to qualified assistance anytime, from any Internet connection. SMARTHINKING clients include schools, colleges, libraries, education companies, individuals, and anyone seeking to increase student achievement. SMARTHINKING currently works with over 500 school clients and businesses. To learn more, please visit www.smarthinking.com or call 888.430.7429 ext 224.