Platform Learning Announces Partnership with Russell Simmons' Hip-Hop Summit Action Network

Platform Learning Announces Partnership with Russell Simmons' Hip-Hop Summit Action Network

Simmons announces commitment to join Platform Learning in raising community expectations regarding academic achievement

NEW ORLEANS, April 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Platform Learning Inc., the nation's largest private provider of supplemental educational services (SES) (i.e., tutorial services) for students attending struggling public schools, announced a partnership with the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN) Saturday during an event at Xavier University in New Orleans, Louisiana.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050409/NYSA010 )

Platform Learning and HSAN, a non-profit national coalition of Hip-Hop artists, entertainment industry leaders, education advocates and youth leaders, will join forces to support Platform Learning's national Campaign for Achievement.

The Campaign's goal is to promote solutions to the problem of underachievement plaguing low-income communities and help brand academic achievement as "cool". Through their partnership, Platform Learning and HSAN are aiming to raise awareness among parents and students of the availability of federally-funded SES at eligible public schools.

Platform Learning Chairman and CEO, Gene Wade, presented Hip-Hop mogul Russell Simmons, the HSAN chairman and co-founder, with a Champion for Achievement award during the Summit at Xavier. "Platform Learning's mission is to improve significantly the academic performance of low-income students and, over the long run, the quality of their lives." Wade said.

"We feel confident that our partnership with the HSAN will help us achieve our goal of raising community expectations and branding achievement as cool. We are proud to collaborate with this great organization to promote the benefits of academic achievement," Wade said.

"HSAN is dedicated to harnessing Hip-Hop culture to serve as a catalyst for societal change," Simmons said. "Like Platform Learning, we are committed to raising the academic achievement levels of at-risk students throughout the United States. We look forward to joining forces with Platform Learning."

Said HSAN President and CEO Dr. Benjamin Chavis, "We are excited about working with Platform Learning in its effort to raise community expectations through its Campaign for Achievement. Together, we can have a lasting impact on community academic expectations."

As part of the partnership, Platform Learning will participate in other Summits planned this summer and fall in Detroit, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Trenton and Chicago. In addition, HSAN leaders will participate in Platform's Achievement Roundtable events in major cities throughout the country.

For information please visit, http://www.platformlearning.com/ or http://www.hsan.org/ or contact Alonza Robertson at 202.390.8521 or Alonza@westinrinehart.com.

About Platform Learning Inc.

Headquartered in New York, NY, Platform Learning is a national provider of after-school, weekend and summer tutoring programs to students attending public schools identified as "in need of improvement" under the federal No Child Left Behind law. Platform Learning collaborates with parents, schools, community organizations and educators to implement its research-based Learn- to-Succeed program. Founded in March 2003, Platform Learning is an approved SES provider in more than eighteen states with operations in over a dozen major metropolitan areas. Platform serves over 50,000 students in over 350 public schools. For more information contact Platform Learning at 646-442-2500 or visit http://www.platformlearning.com/ .

About Hip-Hop Summit Action Network

HSAN is a non-profit, non-partisan national coalition of artists, entertainment industry leaders, education advocates, civil rights proponents and youth leaders united in the belief that the "hip-hop" phenomena is an enormously influential agent for social change which must be responsibly and pro-actively utilized to fight the war on poverty and injustice.

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20050409/NYSA010 AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/ AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN2 PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com Source: Platform Learning Inc.

CONTACT: Alonza Robertson, +1-202-390-8521, Alonza@westinrinehart.com, or Jody Miller, +1-917-770-3970, jody@jlmpr.com, both for Platform Learning Inc.

Web site: http://www.platformlearning.com/ http://www.hsan.org/

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