BOSTON, June 15, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --Global learning
company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) announced
today the launch of a new immersive and playful learning
experience, Curious World Tour. Kicking off at
Brooklyn Bridge Park on Sunday,
June 26, HMH will take Curious World Tour
on a nationwide adventure, popping up in eight cities in
Texas and California – San
Antonio, Austin,
Dallas, San Diego, Sacramento, Oakland, San
Francisco and Los Angeles –
throughout the summer.
In each market, HMH will work with local nonprofit organizations
to donate books and resources while engaging families with kids
nationwide. Curious World Tour was created in partnership with the
Association of Children's Museums (ACM), lending
expertise in out-of-school and summer learning, and
the Ultimate Block Party, bringing deep experience in
community-based playful learning experiences rooted in science and
pedagogy.
"We know that children are born learning and that play and
exploration are essential for healthy growth and development. Our
goal with Curious World Tour is to bring unique, fun
early learning experiences directly to children and families in
their communities," said Linda K.
Zecher, President, CEO & Director of HMH. "HMH's mission
is to change lives by fostering passionate, curious learners, and
our summer road trip is designed to engage, inspire, and remind us
all that learning takes place everywhere."
Curious World Tour will hit the road in a rugged,
colorful vehicle that unfolds to create a mobile playful learning
environment for children and families. Explorers of all ages are
invited on a personal journey with beloved HMH characters like
Curious George – who celebrates his 75th birthday this
year – that will inspire them to ask questions, open their minds,
and take a hands-on approach to the world around them through
interactive, multi-disciplinary educational activities,
including:
- Curious World HQ: The welcome truck with a giant map
featuring videos of children saying "hello" in multiple languages,
where adventure leaders will give children the opportunity to plan
and document their Curious World Tour journey with a Curiosity
Log.
- Story Camp: A tented library featuring HMH characters
and award-winning stories – like Curious George, Gossie and Gertie,
and the Five Little Monkeys – inviting kids to relax on tree-trunk
stools and open up their imagination for story time.
- Community Garden: An outdoor space for kids to engage in
various food-learning exercises, such as planting their own seeds
in a decorated pot that they can take home to water and watch
grow.
- Space Station: An extraterrestrial area expanding kids'
minds, encouraging them to think beyond planet Earth with the
opportunity to make alien puppets, build space shuttles and learn
about constellations in rocket ship light brites.
- Jungle Jamboree: A play area with an open stage
featuring special appearances by Curious George and others, where
kids will learn about sound, rhythm and tunes on an interactive
music wall.
- #SparkAMind Color the World: A collaborative mural to
help kids express their artistic side and learn about team
work as they color in their favorite HMH characters alongside a
local artist. Murals will be donated to education institutions and
organizations that serve children and families in each local
community.
"We are proud to partner with HMH and share the expertise of
children's museums in creating substantive and fun learning
opportunities for families with young children," said Laura Huerta Migus, executive director of the
Association of Children's Museums. "Curious World Tour is not only
bringing HMH's quality resources for families across the country,
but is also making a great statement on the importance of play as
the foundation of lifelong learning."
In each station, young learners will be able to experience for
themselves the power of playful learning inside HMH's new
interactive content service, the Curious World App.
This ever-growing library of learning videos, books and games for
children ages 2-7, as well as inspiration for offline activities
and tools for parents to be involved in their child's learning
journey.
Learn more about Curious World Tour here.
About Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (NASDAQ: HMHC) is a global
learning company dedicated to changing people's lives by fostering
passionate, curious learners. As a leading provider of pre-K–12
education content, services, and cutting-edge technology solutions
across a variety of media, HMH enables learning in a changing
landscape. HMH is uniquely positioned to create engaging and
effective educational content and experiences from early childhood
to beyond the classroom. HMH serves more than 50 million
students in over 150 countries worldwide, while its award-winning
children's books, novels, non-fiction, and reference titles are
enjoyed by readers throughout the world. For more information,
visit www.hmhco.com.
Follow HMH on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
About the Association of Children's
Museums
Established in 1962, the Association of Children's
Museums (ACM) is a professional member service organization for the
children's museum field. ACM is the only organization representing
museums and professionals dedicated to early childhood play, the
starting point in the continuum of lifelong learning. ACM aims to
bring the children's museum experience to kids everywhere,
providing access and learning opportunities to families across the
nation. www.childrensmuseums.org
About Ultimate Block Party
In 2009, a small group of
educators, business leaders, authors and researchers came together
to champion the importance of play in the lives of children.
Conceived as a multi-tiered social movement, the groundbreaking
initiative aims to ensure that all children are provided with the
competitive skills necessary to succeed in the 21st Century global
economy as well as build a public dialogue to underscore the value
of play in fostering lifelong achievement and social, emotional and
physical well-being. The organization's mission is to change
attitudes, beliefs and practices how children learn among families,
educators, child-care providers, pediatricians and policymakers.
www.ultimateblockparty.com
Contact:
Leah
Riviere
Communications Manager
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
617-351-5020
leah.riviere@hmhco.com
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151116/287902LOGO
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/houghton-mifflin-harcourt-kicks-off-curious-world-summer-tour-inspiring-playful-learning-nationwide-300284865.html
SOURCE Houghton Mifflin Harcourt