Planet3 Appoints Education Industry Luminary Esther Wojcicki as Chief Learning Officer, Promotes Kelly McGrath to Chief Operating Officer

WASHINGTON, June 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Planet3, an exploration-based learning company, today announced that Esther Wojcicki, renowned educator, award-winning journalist and edtech pioneer, will join the Company as Chief Learning Officer. In this role, Wojcicki will contribute her vast experience to review and refine Planet3's instructional approach to embed her project-based learning tenets. Esther will also help build Planet3's strategic alliances with technology providers and educational thought leaders. Planet3 simultaneously announced that Kelly McGrath, the former Chief Learning Officer, has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer. In her new position, McGrath will manage product development, business development, and sales operations for Planet3.

Esther Wojcicki brings decades of experience in education and technology to her new role at Planet3. She is an expert in the areas of project-based and blended learning, coauthoring the best-selling education book, Moonshots in Education: Launching Blended Learning in the Classroom. In addition, Wojcicki has served as an educational consultant for Google, helping to design the Google Teacher Outreach program and the Google Teacher Academy, as well as the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Hewlett Foundation. From 2009 to 2016, she served first as Chair and then Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of Creative Commons, where she focused on OER (Open Education Resources) and learning. Wojcicki also blogs regularly for multiple education industry publications. She has spent more than 32 years teaching Journalism and English at Palo Alto High where she developed the school's award-winning journalism program, now the largest scholastic journalism program in the U.S. She will continue to teach part time at Palo Alto High School as well as work with teachers on project-based learning techniques.

"I have dedicated my career to empowering teachers and students with the skills and tools they need to become college and career ready," said Wojcicki. "Planet3 is creating a truly innovative approach designed to help students and teachers construct deep understandings of the intricate connections between STEAM subjects, ourselves, and our planet through fun, engaging, and collaborative experiences. By joining as Chief Learning Officer I hope to use my experience to impact as many students and schools as possible through this game-changing approach."

Serving previously as Chief Learning Officer at Planet3, Kelly McGrath will continue to lead product development and is a veteran science and mathematics educator with a design engineering background. McGrath spent over 14 years with Pearson before joining Planet3, serving as Pearson's Vice President of Science Product Development.

"We are thrilled to have an education visionary such as Esther Wojcicki join the Planet3 team," said Tim Kelly, Co-Founder and CEO at Planet3. "Esther brings decades of valuable expertise and insight to Planet3, which will help us enhance our platform, and ensure that it delivers for all students and teachers. Kelly has been a tremendously effective leader, spearheading the design of our Planet3 curriculum and the platform, while unifying the diverse talents of our internal team and external partners. We are excited to expand her role as Chief Operating Officer."

About Planet3

Planet3 is an exploration-based learning company that presents the entire Earth as a virtual living laboratory. Modeled on the Next Generation Science Standards, Planet3 delivers personalized learning via adventure and exploration to teach Earth, Life, and Physical Science. The digital platform utilizes compelling narratives, real world data and visualization to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, artists, and technologists. Planet3's curriculum, woven through immersive 3D experiences, illuminates new frontiers in science to empower teachers and students to construct deep understandings of the intricate connections between Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) subjects, ourselves, and our planet. For more information, visit www.exploreplanet3.com.

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SOURCE Planet3

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