NCFL launches Wonder Ground™ to support millions using Wonderopolis.org

LOUISVILLE, Ky., March 22, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) announces the launch of the Wonder Ground (http://wg.wonderopolis.org), an online network that supports educators who use Wonderopolis® to engage students of all ages in inquiry-based learning.

The Wonder Ground will serve as a comprehensive how-to guide for integrating Wonderopolis into the classroom and beyond. The new website features ready-to-use lesson plans and classroom resources, correlations to education standards, and blogs from leading educators on using Wonders of the Day® to introduce units, build background knowledge, support student-driven projects, and more. More than 4,000 educators have already preregistered for the Wonder Ground.

"The Wonder Ground is an idea exchange. It was created to share the countless ways Wonderopolis can be used in classrooms around the world," said Jon Reigelman, Wonderopolis director. "This new educator community not only will offer real-world examples for inspiration and guidance, it will be a forum to advance the conversation around inquiry-based learning."

Wonderopolis is a digital learning platform where natural curiosity and imagination lead to exploration and discovery for more than one million visitors each month. Its inquiry-based approach and engaging nonfiction content, videos, and quizzes published each day have made Wonderopolis one of the fastest growing communities focused on literacy and STEM learning across K-12 today.

To fuel and foster the growing Wonderopolis educator community, NCFL has appointed 16 leading educators with expertise across the educational spectrum who will lead content creation for the Wonder Ground. This team of Wonder Lead Ambassadors will also engage with and support educators looking to implement inquiry-based learning in their schools, libraries, or community organizations, as well as lead professional development opportunities on behalf of Wonderopolis.

The newly assembled Wonder Lead Ambassadors are:

1. Leticia Citizen: Teacher, Grade 5, Jefferson Elementary School (Pasadena, Calif.)
2. Michelle Cooper: Library Media Specialist, White Oak Middle School (White Oak, Texas)
3. Ann Crilley: Tech Facilitator, Knollwood Elementary School (Salisbury, N.C.)
4. Renee Cunningham:  Media Coordinator, Knollwood Elementary School (Salisbury, N.C.)
5. Jim DeSantis: Library/Media Specialist, McKinley-Brighton Elementary School (Syracuse, N.Y.)
6. Kristie Ennis: Instructional Coach, Iroquois High School (Louisville, Ky.)
7. Holly Gerlach: STEM Coordinator, Turner-Bartles K-8 (Tampa, Fla.)
8. Paul Hankins:  Teacher, Grade 11, Silver Creek High School (Sellersburg, Ind.)
9. Delsia Malone: Principal, W. E. Striplin Elementary School (Gadsden, Ala.)
10. Jennifer McDonough: Teacher, Grade K-1, The Benjamin School (North Palm Beach, Fla.)
11. Ashley McKelvey: Math-Science Instructional Coach, Oakland Elementary School (Inman, S.C.)
12. Krissy Pierce: Instructional Facilitator, West Elementary School (Zion, Ill.)
13. Jennifer Rubin: Teacher, Grade 3, Brushy Creek Elementary School (Round Rock, Texas)
14. Lisa Silmser: Teacher, Grade 5, Monroe Elementary School (Brooklyn Park, Minn.)
15. Robyn Thiessen:  Teacher, Grade 3, SD#36Surrey (Surrey, British Columbia, Canada)
16. Carol Varsalona: ELA Consultant, Grade K-12 (Rockville Center, N.Y.)

About the National Center for Families Learning (NCFL)

The National Center for Families Learning (NCFL) is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to helping adults and children learn together. NCFL creates and deploys innovative two-generation programs, strategies, and online learning solutions that support learning, literacy, and family engagement in education.

NCFL launched the award-winning Wonderopolis.org in 2010. An online learning destination for more than one million people of all ages each month, Wonderopolis inspires students, teachers, and families across the globe to learn through curiosity, discovery, creativity, and imagination.

From the classroom to the community to the digital frontier, NCFL collaborates with educators, advocates, and policy-makers to help families construct hotspots for learning wherever they go. For more information on NCFL's 26-year track record, visit familieslearning.org.

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SOURCE National Center for Families Learning

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http://familieslearning.org