Wildridge Software’s ‘A Bigger World^™’ earns BESSIES award;
‘Math & Music^™’ unit named double finalist in
Association of Educational Publishers awards program

Newark, Vt. (April 21, 2001) – Wildridge Software, Inc., today announced that its A Bigger World interdisciplinary curriculum earned the "Best Educational Software Award - High School Thematic" during the 7th Annual Best Educational Software Awards (BESSIES) program, sponsored by ComputED Learning Lab.

In addition, one of A Bigger World’s units, Math & Music, was named a finalist for the Golden Lamp and 2001 Distinguished Achievement awards, both sponsored by the Association of Educational Publishers.

"More than 90 percent of students who have used A Bigger World have successfully completed studies at major colleges and universities," said Lawrence B. Bangs, president of Wildridge Software, Inc. "Nearly a third of these students hold advanced degrees in medicine, geophysics, marine biology, law, art history and many other fields. The BESSIES award and the recognition by the Association of Educational Publishers are a wonderful validation of the more than 25 years invested in the creation of A Bigger World curriculum."

About ComputED Learning Lab and the BESSIES award
ComputED is San Diego’s leading computer education facility for children and adults. Its annual educational software awards program recognizes innovative and content-rich programs that are appropriate for family purchase.

The BESSIES provide parents and teachers with a guide to the best children’s educational software and websites available in the market today. Winners are selected from titles submitted by publishers from around the world. All winning titles are made available to school districts, teachers, and the public through ComputED’s Educational Software Preview Service. For more information, visit http://computedgazette.com/page3.html .

About the Association of Educational Publishers and its award programs
Founded in 1895, the Association of Educational Publishers is the only organization that brings together publishers, associations, and media from across the education field. Members include the most respected names in school and teacher publications, children’s magazines, software and supplemental publishers, educational foundations and associations, and the education and trade press across all media, as well as schools and school districts.

The Golden Lamp Award is the Association’s highest honor. It sets the quality standard for its category in the industry. The Distinguished Achievement Awards have been recognizing excellence in educational publishing for nearly 40 years. Entries were reviewed by a panel of educators and editorial and design publishing experts. The final winners in both award categories will be named during an awards banquet at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., on June 8. For more information, visit www.edpress.org.

About ‘A Bigger World’
A Bigger World is a challenging interdisciplinary curriculum based on the study of history for junior and senior high school students. The units in A Bigger World expose students to the many ways that humankind has viewed the world and its people, and the many ways we have used our minds to overcome barriers and achieve remarkable accomplishments. The study of history is interwoven with literature, art, music, grammar, science and mathematics to help students understand the interrelated nature of our world and to learn how these subjects have been viewed through time.

Math & Music is a unit within A Bigger World. It brings mathematics to life by integrating it with music and physics. Several interactive, self-paced tutorials explore the musical scale in relation to ratios, harmony and the physics of a vibrating string. It helps middle and high school students understand the physics of sound and how we hear. The Math & Music CD-ROM uses ancient number systems as the basis for understanding number theory. The program involves a challenging mix of readings, multimedia exercises, hands-on experiments, Internet investigations, and written assignments. Math & Music also includes numerous print resources – an illustrated student text, math workbook, student study guide, and a detailed teacher guide.

This is not the first recognition for the Math & Music unit, which was also a 2001 Codie Award finalist. Sponsored by the Software & Information Industry Association, the annual Codie competition honors the best products and services the digital economy has to offer. Codie finalists offer the software, digital content and online services that transform computing and the use of the Internet at home, work, and school.

http://www.wildridge.com