PledgeCents and BirdBrain Technologies Aim to Bring Computer Science Education to All Students

    PHILADELPHIA, PA, March 30, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- PledgeCents, Inc., the fundraising site which helps to bring resources and opportunities to classrooms across the country by alleviating funding needs, is growing the number of partners in the PledgeCents Marketplace offering computer science products. Today, PledgeCents is excited to announce the newest partner BirdBrain Technologies, the company behind the Finch Robot and the Hummingbird Robotics Kit, whose fun, interactive robots allow for students to learn programming and computer science. Teachers will now be able to fund their Finch Robot or Hummingbird Robotics Kit using PledgeCents.

"We love the range of possibilities teachers have with BirdBrain's tools and are looking forward to join BirdBrain in their mission to create equal access to coding," said Ricky Johnson, co-founder of PledgeCents. "BirdBrain's core products give teachers the flexibility to engage their students regardless of age or experience with coding. Teachers have the option of the Finch Robot, a plug and play robot that's easy for students to control through coding or the Hummingbird, a custom kit that enables students to build a robot out of any craft materials. "

Through the partnership, teachers and schools will be able to utilize PledgeCents to seamlessly generate a fundraising page to cover the cost of BirdBrain's Finch Robot or Humingbird Robotics Kit. The PledgeCents team works with each fundraiser to help raise the necessary funds and will purchase the plan immediately after the fundraiser ends and connect the teacher to a member of BirdBrain's team to expedite the process. Anyone interested can visit https://www.pledgecents.com/signup/event/birdbrain to create their own page today.

"BirdBrain is extremely excited become a part of the PledgeCents Marketplace," says Tom Lauwers, Founder and CEO of BirdBrain Technologies. "We aim to make engineering and computer science accessible for everyone, and now we are one step closer through partnering with PledgeCents. We value equal access for all students to the joy that robotics and programming can bring, and we look forward to working with PledgeCents to make it easier for teachers to bring products like our's to their classrooms."

The research behind the Finch and the Hummingbird originally stemmed out of the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Institute in 2010 and have since impacted hundreds of thousands of students worldwide. A large part of the team's mission is to support educators interested in introducing or furthering computer science, engineering, and making in and out of the classroom. Through the Finch and the Hummingbird, teachers can enable students to take ownership of their technical and creative skillsets, while simultaneously engaging in creative problem-solving activities.

Representatives from organizations interested in learning more about the program can contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.

About PledgeCents, Inc.

PledgeCents is the preferred fundraising platform for all PreK-12 needs. By allowing anyone to raise funds, PledgeCents aims to eliminate the $1.6 billion teachers annually spend out-of-pocket for basic classroom needs. Over 1,800 schools representing over 250 public school districts in 50 states work to raise funds through the PledgeCents platform. With the addition of the newly launched Preferred Partner Program, PledgeCents has partnered with over 50 leading education technology companies to help schools and teachers receive access to the tools they need but cannot afford. For more information please visit: http://www.pledgecents.com or email [email protected] with any questions.

About BirdBrain Technologies

BirdBrain Technologies serves as a catalyst for transformative, maker-based learning experiences for all students. Founded at Carnegie Mellon University in 2010, BirdBrain was created to promote gender equality and diversity in engineering and robotics. The Finch Robot makes coding tangible in many programming languages ranging from Kindergarten to College-level computer science. The Hummingbird Robotics Kit is comprised of lights, sensors and motors, allowing students to build a robot out of any materials. Both of these products empower students to take ownership of their technical and creative skillsets and engage in flexible problem-solving activities. Hundreds of thousands of students have been impacted by our products worldwide.

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