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Workbench Partners With 2 STEM Curriculum and Content Providers

Workbench, which until recently was known as CWIST, has partnered with two more education-related companies to create online communities known as "workbenches."

Workbench develops and maintains a platform that accommodates online communities in which users can interact with a company and with one another to share programs, lessons and experiences. In addition, the content created in these workbenches can be leveraged by educators to drive interactive, hands-on learning in the classroom.

The two new partner companies are SparkFun and Parrot.

SparkFun provides maker kits that allow students to use sensors, switches and controllers to learn skills related to geometry, science, art, physics and coding.

"Our goal is to make the world of electronics accessible to everyone by providing the tools, resources and support to help budding inventors fulfill their vision," said Nathan Seidle, founder and CEO of SparkFun.

Parrot uses educational tools to create projects involving drones and robots to help students develop similar skills.

With an integrated and custom learning management system within Workbench, teachers can use it to assign lessons and monitor student progress. Workbench will begin working with schools and districts across the country to facilitate this maker-driven education later this year.

Workbench already has partnered with Sphero, which makes app-enabled teachable robots, and PowerUp Toys to offer its PowerUp Flight Deck for building and using paper airplane drones.

"We revolve around project-based learning, so we wanted our new name to reflect this key focus on making, building and learning," said Workbench Founder and CEO Chris Sleat. "But this is not your father's workbench. These online sites, or 'workbenches' provide fun, exciting learning experiences that teach programming, coding and other critical STEM skills."

About the Author

Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.

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