Announcements

Tiny Ripple Effects stands among giants at the Oscars of Software

January 20, 2005 – San Francisco, CA
When the annual Codie Award finalists were announced yesterday, the tiny San Francisco-based company Ripple Effects, Inc did as well–or better– than some of the biggest names in educational publishing. Ripple Effects had two programs that made the cut out of a thousand entries, bringing to 27 the number of awards and honors the company has racked up in six short years.

"The 20th annual Codie Awards continue the tradition of honoring the best of the software and digital content industry," said Ken Wasch, SIIA President. "When one considers the number of outstanding companies that competed this year, being named a Codie Awards finalist is no small achievement.”

And, it’s not the first such achievement for Ripple Effects. Ripple Effects education products have been finalists in three of the last six Codie competitions. A few years ago, Ripple Effects was one of eight chosen out of a thousand entries for a citation from the Bologna New Media Prize– along with the new Harry Potter CD by game giant Electronic Arts. Honored by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Technology & Learning Magazine, Children’s Software Revue, and more, Ripple Effects family of products keep going head to head with those of billion dollar companies–and standing tall.

“We’re proud that our tiny seven person company can successfully compete with companies like McGraw Hill, Discovery Education, and Kaplan for this year’s Codie awards,” says Ripple Effects CEO Alice Ray.

“I couldn’t even feel too disappointed when we didn’t win a Codie few years ago,” says Ray, who also designed the programs. “National Geographic won in our category, and used their acceptance speech to thank the thousand employees who contributed to their winning product. I went home and thanked our five!”

Ripple Effects two finalists this year are Ripple Effects for Kids, for Best Elementary Education Instructional Solution: Other Content Areas, and Ripple Effects for Teens, for Best Education Instructional Solution for Special Needs Students. Both are media-rich interactive tools that positively change student behavior.

And, there is mounting evidence that they work. Several studies indicate that Ripple Effects programs increase prosocial behavior, boost grades, and reduce absenteeism and discipline referrals. Obviously, educators agree–the programs are now in 350+ school districts and community programs nationally.

For immediate release:
Contact: Sarah Berg, Ripple Effects, 415-227-1669 x 307