6.25.2007 - 06:47pm ET

(CSRwire) ATLANTA, GA.- June 25, 2007 - The Pearson Foundation today announced that Peachpit, the leading publisher of digital technology, has joined the Digital Arts Alliance, the consortium that promotes digital arts in K-12 education through fully funded and staffed programs delivered directly to schools and community centers nationwide. The Pearson Foundation is the founding partner in the Digital Arts Alliance, and part of Pearson, the international education and information company.

The announcement was made at the opening of the annual National Educational Computing Conference (NECC).

Each year, the Digital Arts Alliance makes it possible for more than 15,000 students and their teachers to experience firsthand how laptop computers, video production equipment, and the latest mobile-phone technologies are changing the ways young people can organize, present, and share information and issues that matter to them. Alliance members believe that using technologies to enhance personal expression creates an expanded kind of literacy, often referred to as 21st Century literacy, that people — especially young people — already use in their everyday lives.

Peachpit becomes a key Digital Arts Alliance publishing partner, creating books on the use of technology, the impact of digital arts on students and teachers, and best practices in use and design. A new title, Digital Arts and the Future of Storytelling: Using Digital Movies to Change Education and Advocacy, will be developed together with the Pearson Foundation. The book will profile how this new approach to learning and expression is making a difference in classrooms and communities worldwide.

"We are delighted to be part of the Digital Arts Alliance and all that it represents in education," said Hannah Latham, associate publisher of Peachpit. "Digital Arts and the Future of Storytelling” is just one example of the many opportunities this partnership will bring to benefit K-12 educators. When used together with other Peachpit books, video, and software, this new title will serve as a comprehensive guide to creating sustainable and effective digital arts programs. We’re looking forward to working with members of the Alliance to promote these initiatives."

In addition to new titles, Peachpit will make donations based on existing sales of titles in the market-leading Visual QuickStart Guide series to a new Digital Arts Alliance Scholarship Fund, a fund established for teachers and students who might not otherwise have access to the books.. Beginning later this year, Peachpit also will designate select titles to be part of the Digital Arts Alliance Library. Sales of these books will trigger a donation to the new fund. Some examples of titles to be included in the Library include Illustrator CS3 for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide; Flash CS3 Professional: Visual QuickStart Guide; and InDesign CS3 for Windows and Macintosh: Visual QuickStart Guide.

Peachpit becomes the first member of the Alliance to tie its business performance directly to support for the growth of digital arts in the classroom.

Mark Nieker, president of the Pearson Foundation, added, "For today's young people, success in school and in life requires educational experiences that meet the challenges of our new century. No organization better documents and shares these experiences than Peachpit. We’re delighted that Peachpit will create new titles focused specifically on digital arts, and that they’re also adding the power of their best-selling Visual QuickStart Guide series to the Digital Arts Alliance. We are extremely pleased to welcome Peachpit, the leader in publishing about digital arts."

Peachpit joins other Digital Arts Alliance members, including Nokia, Adobe, The National Academy Foundation, and the American Red Cross in supporting an extended network of teachers and students who take advantage of Digital Arts Alliance programs to develop proficiencies in core subject knowledge and other 21st-Century skills.

About Peachpit

Berkeley-based Peachpit has been publishing the industry's best-selling books on the latest in graphic design, desktop publishing, multimedia, Web design and development, digital video and general Macintosh computing since 1986. Its award-winning books feature step-by-step explanations, time-saving techniques, savvy insider tips, and expert advice for computer users of all sorts. It is the home of the internationally recognized Visual QuickStart Guide series, the design imprint New Riders and its highly popular Voices That Matter series, and is the publishing partner for Adobe Press, lynda.com, NAPP, Apple Certified, AIGA Design Press and others. Peachpit is part of Pearson (NYSE: PSO), the international media company. Pearson's primary operations include Pearson Education, the Financial Times Group and the Penguin Group. Learn more at www.peachpit.com and www.pearson.com.

About the Pearson Foundation

The Pearson Foundation extends Pearson’s commitment to education by partnering with leading nonprofit, civic, and business organizations to provide financial, organizational, and publishing assistance across the globe. We aim to make a difference by sponsoring innovative educational programs and extending our educational expertise to help in classrooms and in local communities. More information on the Pearson Foundation can be found at www.pearsonfoundation.org.

For more information please contact: