Education

Language Link adds 2 jobs on foreign language, test prep work

Language Link recently welcomed back an old friend that went away with the last recession, corporate foreign language work. Language Link helps families, visiting scholars and business people learn foreign languages or master English. It also offers tutoring services for students and cultural and language training for foreign nationals in local businesses. It recently landed a significant chunk of corporate foreign language work, teaching German, French and Spanish. "We're hoping to continue to grow the corporate foreign language work," says Caroline Wojan, owner & director of Language Link. "English as a second language work has boomed this year, too. We do both sides of the coin for foreign language." That has allowed Language Link to hire two people over the last year, handling test preparation. The 10-year-old firm now employs 10 people and the occasional intern. Wojan hopes to continue expanding her company's staff as it brings on more foreign language work. Source: Caroline Wojan, owner & director of Language Link Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Ypsilanti High School Court is in session

With apologies to Law And Order... In the Ypsilanti high school justice system, the students are represented by two separate yet equally important groups: the plaintiff, who mounts a case for their issue; and the student jury, which hands down the verdict. This is their story. Excerpt: "Students at two Ypsilanti high schools now have the opportunity to decide each other’s fate when violating school policy. Cooley Law School and Dean Joan Vestrand have partnered with the Ypsilanti Public Schools to create the Ypsilanti High School Student Court." Read the rest here.

Zingerman’s Bakehouse adds second teaching kitchen, more classes

Shifting Code graduates first class at Ann Arbor SPARK

The first class of Ann Arbor SPARK's Shifting Code class is graduating today, bringing 26 new software developers to a job market scrambling for coders and other tech professionals Shifting Code was designed to help meet the growing demand in Metro Detroit for software developers. The program's curriculum is based on the input of a core group of employers, and consists of learning modules of specific, in-demand coding languages. The 12-week course is taught through a hybrid approach of online education and face-to-face instruction. "In areas where you're looking for entry-level programmers this is a great program," says Bill Wagner, co-founder & CEO of SRT Solutions. SRT Solutions is one of the local tech firms that has hired 65 percent of Shifting Code's first class. Wagner points out that Shifting Code provides the foundation for people with skills outside of traditional software skill set to become more involved in computer programing development. "The industry is about a lot more than code," Wagner says. "This is about user-interface experts and graphic designers." Source: Bill Wagner, co-founder & CEO of SRT Solutions Writer: Jon Zemke 

Limiting Transit Options Limits Opportunities For Kids

In the conversation about mass transit and whether or not we develop a county-wide service one type of rider often gets overlooked - kids. What do limited transportation options mean for students without easy access to after-school activities and programs? What about the car-less volunteers who can't reach those who need help the most?

U-M praised on Colbert Report

Are universities adequately challenging their undergraduates? Richard Hersh gives a shout out to U-M (along with M.I.T and University Of Virginia) as a school that gives its undergrads a well-rounded education. Watch the interview here.

Social Venture Fund makes first student-led social entrepreneur investment

The University of Michigan's Social Venture Fund has two claims to fame, one recent, and another not quite so. The first VC investment is the first student-led venture capital fund geared toward social entrepreneurs in the U.S. "We're trying to support companies that are for-profit but have a social mission," says Seth Greenberg, director of the Social Venture Fund, and a second-year MBA student at U-M's Ross School of Business. The Social Venture Fund was one of 17 investors participating in a Series A round investment worth $2.4 million. The start-up is Washington, D.C.-based LearnZillion, a web-based platform that gives students, teachers and parents access to a video library of high-quality, standards-based lessons taught by the nation’s top teachers. The Social Venture Fund got its start in the fall of 2010. It aims to make early stage investments of up to $200,000 in start-ups that are sustainable, innovative, potentially profitable and with a plan to make a significant social impact at the heart of their mission. It is looking to make investments in both local and national businesses. "We're considering a lot of Metro Detroit-based enterprises," Greenberg says. Source: Seth Greenberg, director of the Social Venture Fund Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

Backyard Brains eyes software sector with new staff

Backyard Brains is starting to enjoy some traction for its principal produce, Robo Roach, a kit that uses insects to teach students about neuroscience. "The last three months have seen record sales from us," says Tim Marzullo, executive director of Backyard Brains. He adds, "It's exciting to see our gear in high schools and seeing students use it for their experiments." Marzullo and his partner Greg Gage, both neuroscientists, started the company as a way to provide a cost-effective product that teaches grade-school students the workings of neurons in the brain. Its Robo Roach allows them to control insects via antennas. Recent growth has allowed the company to hire three people in the last year, expanding it staff to nine. It also has a handful of open positions for software developers. "Our biggest growth will be in software development," Marzullo says. Fueling this growth is Backyard Brains efforts to get the word out about its product. The co-founders have been leveraging free media opportunities to make inroads with neuroscience teachers across the country. For instance, Gage recently gave a TEDx Talk about the company. "We're reaching a critical mass where many neuroscience teachers know about us," Marzullo says. Source: Tim Marzullo, executive director for Backyard Brains Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.

SchoolPictures.com adds 4 as it becomes National School Services

What was once SchoolPictures.com is now National School Services, a new name that better embodies the growing breadth of services offered from the Ypsilanti-based business. The 6-year-old company got its start providing portraits of students, using a formula that allowed the school to create a new revenue while providing student photos. So far that formula has provided $3.5 million in new revenue for schools across the U.S. in the company's lifetime. SchoolPictures.com still exists as an arm of the newly rebranded National School Services. The company has expanded its offerings to include things like diplomas and class rings. "We're doing some different things, but all of our customers know what we do," says Skip Cerier, CEO of National School Services. That has also allowed the firm to expand to 41 people and a couple of interns after hiring four people in the last year. This new hiring is being propelled by double-digit revenue growth, including 20 percent growth over the last two years. "It [growth] has been pretty steady," Cerier says. Source: Skip Cerier, CEO of National School Services Writer: Jon Zemke Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.