As the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area continues to struggle to recover in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, many residents are still coping after having to put their lives on hold. In New York City alone, 75,000 students missed school in one week, and 48 schools were devastated by the storm, many left without heat or power.
Although providing housing, food, and fuel is of priority for hurricane victims, it’s also important to restore students’ educational opportunities. That’s why Noodle, a New York-based education search engine provider, is setting up the Emergency Education Directory. The directory will provide a way to connect students in the areas affected by Sandy with volunteer educators who will donate their time to tutoring, teaching, and guiding students.
With an estimated $50 billion in damages to the Northeast due to the power of the storm, many students have been left unable to stay on track with their schooling. Noodle will provide facilities with heat, power, and other resources to house displaced students and teachers for these sessions. The Education Industry Association (EIA) will support these efforts by representing -- and helping to recruit more -- K-12 education companies to list in the Emergency Education Directory.
Noodle is a funded startup that offers the first search engine of its kind, devoted to helping students and parents navigate the vast amount of educational information available online. The site provides resources from more than 170,000 learning institutions, helping to connect users with tutors, pre-K schooling options, guidance counselors, summer camps, MBA programs, and much more.
Founded in 2010 by the founder of the Princeton Review, Noodle has already raised millions in startup funding. In June, Noodle was named the “Most Likely to Succeed” startup company at SVForum’s Launch: Silicon Valley 2012, a prestigious event for emerging tech companies.
Although relief efforts are underway on the East Coast, that doesn’t mean students’ educational needs should be ignored. Noodle’s education directory will serve to help students in even the most damaged areas stay on track with their schooling.
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