Governor General of Canada to visit MaRS client Spongelab Interactive on Toronto tour devoted to education and innovation

Toronto, March 14, 2012 – The Governor General of Canada today will be paying an official visit to the Toronto office of MaRS client Spongelab Interactive, an online interactive science education company. During a Toronto tour highlighting innovation and education through the arts, His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston will meet Spongelab’s creators and playtest their powerful online education platform.

While at Spongelab, the Governor General will hear about the company’s innovative approach to making state-of-the-art online education free, available to all and accessible anywhere in the world. “We’re fostering a global community of science learners, students and enthusiasts,” says Spongelab co-founder Dr. Jeremy Friedberg.

“Innovation and education are at the heart of my mandate. It is therefore with great interest that I will be meeting with members of organizations and the people behind extraordinary, innovative initiatives that are having an impact on our society,” the Governor General stated. “I believe that by sharing knowledge and encouraging innovation, our society will continue to evolve and grow.”

Spongelab is part of the MaRS Discovery District’s Education Cluster, a group of education entrepreneurs devoted to innovation in K-12 education in Canada. Companies in the cluster offer a range of products and services that seek to increase the quality of public education in Canada with innovative technologies and pedagogies.

“Spongelab has worked very hard to produce exceptional digital educational content,” says Joseph Wilson, Education Advisor at the MaRS Discovery District. “They have now created a world-class web platform for learning science and are at the forefront of an exciting movement of innovation in education technology. We are pleased that they are being recognized as a successful Canadian education company.”

His Excellency’s visit comes at an exciting time for Spongelab. In February, the National Science Foundation awarded Spongelab an Honourable Mention for Build-a-Body, a game devoted to learning about human anatomy. And in 2009, their multimedia project Genomics Digital Lab won the World Summit Award, which aims to select and promote the world’s best e-content.

“We’re excited that the Governor General has identified Spongelab as a leader in the innovation of educational technology,” says Friedberg.

About MaRS
MaRS Discovery District (Twitter: @MaRSDD) is a mission-driven innovation centre located in Toronto. MaRS works with partners to catalyze, accelerate and amplify innovation. MaRS supports entrepreneurs building Canada’s next generation of growth companies.

About Spongelab
Spongelab Interactive is a leader in innovative technologies for teaching and learning. Its mission is to educate students in the sciences by building content-rich teaching tools, using a discovery-based approach, and being accessible online from anywhere for free. Using 3D environments and game-based learning, integrated with intelligent feedback, Spongelab inspires learners to be passionate about the world around them.

For more information, contact:
Chris Stevenson
Director, Communications at MaRS
(416) 673-8104
cstevenson@marsdd.com

Lisa Barnes
Director Sales & Marketing, Spongelab Interactive
416-703-9753
lisa.barnes@spongelab.com