Toronto-based social-emotional learning platform Peekapak has teamed up with Canada’s leading education solutions provider Nelson to develop and deliver educational resources to support social-emotional learning in schools across the country.
Founded in 2014, Peekapak is a leader in social emotional learning which engages elementary students in teaching skills like self-regulation, empathy and teamwork. The startup’s engaging series explores 10 social and emotional learning themes at four reading levels, making it flexible and accessible for any Pre-K to Grade 3 classrooms. It focuses on story-based learning, classroom lessons, game-based learning and personalized learning experiences. Peekapak’s myPeekaville app allows students to own their personalized online learning experience that incorporates literacy and game-based learning to engage students in the classroom or at home.
Peekapak’s lessons are developed using evidence-based practices and have been researched in districts, Pre-K and after-school programs. All of its content is designed with early childhood education experts, teachers, parents, and with the help of students themselves. Peekapak’s curriculum is aligned with English Language Arts standards, so users can track the standards practiced in their classroom. Peekapak has till date reached over 250,000 educators and students worldwide.
Nelson, on the other hand, focuses on transforming learning through world-class experiences. Their mission is to empower student and educator success by providing them access to trusted solutions, authentic resources, and engaging technologies. The company is active in Canada’s K-12, higher education, professional learning, business, industry, and government markets.
Commenting on the partnership and importance of social emotional learning, Ami Shah, Peekapak’s co-founder and CEO, said,
“My co-founder and I are excited to partner with Nelson to help students across Canada learn skills like self-regulation and empathy. Research shows developing social-emotional learning skills can help prepare students to not only achieve stronger academic outcomes but be better able to manage stress, anxiety, and to be more resilient.”
Peekapak participated in the Ontario Center for Excellence’s (OCE) Market Readiness Program in 2015. Through the program, Peekapak worked on a project with George Brown College’s School of Early Childhood Education, which helped the startup understand how children learn at home and designed at-home learning activities for the program. Peekapak was also selected to participate in the MasterCard Women in Entrepreneurship program in the same year, which gave six women-led startups $5,000 in funding, $5,000 in additional resources, and incubation space at Ryerson University.
Echoing on the importance of social-emotional learning, Steve Brown, CEO of Nelson, commented saying,
“We believe a good learning experience begins with a focus on social and emotional well-being. Educators require the right tools to create a learning environment that is caring, safe, and inclusive. With Peekapak Pals, students will be engaged, and educators will easily integrate social and emotional learning concepts with English Language Arts.”
Meanwhile, according to the press release by Nelson, the Peekapak Pals book series is set to publish on September 30.
