Thursday, September 20, 2007


KNOXVILLE, Tenn., Sep. 20, 2007 (Business Wire) -- In an effort to promote the importance of active engagement and early exploration for all students when it comes to planning for their future, Edsouth announced today the continued availability of the Tennessee College and Career Planning System for students, parents/guardians and educators across the state. This comprehensive Internet-based educational and career planning system is designed to provide students with access to the tools and resources necessary to prepare them for a lifetime of success.

Thanks to the financial support provided by Edsouth and the guidance from the Tennessee Department of Education's division of Career and Technical Education (CTE), the Tennessee College and Career Planning System, powered by Kuder, is free to all students in grades 7 though 12 across the state. Currently, over 290,000 Tennessee youth are using the system to actively explore a world of educational and career possibilities.

'Edsouth has always been deeply committed to providing students with the best tools and resources available to meet their education and career planning needs,' said Ron Gambill, Chairman and CEO, Edsouth. 'For the past four years, Edsouth has been the proud sponsor of the Tennessee College and Career Planning System and, without a doubt, we know that we are making a positive impact on the future of these students and the future of Tennessee.'

Tennessee College and Career Planning System

The system, available at www.planningyourdreams.org, supports highly personalized career exploration and educational planning through user completion of research-based assessments that help students understand what they like to do, what they could be good at doing, and the kind of career options they prefer. Once completed, students can use this information to develop their educational and career plans, thereby easing the transition into postsecondary opportunities and connecting what they learn today to their role in the workforce of tomorrow.

The system offers students a myriad of resources to plan and prepare for their future, including the creation of educational plans, exploration of postsecondary opportunities and careers across the state, direct communication abilities with their teachers and guidance counselors and the ability to research options for financial aid from a single website.

As an Internet-based system, students, their parents/guardians, and educators can access the system at any time from wherever they have Internet access whether at school, the library, or even at home. Once they create an account, users can access the system for a lifetime, without cost to them. The system also allows parents and/or guardians to play an active role in the educational and career planning of their children. When students and parents/guardians access the system together, they are able to review assessment results and explore items saved as Favorites, such as careers, postsecondary schools and majors, and scholarships.

This unique collaboration guides parents and students through these successful secondary and postsecondary transitions and improves communication between the child, the parents/guardians and the school.

The system also provides many benefits to educators and administrators, allowing them to make informed real-time educational program decisions. Through access to database management reports, educators will be able to improve individual career counseling, guide course selection and postsecondary decisions, and assist in curriculum planning and program development.

As Tennessee moves to embrace the new 16 Career Clusters model, the system will greatly ease this first-year transition through its interests and skills assessments which tie directly to these Clusters and offer extensive education and career information through detailed Cluster descriptions.

As part of the system, educators will also find tremendous value in the new online version of Develop Your Future(R), a comprehensive research-based curriculum series which guides secondary students through the career planning process. Online access provides both flexibility and convenience and allows for comprehensive lesson planning with limited preparation time for each module.

'We are excited to team with Edsouth to bring these significant educational and career planning tools and resources to the state of Tennessee,' said Phil Harrington, President, Kuder, Inc. 'As students continue to make the connection between their academic coursework and their future goals, we know that they are more likely to graduate from high school, complete postsecondary education and ultimately, succeed in the workplace. It's a win-win for everyone.'

The Tennessee College and Career Planning System is available free throughout the state of Tennessee. For information on how your student or school can participate, please contact Kuder Customer Support at 877.999.6227 or  support@kuder.com.

About Edsouth

Edsouth is a non-profit corporation based in Knoxville, Tennessee that provides programs to encourage postsecondary education through Student Outreach Services, eCampus Tours and need-based scholarships for students. Edsouth has a focus to increase access to education throughout Tennessee and has supported educational opportunity for over 1 million students since 1987.

About Kuder

Kuder, Inc. (www.kuder.com) is the industry's leading provider of comprehensive, Internet-based education and career planning tools that allow students and adults to access the educational, postsecondary and career planning resources necessary to create a roadmap for a lifetime of success. Backed by a world renowned faculty and staff, Kuder continues to pioneer innovative products and services for the educational and career assessment marketplace. Kuder is the exclusive publisher of the Kuder(R) Career Planning System, Visions systems, Develop Your Future(R), Take Hold of Your Future, and the Iowa Career Learning Assessment(R).

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