Virtual Kindergarten wins Codie Award

Virtual Kindergarten, an educational Web site and multimedia CD-ROM developed by Palantir, beat out a number of high-profile nominees, including Microsoft Corporation's Student 2006 and Atari's Dora the Explorer: Fairytale Adventures, to win the Codie Award for Best Instructional Solution: Students at Home at the Software & Information Industry Association's annual black-tie awards gala in San Francisco on May 16, 2006.

Developed in collaboration with the curriculum developers at the Chicago Public Schools and creative agency Brainforest, Virtual Kindergarten helps parents make the most of their child’s early learning by providing bilingual information that addresses key learning concepts with a focus on early literacy and on math, social studies, and science skills. Each lesson pulls together low-cost activities in the classroom, at home, and in the community to reinforce the home-school connection.

The Codie Awards were established by in 1986 and utilize both journalist and peer-company reviews to identify the leaders and innovators in 71 categories across the software, digital content and education technology industries. Hundreds of technology executives attended the gala event to recognize and congratulate the winners. This year’s winners were chosen for the excellence of their products, services, corporate leadership and philanthropy.

The Codie Award for Best Instructional Solution: Students at Home honors the educational technology solution that best extends traditional learning into the home. It includes CD, DVD, online, handheld and multimedia software targeted toward students ranging from pre-K through 12th grade or postsecondary students.

The Software & Information Industry Association (SIIA) is the principal trade association for the software and digital content industry. SIIA provides global services in government relations, business development, corporate education and intellectual property protection to more than 800 leading software and information companies.

About Palantir
Founded in 1996, Palantir has developed a full range of custom interactive Web sites, database applications, and software. Our goal is to change the way people share information by employing new media technologies that empower and enable end-users through seamless, highly functional interactive experiences.