New Incentive-Based Digital Platform, CWIST, Harnesses Creative Power Of Parents And Educators To Create Fun Kids' Challenges To Educate The Whole Child

ANNAPOLIS, Md., May 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- CWIST (pronounced \ˈkwist\), is a new incentive-based digital platform for children ages 5 - 11 that provides a community for parents and educators to share ideas and find fun kids' challenges or "CWISTs" that match the unique learning needs of their children. CWISTs are crowd-sourced from parents, educators, influential mom bloggers and child experts and posted in the extensive interactive library where children can explore the value of earning, work ethic and delayed gratification.

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CWIST's unique model offers a collaborative resource that provides parents with diverse backgrounds a community to learn from each other's experiences. The platform is a convenient tool that can be used to set clear expectations and outline achievable goals.

Parents and educators create CWISTs as games and challenges, so children are inspired and motivated to learn while having fun. The CWISTs can be anything from organizing a community clean-up, researching fun facts for an upcoming family trip, completing a summer reading list or mastering good manners over time. Children choose parent-approved rewards which can range from a sleepover, day trip, toy or gadget that they have wanted or something completely unique and original. And because CWISTs are tested and validated by other parents, experts and teachers, parents know that CWISTs work.

"As parents ourselves, we understand that moms and dads need a place where they can motivate their children to learn while understanding the value of hard work," said Christopher Sleat, Co-Founder of CWIST. "Parents love CWIST because it's flexible enough to meet the unique learning needs of their child and fits naturally into their busy life. Children love it because it keeps them endlessly entertained and engaged."

Partner companies like Imagine Toys and Scientifics Direct make it possible for children to select rewards they really want. And if it's not on CWIST, children can chose and enter their own unique rewards.

CWIST's core group of experts includes creative design by SJI Associates, and consulting by PlayScience, both leaders in the kids' brand and educational technology industries. Their expertise provides CWIST parents, educators and kids a user friendly and customizable experience.

"Parents are looking for creative and educational experiences for their kids, especially those that give let their kids explore and achieve in the real world while engaging them through digital media," said Dr. Alison Bryant, founder and CEO of PlayScience. "CWIST is the perfect mix of real and virtual fun, with the added benefit of getting kids to do good!"

CWIST's creators are parents with diverse backgrounds in the education, technology services and children's entertainment industries.  Members of the team have established key industry relationships with top toy children's brands and digital media companies and have worked with hit television shows and networks including PBS KIDS, Monster Garage, Trading Spaces, Miami Ink, Animal Planet and Discovery Kids.

CWIST's free service is currently available by invitation only. CWIST will launch an iPad and an iPhone application shortly.

For more information, please visit www.cwist.com.

About CWIST:

Founded in August 2012 by parent professionals with expertise in educational media and technology platform development, CWIST is a parent-educator collaboration that provides crowd-sourced learning through an interactive library of educational, community service and outdoor CWISTs, or challenges that help kids make a healthy connection between the things they want and the effort it takes to get them. For more information, please visit www.cwist.com.

Be sure to like CWIST on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @cwisting and @cwistmom.

SOURCE CWIST