SER National Partners with ed2go and Smart Horizons Career Online Education to Launch SER Career Prep Academy

STAMFORD, Conn., April 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Education To Go (www.ed2go.com), part of Cengage Learning and a leading provider of turnkey online training and education solutions, and Smart Horizons Career Online Education (www.shcoe.org) have formally announced the launch of SER Career Prep Academy in partnership with SER-Jobs for Progress National (SER National). SER National (www.ser-national.org) is a private, nonprofit organization with a 50-year history of helping underserved Hispanic populations achieve economic freedom and self-sufficiency through employment, education and empowerment.

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SER Career Prep Academy will provide individuals served by SER National with an opportunity to earn a fully accredited high school diploma while also completing coursework for a credentialed career certificate. The new online academy will be powered by ed2go's Career Online High School, which is a division of Smart Horizons Career Online Education, the world's first AdvancED/SACS accredited private online school district.

ed2go is a leading provider of online courses and career training programs for adult continuing education students, having served more than two million students in various courses nationwide.

"Working with ed2go fits into SER's larger strategy of providing education and employment opportunities, especially for those who have struggled within traditional settings," said Ignacio Salazar, President and CEO of SER National. "One of our main target populations is out-of-school youth—students who might be 19 or 20 and who don't want to go back into a traditional setting where they're not going to learn well because they feel out of place. Re-engaging these individuals into the education process is one of our main goals. SER Career Prep Academy represents an important new educational opportunity that utilizes the latest technologies to help these kinds of students achieve their career goals."

SER National believes that the launch of SER Career Prep Academy is a "win-win" situation for both SER National and ed2go. "ed2go has significant experience developing adult training and education programs along with enrollment and admissions services that provide a really streamlined process," said Salazar. "SER has an extensive national network of affiliate organizations that can direct people to ed2go's Career Online High School program and other career training options through SER Career Prep Academy."

According to Vice President and General Manager for ed2go, Jerry Weissberg, "With the launch of SER Career Prep Academy—powered by our Career Online High School—we are able to better reach exactly the people who are most in need of this kind of training and accreditation. This collaboration with SER National is a winning combination that will make access, affordability and choice a reality for individuals who want to earn their diploma and pave the way for a more prosperous future."

For more information, please visit: http://www.ed2golive.com/careeronlinehighschool.

About SER-Jobs for Progress National, Inc. (SER National)
SER is a national, private, nonprofit organization making a positive impact on families across America. SER is the Spanish verb for "to be" and also reflects the means by which our mission is accomplished—Service, Employment, and Redevelopment.  Headquartered in Irving, Texas, SER presently oversees a network of 22 community-based organizations in more than 200 cities serving over 1,200,000 individuals each year. SER's work is focused in three key areas: employment, education, and empowerment. For more information, visit www.ser-national.org.

About Smart Horizons Career Online Education 
Smart Horizons Career Online Education , founded in 2009 and located in Pensacola, Florida, is a private, AdvancED/SACS accredited online school district. AdvancED/SACS District accreditation signifies that SHCOE and all of its schools are fully accredited and that SHCOE is recognized across the nation as a quality school system. Smart Horizons Career Online Education offers 18-credit, career-based high school diploma programs that are designed to prepare students for entrance into the workplace. Career certificate offerings include Childcare Education, Office Management, Protection Services, Homeland Security, Healthcare (coming soon) and Transportation Services. For more information, visit our Web site at www.shcoe.org, call our office at 855-777-4265 or email our office at [email protected].

About Cengage Learning and ed2go
Cengage Learning is a leading provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions for the academic, professional and library markets worldwide. ed2go, part of Cengage Learning, is the largest provider of turnkey online training and education solutions serving the adult education, career, and corporate training markets. With over 2,000 colleges, universities, community based organizations and other training providers, ed2go has served more than 2 million students. ed2go's ever-growing catalog of Online Courses and Career Training Programs makes it simple for students to enrich their lives or reach professional goals in a supportive and engaging environment. ed2go also can help educational institutions jump-start their online education programs or augment existing distance learning options.

To learn more about ed2go and our product and services, visit www.ed2go.com, call our office at 1-800-701-8755 or email us at [email protected].

SOURCE Cengage Learning