NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact: Heather Katz Ph.D.
540-428-2988
Washington, D.C., June 10, 2008 – The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and Hot Lava Software, Inc. are changing the way Minor league and Independent league baseball relates to its fans. Dubbed, The Sports Bytes Competition, baseball fans are able to learn the science behind the sport through the use of mobile learning. Fans attending the game will have the opportunity to not only see a homerun hit, but learn how friction and drag affect the path of a baseball traveled. Although many learning institutions have attempted to teach science through the use of sports, Kauffman and Hot Lava are taking mobile learning inside the stadiums for fans to use their mobile devices to deliver on-demand Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education that is accessible and captivating.
Throughout July and August 2008, select stadiums around the country will run in-game promotions. A quirky looking professor—the announcer—motivates fans wearing his white lab coat, chemistry goggles, and mad scientist hair when he leaps upon the dugout. His Sports Bytes announcement encourages fans to take out their cell phones and participate by interacting with a Sports Bytes module and quiz items about the science behind baseball. Getting started is as easy as sending a text message to “83960” with the word “onpoint” in the text message body. Hot Lava responds with an auto response text message to the fan’s mobile phone that enables the fan to access the Sports Bytes module: Win a Prize Pack! To qualify , follow this free link: http://hdwap.com/s/s.html?u=12408884505&p=p&c=6107&n=y. A nightly prize pack is awarded to one fan who answers one question correctly. Prize packs can include free tickets, signed baseballs, a first pitch certificate, kajeet mobile phones, and team merchandise.
The Sports Bytes Competition is live in July and August 2008 at the Kansas City T-Bones, Frederick Keys, Aberdeen Ironbirds, Bowie Baysox, Wilmington Blue Rocks, and Delmarva Shorebirds baseball games along with the D.C. United Soccer Team. Those not attending a game can access the Sports Bytes content via http://www.hdwap.com/s from a mobile phone web browser.
About Hot Lava Software, Inc.
Hot Lava Software, Inc. is the leading provider of mobile authoring, publishing, delivery and tracking solutions. Using Hot Lava Software’s content development and publishing system (LMA) integrated with the Hot Lava Mobile Delivery and Tracking System TM (MDTS) allows organizations to have the tools and knowledge needed to launch and track mobile initiatives faster, with more cost efficiency. Hot Lava Software, provides mobile content solutions and mobile content design, authoring and publishing solutions to corporations, governments and universities around the world. More information is available at http://www.hotlavasoftware.com
About the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation is a private nonpartisan foundation that works to harness the power of entrepreneurship and innovation to grow economies and improve human welfare. Through its research and other initiatives, the Kauffman Foundation aims to open young people’s eyes to the possibility of entrepreneurship, promote entrepreneurship education, raise awareness of entrepreneurship-friendly policies, and find alternative pathways for the commercialization of new knowledge and technologies. It also works to prepare students to be innovators, entrepreneurs and skilled workers in the 21st century economy through initiatives designed to improve learning in math, engineering, science and technology. Founded by late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion Kauffman, the Foundation is based in Kansas City, Mo. and has more than $2.4 billion in assets. More information is available at http://www.kauffman.org
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