COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - As announced in March, the Mountain West Conference (MWC) has launched a web-based education initiative in its eight member institutions' states of California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming. The Initiative is comprised of a web-based education program for kindergarten through eighth grade students, a print ad to run in MWC game programs during football and basketball seasons, a series of radio and TV PSAs, and a comprehensive media relations campaign all designed to promote education and the Initiative under the theme of "Learn More. Do More."

The cornerstone of the Initiative, the online Kid's College program, assists teachers in providing a solid educational foundation for young students. It officially goes live for schools on Monday, September 22. The program captivates and motivates children using their favorite MWC sports teams and mascots, and reinforces skills taught in the classroom using college athletics. The Initiative debuts in schools this month and conforms to each state's and national education standards. This valuable resource has proven effective and will continue to help reinforce math and language skills taught in the classroom as well as motivate students, improve test scores and inspire a student's interest in higher education.

"The MWC and its member institutions are excited to provide this educational tool to teachers and over six million students," said Craig Thompson, MWC Commissioner. "It is critical for young people to realize that athletic success can only be achieved when it is preceded by academic success. This is essential to the development of our future student-athletes."

"It is critical for young people to realize that athletic success can only be achieved when it is preceded by academic success." -- Craig Thompson, MWC Commissioner

Each of the MWC's member institutions has its own segment in the program that allows a student to explore the institution through a virtual tour of the campus. The program is available in English and Spanish, and a CD-ROM version of the program will be available for purchase at various retail outlets or at learningthroughsports.com for home use.

As students learn through interactive sports games, exciting new levels of game play are unlocked by completing challenging math and language questions. Virtual coaches provide directions and tips. Other special features of the program include content that correlates to specific state standards and a real-time reporting tool designed for teachers to track the academic progress of each student.

Kids College is a product of Learning Through Sports, LLC. "We're very excited about our partnership with the MWC," said Founder and CEO Brian Shulman. "The combination of MWC teams integrated with our unique learning program motivates students and makes learning fun."

For more information on the Mountain West Conference's Education Initiative and Kid's College program, visit TheMWC.com. Teachers can sign their school up to use the online version free-of-charge by visiting TheMWC.com and clicking on the Kid's College Education Initiative icon.

For more information visit THEMWC.com or LearningThroughSports.com.