Ryan might have used a synopsis of Force Majeure as an in-class case study, because shame and denial inhibit the reporting of human-triggered avalanches, which subsequently reinforces a culture of silence and impedes the sharing and disseminating of instructive stories in which the main characters do not choose wisely. Instead, during the second half of class, Ryan distributed a case-study synopsis about a party of experienced skiers on Microdot. (He didnt use a case study from the latest Snowy Torrents, intuiting, perhaps, that many in our course had already scrutinized it cover to cover.) We divided into smaller groups to discuss what stood out in terms of the partys preparation, safety, teamwork. The incident was notable less for the body count (zero) and more for how, even though several members of the eight-person party had previously triggered avalanches and even, in one case, witnessed a fatality, they had ignored the many obvious dangers, suggesting that these skiers had become dazzled by their own expertise, falsely brightened by luck.

The case study didnt include as the case studies in The Snowy Torrents dont include the psychological factors that led these skiers to continue when the signs against it were so compelling. Heres where my skill set came in handy. Heres why all avalanche courses should include at least one novelist. In my head, I imagined the real avalanche problems on Microdot.

Skier 1, an avalanche survivor, hadnt slept well for weeks because his business, which he hadnt run scrupulously, was being audited by the I.R.S. Skier 2, a past witness to an avalanche fatality, was dating Skier 3, who had recently expressed doubts about their long-term compatibility prospects, and so Skier 2, though worried by the ranger report, said nothing when Skier 3 insisted they keep climbing. Skier 4, a tech executive, learned over the years that she could gain the respect of her male co-workers by behaving in a cavalier manner, and so, wanting the same respect and acceptance from her male skiing friends, she employed this strategy on mountains too. Skier 5 wanted to appear committed to the plan to Skier 6, creator of a successful series of life-coaching videos for aspiring C.E.O.s, and for whom Skier 5, an unemployed filmmaker, hoped to work. Skier 7, also an avalanche survivor, had lost his father, a Libertarian, to bone cancer in January, and his fathers final admonition was, never cave to the mediocrity of groupthink, which Skier 7 took to mean that caution equals cowardice. The sun was temptingly warm. The sky was temptingly blue. A wolverine crossed their path. Skier 8, a folklore scholar, said that wolverines, in Finland, signaled safe travel.

Wed never know, of course. But Ryan encouraged us to be empathetic, because empathy helps us learn, and judgment does not (the Microdot case study warns, This story underscores the fact that all humans are capable of making poor decisions), which I believe to be superficially true, though it strikes me as a conclusion drawn from data sourced from the Bible, not actual data. Regardless, we didnt judge, if only because we were going into the mountains for the next two days and, based on whatever biblical or superstitious story math we did in our heads, we didnt want to curse our outcomes. As we packed up our notebooks and travel mugs, however, I wondered why these case studies were called accidents. To call these deaths and burials accidents implicitly perpetuated the idea that the randomness of nature was the killer, not the shortsightedness, cowardice or hubris of people. It acquitted the subject and the object of the action: Damage was done. In the interests of vulnerability, growth, shame-reduction and clear communication, The Snowy Torrents might revise their subtitle: Timeless United States Avalanche Mistakes.

Bad winter weather in the Sierra is nothing like bad winter weather in the Northeast, where Im from. Snow falls so quickly in the Sierra that you can barely keep up while shoveling it. If youve never seen snow like this and I hadnt, not until I moved to California in my 20s you might realize, upon first experiencing it, that you never understood why the Donner party couldnt just walk out of the mountains when winter hit.

As always, before starting the course, I enthusiastically prepared for the worst. Preparing for the worst, when youre not on an avalanche course, can earn you the label catastrophist. To some, ceaselessly scanning a plain day for big and little dooms is a highly optional and neurotic activity. David Page, who lives in the nearby mountains and who met me for dinner the night before the course began, told me that he prefers to call otherwise-pathologized attentiveness heightened situational awareness.

I preferred this term, too.

Because I knew how quickly the weather in the Sierra could turn, I reserved a four-wheel-drive car weeks in advance. Right before my flight, I called the rental agency to confirm that my car would have four-wheel-drive. When I arrived, and was given the keys to a vehicle, I checked with the lot attendant before putting my bags in the trunk: Does this car have four-wheel-drive? He said he didnt think it did. I returned to the desk. The clerk apologized for the error. On my way back to the lot, the same attendant said, Oh, youll be really happy, thats a good four-wheel-drive car.

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What I Learned in Avalanche School - The New York Times

The Philippine Constitution clearly states that the State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels of education and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.

To further emphasize this basic policy, other sections of the Constitution enunciate the duty of the State to establish, maintain and support a complete, adequate and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society.

That education is given one entire article Article 14 in the basic law of the land is a reflection of how our constitutional framers clearly recognize the ardent desire of parents to have their children finish school, face the world and grab economic opportunities, improve themselves and elevate the standard of living of their families. Education is the ultimate enabler for any individual, regardless of location, race, sex, or creed. Oftentimes, it is a vehicle for upward mobility that would allow anyone to transcend the limits of ones birth.

So when the results of the OECD-administered Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2018 were recently released, the reaction was utmost dismay, frustration and embarrassment. The results showed that Filipino students garnered a mean of 340 points in reading comprehension, which is starkly below the established average of 487 points. And we all know that reading skills are a cornerstone of a human beings ability to understand, comprehend, decide and take action in response to day-to-day human and societal events. Such skills are crucial to any professional undertaking.

In the areas of mathematics and science, competencies which are core to the nations vision of being globally competitive in technology, industry and innovation, our students got a mean of 353 in Math, and 357 in Science, against a 489 OECD average for both categories. Interestingly enough, China beat the pack by garnering scores higher than the aforementioned OECD averages.

NATIONAL RESPONSE The reaction of the country, at first, was defensive disbelief and eventually, a humbling acceptance. After an honest recognition of the gaps and weaknesses of our educational system, its infrastructure, and issues around teacher-pupil ratio, and classroom shortages, teacher education development program, conditional school feeding and other initiatives are now being revived.

These results are also frustrating and embarrassing to the international community which has depended for many decades on millions of our workers and professionals who enjoyed the reputation of being well educated with good speaking skills and relationship management. If the scores are this low, how can we still be competitive or even respected within and outside of the Philippines?

Particularly encouraging, on hindsight, is the fact that our Department of Education (DepEd) made a conscious and brave decision to participate in PISA for the first time in 2018. Education Secretary Leonor Briones exercised political will by going through the process, accepting the results, and paving the way for understanding the deficiencies of our educational system and providing solutions that are not only relevant for students today but also those belonging to the next generation. And coping with the future risks and opportunities is very important because our youth are exposed to learning and communicating through the use of advanced information technology, artificial intelligence, and robotics. Secretary Briones is fully aware that the tools for future education shall be radically different from what we use today and in the next few years.

NECESSARY SOLUTION Thus, participation in the PISA, no matter how painful the results were, was a journey worth taking. It was the proverbial bitter pill urgently needed to cure the ailing educational infrastructure. In fact, the DepEd launched Sulong Edukalidad which seeks to institute reforms in four key areas of K to 12 review and updating, improvement of learning facilities, teachers and school heads up-skilling and re-skilling through a transformed professional development program, and engagement of all stakeholders for support and collaboration.

Sulong Edukalidad has a great potential of being an effective platform which shall hopefully improve our scores in the PISA and make education a true vehicle for the ordinary students liberation from illiteracy, ignorance, and despondency. The overall agenda to ensure that our educational system shall be at par with the more advanced societies of the world is truly a paramount obligation of the state to its citizens.

Ariel F. Nepomuceno is a management consultant on strategy and investment.

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Education as the premise of progress - BusinessWorld Online

The Online Education market report [6 Year Forecast 2019-2025] focuses on Major Leading Industry Players, providing info like Online Education market competitive situation, product scope, market overview, opportunities, driving force and market risks. Profile the top manufacturers of Online Education, with sales, revenue and global market share of Online Education are analyzed emphatically by landscape contrast and speak to info. Upstream raw materials and instrumentation and downstream demand analysis is additionally administrated. The Online Education market business development trends and selling channels square measure analyzed. From a global perspective, It also represents overall industry size by analyzing qualitative insights and historical data.

The study encompasses profiles of major companies operating in the global Online Education market. Key players profiled in the report includes : Ambow Education, CDEL, New Oriental Education and Technology, TAL, Vedantu, iTutorGroup, EF Education First, Chegg, Knewton, Tokyo Academics, Tata Interactive Systems, N2N Services, Microsoft, Saba Software, McGrawHill, YY and so on.

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This Online Education market report provides a comprehensive analysis of:Industry overview, manufacturing cost structure analysis, technical data and manufacturing plants analysis, major manufacturers analysis, development trend analysis, overall market overview, regional market analysis, consumers analysis and marketing type analysis.

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The global Online Education market is valued at million US$ in 2018 and will reach million US$ by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of during 2019-2025. The objectives of this study are to define, segment, and project the size of the Online Education market based on company, product type, application and key regions.

This report studies the global market size of Online Education in key regions like North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Central & South America and Middle East & Africa, focuses on the consumption of Online Education in these regions.

This research report categorizes the global Online Education market by players/brands, region, type and application. This report also studies the global market status, competition landscape, market share, growth rate, future trends, market drivers, opportunities and challenges, sales channels, distributors, customers, research findings & conclusion, appendix & data source and Porters Five Forces Analysis.

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On the basis on the end users/applications,this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate of Online Education foreach application, including-

On the basis of product,this report displays the sales volume, revenue (Million USD), product price, Online Education market share and growth rate ofeach type, primarily split into-

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The report offers exclusive information about the Online Education market, based on thorough research about the macro and microeconomic factors that are instrumental in the development of the market. The information featured in this report can answer salient questions for companies in the Online Education market, in order to make important business-related decisions. Some of these questions include:

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Global Online Education Market 2019, Overview, Growth, Analysis And Development - CupMint

In 2019, we came across many businesses that saw success, but a slew of startups was also shrouded in uncertainty and scams, especially towards the end of the year.

The shutdown of startups like Doodhwala and the general slowdown in the economy left the Indian startup ecosystem in a mellow mood towards the end of the year. While 2020 seems to be starting off with the same grim feeling, we can only hope that in a few months it will be the harbinger of better times. Here are the top predictions for startups in the coming year.

If there is political unrest in the country, international investors will become uncertain about investing in India. The National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) have already received a lot of international criticism, and it is only a matter of time before it affects business sentiment.

Alienation of border areas like Kashmir will continue, which means development will get stunted if the government continues to prioritise issues related to citizenship rather than focusing on economic development.

Past research and experiments done by Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee shows that refugees and minority groups dont eat into the jobs that locals desire. That is more myth than reality. Assam and Kashmir have tremendous potential in the travel, tourism, and agritech space, but due to government clamp downs and shutdown of internet, startups are not going to want to set up base there.

With ecommerce giant Amazon upping its game with sourcing of fresh produce from farmers in the grocery delivery business, and increasingly promoting its own products in categories that do well on the platform - all businesses that compete with it should be cautious.

Ecommerce, content, grocery, web services, and retail are all already duopolies, and the power dynamic might shift to favour Amazon more if it goes on unchecked by regulators.

Despite there being a sizeable number of startups in the education space, all of them are likely to see growth. Startups like upGrad, Avani Learning, Byjus, and InterviewBit, which are all catering to slightly different segments, will have plenty of growth opportunities.

Indias education system seems to be broken due to very limited institutions offering quality education, combined with cut-throat competition for jobs. Also, many reports released this year revealed that the average graduate, engineering or otherwise, was not employable.

This is disheartening both for businesses and for young people. The traditional education system needs to be supported by online academies and courses that are skill-based.

With the PMC Bank scam fresh in the mind of consumers and high number of cases linked to financial fraud coming to light this year, fintech firms are going to have a tough time convincing consumers.

Online mutual fund platforms have failed to get the traction they expected to get in the last three years, market performance has been muted, and a lot of things that former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan had warned us about are coming true.

Early-stage investors, who have slowly built a portfolio of tech-based scalable B2B businesses in the last decade, will look to identify more promising startups in 2020. With the economy showing warning signs of slowing down, and Indian businesses getting strapped for cash, HNIs who want to give back to the startup community will set themselves higher targets this year.

We have already seen the trend of startups raising money from groups of individual investors increasing this year, and that is set to grow faster next year.

The city has been a startup hub for a while, but still doesnt get enough limelight as Bengaluru and Gurugram. But thats likely to change in 2020 because the community there is now large enough to command more media attention.

With T-Hubs investments into the ecosystem and the presence of firms like Jay Robotix, True Push, Neemans, AuthBlue, and SkinCraft, the city is likely to get more attention than before, which will further encourage new firms and talent to relocate.

Research has shown that Hyderabad residents are extremely tech savvy, and their education levels and internet penetration are also high. This will encourage new startups to set up their headquarters there.

In India, the average age of the startup founder is about 30. That totally makes sense considering the countrys demographic dividend. But theres a large pool of successful CEOs, now in their mid to late 50s, who arent willing to retire yet.

The ones who identify themselves as doers and not investors will want to co-found companies with young people with expertise and exciting ideas. So, well see more of the UpGrad type of partnerships, where Ronnie Screwvala teamed up with youngsters like Phalgun Kompalli, Mayank Kumar, Ravijot Chugh (they are all co-founders) to startup.

There was a time when starting out on your own was looked down upon. People would think youre starting your own business, because nobody else is willing to hire you. In urban India, of course, that is no longer the case. However, in rural India, a government job is still considered to be a great career achievement.

With the Modi governments focus on Startup India over the last five years, one can see the change in rural parts of India. The youth are keen to implement agritech solutions, get involved in implementation, and measure social impact as well. Those whore lucky to get out of the village and pursue higher education in prestigious institutions, are now giving back to the society by going back to their villages and empowering others, instead of taking up well-paying jobs in cities.

(Edited by Megha Reddy)

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(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)

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2020 startup predictions: Top trends to look out for in the coming year - YourStory

THERE are three portfolios, outside of the Prime Ministership, in the Cabinet that I consider the most important:

* Finance Minister

* Economic Affairs Minister

* Education Minister.

If the Prime Minister is essentially the Executive Chairman of Malaysia, the Finance Minister is basically the custodian of our Treasury and practically the Chief Financial Officer of the nation.

I have written about the Economic Affairs portfolio before when I touched on economics the Minister is for all intents and purpose hold a very powerful position with respect to the business of the nation, while not having a reporting function for the executive cabinet members. He is essentially the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the country.

The business and well-being of the economy, the growth and (business) development of the economy leads and runs through the CEO. He is accountable for the bottom-line. And I have already made my opinion known on the state and the rudderless situation of this portfolio, which has not been performing since its inception to this date.

Now I have written more than a few times about education, but today I shall return to it from a different perspective.

The education portfolio is nothing short of the Chief Human Resource (HR) Officer.

The so-called HR function is easily understood but in a nation this role is even more powerful than in a corporation. This is due to the portfolio not only develops but IMPLICITLY allocates the most valuable resource the nation has its youth into every sector of the economy, private and public.

Not too long ago, a photo of a widely smiling Education director-general Datuk Dr Amin Senin, holding up the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) was published. He proclaimed that its ranking showed Malaysia has improved significantly for all three categories of Science, Mathematics and Reading literacies. Smiling with pride, he announced that the ranking put us in the middle one-third of countries participating in the international assessment, from being in the bottom one-third in previous cycles.

Based on results released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Malaysia scored 440 in Mathematics, 415 in Reading and 438 in Scientific literacy in PISA 2018. Amin said that our country is thus above other Asean countries, except Singapore.

For the DG to tout a six-point drop in Maths and a five-point increase in Science as Overall, Malaysia's achievement showed significant increase, just takes the cake. (The 2015 PISA is 446 for Mathematics and 443 for Science).

Really, ladies and gentlemen, this is what the Education Ministry is proud of?

It seems that this PH Government after almost one and a half year in power has not been able to shed the old habits of the BN Government of sweeping the rubbish under the rug and putting lipstick on pigs.

Dear citizens of Malaysia, please see the chart given by OECD in their PISA result and how we stand and what it really means.

What is so difficult about calling a spade a spade, being honest about the state of affairs, having the integrity and courage to admit the problems and the issues; and then having the leadership and vision to lay out the exact remedy, strategy and plan to execute the corrective measures, improvement and development?

What is so politically difficult about that?

Is it because you lack spine, or you lack the brains and capability to come up with the solution and the strategy to implement them?

I have just two words to describe the Malaysian education system as reported by the PISA 2018 result a FAILURE and PATHETIC.

Then we have the widely celebrated Education Minister making the proud announcement of making free education available to Malaysians. Please tell me, what is the use of being given a free car if that car is a 30-year old clunker that will break down right inside the Sempah Tunnel before it can even get up to Genting Highlands.

If memory serves me right, when I first started school, my year was the first year all subjects were taught in Bahasa Malaysia (except English, of course) and SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia) was first-time all-in Bahasa in 1980. I still recall the strength of our SPM curriculum, which was equivalent to the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in England.

Our lessons were practically unchanged from the days of MCE (Malaysian Certificate of Education) in English the year before, the teachers we had were superb, even though some were struggling to adjust to Bahasa Malaysia. Also, unlike today, the science laboratories were available and fully stocked. The sciences were subjects I looked forward to in-spite of my not being a strong science student.

A good friend of mine who went to do engineering in one of the top universities overseas told me he practically did not need to go to class in his first semester because our standards were so high in Form Five that he already knew the things taught in the Basic 101 physics, chemistry and maths courses which he practically aced, by the way.

That was 40 years ago. Looking at the PISA results, I doubt that we would still be at the same level today if a proper review was done. Look at where we stand in relation to Great Britain: a 67-point difference in science and a 62-point difference in maths. For goodness sakes, we are 40 to 50 points below the average for maths and science.

Singapore used to be the same level as us but within 40 years they are more than 100 points ahead in each of those categories. This is a complete embarrassment and a damning indictment of our education policy, system, administrators, teachers and schools. Not to mention the governance of our society.

By the way, should any one one dare to point out that Singapore is a small country and easier to manage and centralise their education etc. I would point to China.

Chinas figures are even higher than Singapore and much far ahead than us.

Think about this.

The infamous Tiananmen Square incident was in June 1989. China was in a precarious situation in the 1990s, socialism in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union was collapsing and the future of China under the Chinese Communist Party was at a breaking point. They were far behind Malaysia in terms of development and education.

Deng Xiaoping, then embraced capitalism and a scientific-driven education for his society. If you want to understand what this leader saw, remember that he left for France at the age of 16. He looked West and never looked back. And in less than 30 years, look at where they are compared to us.

What did we do instead?

Looked East for a short while before looking inward, became a more race-based, controlled economy and made our education religion-centric.

Did Deng Xiaoping embrace an increase in Taoist or Confucius pondoks or madrasahs and increase such classes in their schools?

Did they incorporate religious elements in teachings? NO. They went scientific.

They threw their youth out to the best schools in the West, most to study in the sciences and come back and rebuild their schools and universities on merit. They dont spend wasted taxpayer funds to send their young for religious education nor do they tolerate teachers or universities that bring religion into education. They bring evidence-based knowledge, they bring maths and science.

We meanwhile have watered down our curriculum to make it easier to pass and handed out As by the bushels. Just look at the number of straight As per school every year when the results come out. It does not make statistical sense.

For what? Syok sendiri I call it, so that our teachers and school administrators can pat their backs. And our molly-coddled students can easily be admitted into universities via a disproportionate 90% racial quota. They then graduate out and start that cycle all over again by occupying positions in public administrations and GLCs that are incompetent and lose money year in and year out.

Why is this happening?

I always say one need not look any further than at the leadership. Since after Musa Hitam left the post of Education Minister in 1981, we have had a minister who was either of religious scholar in background or outlook in mindset. How then do we expect our education system to be world class and scientific?

We need a new scientifically- minded technocratic policymaker as Education Minister. One who is willing to dismantle the hegemony of religious influence in curriculum and racial mindset in educational opportunity.

We need a minister who understands that primary and secondary education is about imparting the basics of 21st century thinking knowledge, which can only be provided by maths and the sciences.

Someone who also understands that humanities and other types of electives are additional knowledge and skill at fundamental level that would allow our children to enter university with a more rounded evidenced-based critical knowledge.

Streaming is important because not everyone needs to learn calculus or higher-level physics or chemistry in secondary school. But those capable should be allowed to take them at the fundamental level so that they can compete at the level needed for tertiary education in the sciences.

The priorities of this education minister are so laughable that sometimes I want him to stay there forever as he is quite good comedic material, if it is not so tragic. He makes a big deal about coding as a subject. Coding skills are like any other skill, such as learning different languages, shop-skills, arts and the likes are all based on aptitude and interest. Its an elective. It is not fundamental for education.

Focus on the basics.

Return our fundamental education to where it was in the 1970s and early 80s and update the curriculum to a tougher and higher level. For example, if in the 70s we taught up to Mendelian inheritance, today we should go right up to DNA structure and genetic evolutionary biology. If we stopped at Newtonian physics, then include general and special relativity now.

Put teachers who are truly interested and capable to teach these subjects, qualified at least at the masters level and pay them what they deserve. Not having teachers and headmasters coming to school talking about religion in every other classes and having prayer gatherings.

Then let merit reign. Not everyone should go to university or be a university graduate. Those who do not merit such places can go vocational, learn the hospitality industry, obtain certificates in skills that we require for our daily economy to function at every level.

Why do you think if you go the USA there are no migrant workers at even the roadside diners? Because those who do not merit a degree are not accorded one and they pride themselves in working an honest day at decent wages. No need for migrant labour from Pakistan or Bangladesh or security guards from Nepal.

My final thought on this is: give options for other well-rounded humanistic knowledge of human civilisation, like languages of places where knowledge is today being produced such as French, Chinese and German world history and geography, music and the arts and... coding.

Education is not rocket science. But you need to be scientifically-minded, and therefore critical in thinking, in order to make true policy and substantive changes in our education system if we want to progress as a nation and not be left behind by the rest of the advanced world.

Note: The PISA, administered by the OECD, is a triennial survey of 15-year-old students that assesses the extent to which they have acquired key knowledge and skills essential for full participation in society. For PISA 2018,6, 111 students from 191 schools were chosen to represent Malaysia. These students were assessed and compared with students from 72 OECD and non-OECD countries.

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The ashes of our education - The Star Online

Dr Maszlee Malik waves to the media after announcing his resignation as Education Ministry during a special press conference in Putrajaya today. Bernama photo

KUCHING: Dr Maszlee Malik has today announced that he will resign his post as Education Minister effective Jan 3.

Maszlee made the announcement following a press conference called at his office after several reports emerged that he would be resigning his post.

Following a meeting with Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, I realised that it was in the countrys best interest that I resign my post as education minister, he told the media.

He reiterated several times that his loyalty to the country and his party (Bersatu) was unfaltering, and his trust in Dr Mahathirs leadership.

Maszlee also highlighted several achievements of his ministry since Pakatan Harapan took power after the last general election.

Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir has also issued an official statement, saying that he had received and accepted Maszlee resignation.

I will announce his successor shortly, the statement read.

The Simpang Rengam MP has come under fire several times in the past after making some controversial moves, the latest of which is the introduction of Jawi calligraphy in vernacular schools.

Readers can view the full press release on his Facebook page below:

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Maszlee resigns as Education Minister effective Jan 3 - The Borneo Post

Modern technologies, be it AI, machine learning, 5G, Internet of Things, or blockchain, are transforming our future. Leading the way are startups that are harnessing disruptive innovation to create a new market and value network, displacing established firms and products.

The ranking of the 50 Most Disruptive Startups for the year 2019 was based on a well-defined methodology that takes into consideration key valuation metrics and leverages the YourStory teams rich experience and knowhow in the space. As the most prominent startup ecosystem enabler in India, YourStory is rightly equipped with the qualitative data and industry insights to create the most authentic listings of its kind.

Our ranking of the Top 50 Most Disruptive Startups spotlights startups with groundbreaking ideas that are creating a deep impact for good with the help of technology.

To arrive at the rankings for the 50 Most Disruptive Startups, a jury comprising YourStory Research and Data Heads, senior editorial staff, and industry experts narrowed down the initial list of around 300 nominations through multiple deliberations. A score was assigned to various valuation metrics such as market opportunity, team, technology or the product or service provided, innovation, and growth potential to determine the ranking of each of these startups.

The jury carefully considered the teams capabilities and skills to create disruptive tech-based solutions and scale the business in its addressable market. In addition, the extent of the product innovation of startups, both in terms of product utilisation and defensibility, its market potential, the scalability of the solution, and clarity of the revenue models were also carefully considered by the jury before making their final selection of 50 Most Disruptive Startups.

Ola, one of the worlds largest ride-hailing companies, announced 'Mission: Electric', with a commitment to place 10,000 e-rickshaws in its service in the next 12 months.

From cycle rickshaws to shuttles and last-mile transport, three-wheelers continue to be a dominant form of daily transit for many people in India. Building on the pioneering EV pilot by the company in Nagpur, Ola believes electrification can improve outcomes for drivers, customers, and its business model.

Ola is the market leader in app-based hailing and intends to leverage its scale to bring cleaner, more comfortable, and safer products to the market.

With investments from SoftBank, Tiger Global, Ratan Tata, and several others, the well-heeled startup became the fastest unicorn after Udaan.

Ola Electric has an ambitious target to deploy a million EVs by 2021, with around 10,000 of them by end-2019 itself. It is also building charging infrastructure and swappable batteries for these vehicles.

In March this year, Hyundai Motor and Kia Motor announced an investment of $300 million in Ola with a focus on electric vehicles. As part of this partnership, Hyundai, Ola, and Kia will develop unique fleets and different mobility solutions.

Read more at:https://yourstory.com/companies/ola-electric

Paytm Money is a wholly-owned subsidiary of One97 Communications, which owns and operates Paytm. The company has partnered with all 40 AMCs, making it the only investment platform that offers investments in direct plans of mutual funds from all AMCs in India.

The company has received regulatory approvals for offering Stock Broking NPS services and is expected to launch soon.

Paytm Money aims to become a full-stack investment and wealth management platform in its journey to bring wealth creation opportunities to millions of Indians. It is headquartered in and operates from Bengaluru with its 250+ member team.

Paytm Money, the wealth management division of Paytm, one of Indias biggest payment brand, launched with a bang last year. Pre-launch, the platform already had close to 850,000 signups, 65 percent of which came from Tier II and III geographies.

The diversification includes its foray into stock broking servicesfor which it has acquired necessary approvals from SEBI, earlier this yearas well as the sale of National Pension Scheme, exchange traded funds (ETFs), and other financial instruments.

This comes when just two percent of Indias population has invested in equity-related vehicles. Meaning plenty of opportunities for new-age digital investment platforms like Paytm Money.

The One97 Communications subsidiary is also looking to pick up Rs 250 crore from its parent in the next 18-24 months, and reach 50 million users in the next three years.

The wealth management space in India has caught the eye of several investors this year, including the likes of Ribbit Capital, and Y Combinator with their investment in Bengaluru-based wealth management startup Groww.

Read more at:https://yourstory.com/companies/paytm-money

Ninjacart undertakes the risk of picking up fruits and vegetables from farmers and delivering it to small retail outlets, its revenue is largely dependent on the commission it earns from the entire transaction.

In a country like India, the supply chain of fruit and vegetables is riddled with inefficiencies where the ends of the chain, meaning the producer (read farmer) and consumer, are generally shortchanged in terms of quality and price. Bengaluru-based startup Ninjacart wants to change that with the adoption of technology.

The startup sources agricultural produce directly from farmers and supplies to small retailers. Fruits and vegetables are highly perishable commodities, and any lag can severely impact the entire supply chain.

A huge endorsement for Ninjacart was when the young startup got the attention of Tiger Global. In April this year, the PE fund led the $100 million round for Ninjacart. Walmart has also reportedly expressed interest as an investor. The staratup has raised $154 million till now.

Read more at:https://yourstory.com/companies/ninjacart

Residents use the MyGate app to communicate with neighbours, discuss matters of the community and society on internal discussion forums, manage visitors (guests, deliveries, cabs etc), maintain attendance records, and salary payments for daily help, discover services, pay society maintenance bills, among other services.

The huge market opportunity has seen many players throwing their hats into the ring. MyGate competes with the likes of Reliance Industries (which has entered the segment with its apartment-management app JioGate), NoBroker, and Adda, to name a few.

Bengaluru-based startup MyGate offers security management and convenience service for gated communities and apartments. Its mobile app allows home-owners and residents to have control and monitor entries and exits, communicate with their neighbours, log attendance for domestic workers, and pay society maintenance bills.

In October 2019, the security management startup bagged $56 million in its Series B funding from Chinas Tencent, Tiger Global, JS Capital, and existing investor Prime Venture Partners.

The startup said it would invest the funds in its technology architecture and hire almost 200 individuals across its product and technology functions. With a team of 700 employees, MyGate plans to take its employee count to 2,000 over the next year.

Read more at:https://yourstory.com/companies/mygate

Meesho is creating an environment where anyone can start their business with zero investment. The startup aims to create about 20 million micro-entrepreneurs by 2020.

The word meesho means my shop, and the hook of the company is to enable people to start their business from home without any investment, the biggest problem that any small entrepreneur faces.

There are over two million resellers on the Meesho platform; more than 20,000 manufacturers from 500 towns get distribution facilities through Meesho across the country. Meesho works on approximately 10-15 percent commission and sellers can earn by adding a profit margin on every sale.

The company saw 50X growth in two consecutive years and the growth in the number of orders (HY18 to HY19) has been 1451 percent.

The biggest validation for the company was when Facebook invested in the company. Till date, the startup has raised $215.2 million in funding.

Bengaluru-based Meesho is a mobile-first social commerce platform for small businesses that typically use WhatsApp and Facebook to keep in touch with customers. It is touted to be one of Indias first reselling apps, providing an "escape route" to homemakers.

While social apps have seen a lot of traction in Bharat, social commerce is still in its early days in the country: while 300 million people use social apps like Facebook on a regular basis, less than 100 million of them buy online trust and discovery being the biggest issues.

Meesho, which has stated its vision is to enable an environment where anyone can start their business with zero investment, is solving for these problems, by providing micro-entrepreneurs with trusted supply, social sharing tools, efficient logistics, and payment capabilities.

It began with with apparel, but Meesho now sells a range of products, including cosmetics, jewellery, accessories, and kitchenware. According to RoC filings, the startup reported a revenue of Rs 84.88 crore for FY19, an increase by 14x from Rs 6.01 crore in FY18.

Facebook recently made an undisclosed investment in the startup - the social media giants first in a startup in India.

Read more at:https://yourstory.com/companies/meesho

CleverTap claims to have generated over $2 billion in incremental revenue to its customers, and currently, has a reach of more than one billion devices and over 8,000 consumer apps in more than 100 countries.

Since 2015, the startups revenue has been growing at 250 percent year over year.

Recently, the startup opened its APAC headquarters in Singapore and has expanded its presence in the US and Europe to serve rapidly-scaling brands.

The India market has a clear dearth in providing viable solutions that drive needed business outcomes for mobile conversion, retention, and growth. CleverTap is solving this pain point, and is the only player that has shown significant growth metrics in India.

The platform offers customer lifecycle management and engagement, so as to promote growth and long-term user retention for startups run by mobile apps. Leveraging machine learning, it offers an engagement suite that enables brands to convert, engage, retain, and grow their mobile user base.

Led by its existing investors Sequoia Capital India and Tiger Global Management, CleverTap raised $26 million in Series B and $35 million in Series C funding rounds, raising its valuation to $385 million.

The company said the latest round of funding would enable it to help more companies achieve their retention goals as they build long-lasting relationships with their customers.

Read more at:https://yourstory.com/companies/clevertap

BulkMRO caters to large corporate customers that procure MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations) products in high volumes. It supplies products usually categorised under 'indirect spends', 'category C spends' or 'miscellaneous spends' in the company's finances. This includes products across hardware, tools, electricals, and office supplies.

BulkMRO was one of the eight Indian startups shortlisted for YCombinator's Winter 2017 batch. In April 2017, it raised an undisclosed amount from YCombinator with other investors, including Ace & Company, Bain Capital Ventures, FJ Labs, and a few other angels also participating in the round.

According to the founders, BulkMRO works with large corporate customers across industries. It makes margins from the difference in the buying and selling price of the products it supplies.

BulkMRO was founded to consolidate the otherwise fragmented B2B marketplace for long-tail industrial products. Its customers are giant corporates that manufacture everything from medicines and cars to locomotives and turbines. The market for these industrial products is completely fragmented and corporates need to deal with thousands of mom-and-pop shops.

Major government reforms such as GST, Make in India, and the push to digitise the supply chain have created opportunities for players to consolidate the highly fragmented market. According to BulkMROs founders, this is their 'Flipkart moment.'

BulkMRO acts as a master vendor for large corporate customers, managing the entire pool of MRO through a network of indirect vendors on its platform. Thus, BulkMRO, as one centralised vendor, reduces the order intensity and reconciles GST input credits. By consolidating orders across multiple, large customers, BulkMRO is able to negotiate better rates across brands. These discounts are ultimately passed on to the customer.

Read more at:https://yourstory.com/companies/bulkmro

OkCredit uses digitisation to reduce the merchants burden of maintaining business accounts. It also allows them to send collection notifications to customers in case of delayed or missed payments.

To solve the trust problem, once a merchant registers a transaction on the platform against a customer, s/he is immediately informed through text or WhatsApp.

Eventually, the startup became a part of YCombinators 2018 summer batch and raised money from the US-based seed accelerator during its $1.7 million pre-Series A round. The round saw participation from LightSpeed India Partners, Venture Highway, Y Combinator, along with other angels.

In January 2018, OkCredit picked up seed investment of $300,000 from Lightspeed India Partners. Post the June 2019 Series A funding, the founders said the capital will be used primarily for scaling up the team and hiring across functions, including product and technology.

OkCredit will use the funds to grow its customer base by focusing on aspects of customer stickiness.

It was 2017 when serial entrepreneurs Harsh Pokharna, Gaurav Kumar, and Aditya Prasad realised that despite the proliferation of digital payment instruments and point of sale machines, most customers purchase goods on credit recorded in a notebook. Small businesses are yet to completely digitise their bookkeeping processes.

Their interactions with daily grocery stores helped them understand that most of the accounting and credit given by these shopkeepers were recorded on paper; small pieces that could easily be misplaced.

This system meant that it took longer to calculate and also lacked the aspect of trust since there was no way to verify accounts. This is what led them to start a digital-based credit balance recording solution for small business owners later that year.

Investors have taken notice of the startups success. In June 2019, OkCredit stated that it had raised $15.5 million as a part of its Series A round led by Tiger Global Management. The round also saw participation from new investor Morningside Venture Capital and existing investors Lightspeed India Partners, Venture Highway, and Y Combinator. Lightspeed had also made an initial seed investment in the company.

Just three months later, OkCredit raised $67 million as part of its Series B fundraise from Lightspeed (India and US) as well as Tiger Global. This round took OkCredits total fundraise from June 2019 to September 2019 to $83 million.

Read more at:https://yourstory.com/companies/okcredit

The parent company of Glance is InMobi, which was Indias first unicorn. A little more than a year old, this startup has achieved a key milestone of having customers running into millions and an endorsement by way of investment from a leading Silicon Valley venture capital firm.

These are still early days to talk about monetisation for Glance as this is the initial phase. The monetisation route will depend on how the content players are willing to enter into a revenue-sharing model. It would also be dependent on how the users continue to explore newer avenues that go beyond mere consumption of information.

Glance is available in multiple languages like English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu and also in Indonesian language Bahasa. This gives the startup access to a wider captive audience.

The opportunity is quite large for Glance and with the deployment of technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, it gives it the heft to make a difference in the dynamic world of mobile content.

Disruptive Quotient

In a mobile-first economy like India, smartphones have seen rapid adoption, and startups are innovating for the handset. Here is a startup that has built a captive customer base at the entry point of any mobile handset: the screen.

Bengaluru-based Glance provides content on the screen of a mobile handset that is snappy, consumable, and in sync with the needs of both the millennial and Generation Z.

The aim of InMobis mobile-first platform Glance is simple: provide visually rich content that informs and entertains users be it an entertainment factoid, a sporting event result, a news snippet, or a fashion recommendation. And all this, one lock-screen at a time.

Today, Glance has over 50 million daily active users under its belt who spend an average of 22 minutes. Glance is not an app, but comes as a service that is pre-installed on mobile phones manufactured by Samsung, Xiaomi, Gionee, and Vivo.

As the entry point of Glance is through the mobile handset manufacturers, it gives them an edge in reaching out to the content consuming public.

Affirmation for Glance came in the form of investment from Mithril Capital, whose Co-founder Peter Theil is a legend in his own right in the Silicon Valley.

This is just the beginning for Glance as mobiles as the platform for content consumption is going to remain for a long time and this will only enable this startup to come out with newer innovations.

Read more at:https://yourstory.com/companies/glance

About Company

Yulu's vision is to decongest urban traffic by providing scalable, affordable, efficient, and clean modes of transportation as solutions for first and last-mile connectivity and short distance commute.

Meant for one commuter, Yulu EVs or its scooters have a 48-volt motor controller and a maximum speed of 25 km per hour, and they require no licence or helmet.

A single charge can take the light-weight bike (45 kg) up to 60 km. The user need not worry about the battery; it has a swappable lithium-ion battery. Like a smartphone, the scooter interacts with the server every five minutes. This helps the company know the charge level of every Yulu Miracle being operated across the city, and the team gets an update the minute the battery levels drop below 10 percent.

If required, they can send the on-ground ops team to swap the battery. Yulu is currently operational in Bengaluru, Pune, Delhi, Mumbai, and Bhubaneswar. In Bengaluru alone, Yulu has over 850 Yulu zones or parking zones. Users pay a mandatory Rs 10 for a Yulu Miracle ride, and an additional Rs 10 per 10 minutes of ride time.

Disruptive Quotient

Founded in 2017, the bike-sharing solution platform Yulu first launched its shared-cycles in Bengaluru. It aims to address traffic problems with an IoT solution. Its light blue cycles and electric bikes are visible even in some of the most traffic-congested areas of cities. There are different moving parts in Yulus system that ensure these bikes are available in the right density at every location at the right time.

Founder Amit Gupta estimates that the market size of the shared mobility space with bicycles is currently close to $8-$10 billion globally, and is expected to grow beyond $1 billion in India by 2022.

Since mobility solutions need a high-frequency use-case, Amit believes Yulu can be grown into a platform with the business potential between five to 10 times.

Yulu launched its electric vehicles, Yulu Miracle, in Bengaluru in February 2019. It expanded this offering to Delhi in August. The startup also recently partnered with Uber with pilot operations in Bengaluru. With this tie-up, the Uber app redirects users to the registration page of Yulu.

In Delhi, due to the extreme weather conditions, the company doesn't find it feasible to launch its cycles. Yulu is planning to deploy 5,000 Miracles across metro stations in Delhi by the end of this year and up to 25,000 of the EVs by 2020.

Read more at:https://yourstory.com/companies/yulu

About Company

Avaada Energy is a leading independent power producer (IPP) of renewable energy projects. With a portfolio of over 1.8 GW of renewable energy projects in India, Avaada is one of the fastest-growing green energy firms, developing sustainable energy through its innovative utility and open access solutions in the solar, wind, rooftop, and hybrid energy markets.

Avaada works with various businesses, supporting them in interweaving business goals with initiatives of environmental sustainability and social responsibility, producing mutually beneficial results. Avaada aims to uplift the livelihood of the communities it works with through its engagement initiatives.

The company claims to have commissioned over 1.8 GW of renewable energy plants and has a portfolio of over 500 MW of open-access solar plants in the commercial category.

Avaada Energys annual revenue is estimated as $3 million.

Disruptive Quotient

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YourStory's Top 50 Disruptive Startups: Indian companies that dominated the news in 2019 - YourStory

Jennifer Brantley was 17 when she experienced an abortion.

I wanted to go to college. There was no (abortion) education at that time, no social media, she said. My parents told me we cant afford to raise another child.

Now director of a branch of Hand to Hope in Raleigh, North Carolina, the pregnancy center which recently won a fight with the city to relocate next to Planned Parenthood, she oversees the abortion recovery program, known as PACE (Post Abortive Counseling Education).

[Click here to subscribe to Pregnancy Help News!]

To help these women feel less isolated, she created an invitation-only Facebook page.

Women say they feel alone. I stress (that) they are not alone, she said.

Tweet This: Women say they feel alone. I stress (that) they are not alone

Brantley uses the Bible study Forgiven and Set Free, created by Linda Cochrane, in her program. During the past two years she has led the study, 18 women have completed the program 14 just in the past year.

Its been amazing what God has done, she said. I think some of that is due to the movie Unplanned. More women are learning about abortion healing.

Because of concerns about Facebooks operations as a company, Brantley also set up a community for program participants on an app called Group Me, creating a facilitators page as well.

Its even more private than Facebook, she said. Its going well. These women are talking. They are thinking, I dont have to guard myself.

Facilitators also need a space for sharing with one another, Brantley said.

Its very heavy emotionally (to work with post-abortive women), she said. We can glean off of each other and pray for one another.

Earlier this month, she and several of the women shes mentored came together for a Christmas gathering.

Ten of the 14 showed up, she said. We had snacks, played games, and the ladies could share their story if they wanted. Many did. It bonded us, and were going to get together even more.

Another event is planned for February, she added.

Im really excited, Brantley said. Well have food and games again, with door prizes, and well sit and talk with each other.

She encourages other centers with an abortion recovery program to do something similar.

Id like to see this grow in North Carolina and with centers across the country, she said. It takes a lot of fight (to go through abortion healing).

Brantley knows about that fight. She became addicted to alcohol and drugs. After she married, her mother-in-law began taking her to church. That experience changed her life.

It was the first time I heard the Gospel, she recalled. I accepted Christ and asked Him to forgive me for the abortion. Afterward, I felt that peace that surpasses all understanding.

However, she said, the devil began his attacks. Amid the challenges, she felt God wanted her to serve at a pregnancy center. She learned about Hand of Hope from a friend and attended a banquet.

I decided to volunteer, Brantley said. They asked me if I was post-abortive. I said yes, but that I knew God had forgiven me. I learned that to volunteer I needed to go through Forgiven and Set Free, so I did. Little did I know I hadnt healed from the abortion. I had not grieved for my child. Its an amazing transformation.

From volunteer to director, from a woman experiencing abortion to helping women find forgiveness and freedom after one, Brantley sees the hand of God in her life and in her work at Hand of Hope.

I want a woman to know the whole truth nobody told me what having an abortion would be like, she said. God wants me to share my story, and Im very humbled by what He is doing by using me.

Tweet This: I want a woman to know the whole truth nobody told me what having an abortion would be like

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Pregnancy center director creates online groups, in-person gatherings to help post-abortive women - Pregnancy Help News

Education is critical to growth, and online learning beyond traditional walls is transforming business unlike ever before. The relationship between learning and work is becoming more blurred as the two become part of the same integrated ecosystem.

So why is owning education so transformational for a business, its employees and customers?

Companies that invest in online learning have 218% higher revenue and 24% better profit margins. Thus, companies that arent already integrating online learning, are scrambling to catch up. By 2025 the global elearning market is expected to reach $325 billion.

On this episode of EdTech by MarketScale we talk with JW Marshall, a B2B Online Learning Consultant, about the technology and content in todays online learning management systems and the importance of integrating education into an organization.

There is a shift away from old school learning management systems that traditionally were thought of as a compliance tool by HR for employees to comply with rules. Today, online learning is meant to be so engaging that people want to learn to build more skills and advance their careers. IBM found that for every dollar they spent on eLearning, they saw $30 in increased productivity.

[In the] early stages of learning management, systems got a bad rap that they are boring, not engaging and a have-to. In the new digital world of Netflix and YouTube, you can binge-watch almost anything and now and we hope that training and online learning are moving that direction. That theyre so engaging that you want to learn more, says Marshall

Online learning helps people learn without an agenda. The missing link? Companies providing the platform for their employees so they dont have to go somewhere else to get it.

Unlocking the potential of online learning

Science and creativity are both vital in executing content for online learning systems. A lot of companies have great ideas but dont know how to create engaging content and design in engaging sequences with video, text, assessments, says Marshall.

Today is the golden age of online learning. The eLearning industry has grown by 900% since 2000. Learning has evolved from simple text-based documents, to PDFs, to powerpoints to what we have today video that is not just animated, but also 3D and interactive.

Historically, higher education had been the early adopter of online learning with technologies slowly trickling down to high schools, middle schools, elementary schools and lastly businesses. But in last two years the gaps are beginning to close and companies themselves are starting to innovate more and prioritize learning.

Why? Digital natives have entered the workforces and the status quo is no longer good enough. Today, 80% of US companies are using online learning.

Being able to curate content to guide employees and extend learning beyond just the core of a business helps in building a culture of learning which is incredibly powerful. Why? So you dont end up with workers that dont want to change, evolve and progress.

But its not just employees. Learners can be customers, employees, channel distribution partners really anyone that is taking the course, says Marshall.

Customer training is becoming more and more important as you want to make sure your customers know everything they need to know about your products, your services, that youre continuing to train them as your products evolve and that youre building that relationship so that they stay with you, says Marshall.

So why should a business invest in education not just for their company, but for their industry? Listen to the full episode of EdTech by MarketScale on Apple and Spotify, and learn more here.

For the latest news, videos, and podcasts in theEducation Technology Industry, be sure to subscribe to our industry publication.

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B! Twitter @MarketScale Facebook facebook.com/marketscale LinkedIn linkedin.com/company/marketscale

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Why You Should Be Investing In Online Learning for Your Customers and Employees - MarketScale

Punishing kids for bad behavior often doesn't correct the problem.

A dramatic rise in e-cigarette use among middle and high school students nationwide has prompted some suburban districts to take a different approach.

They are going beyond detention, suspensions and punitive measures when students are caught vaping.

Schools are using online vaping education curriculum through VapeEducate and 3rd Millennium designed to help students and families understand the dangers of e-cigarettes and learn strategies to prevent its use. Topics covered include vaping health risks, how e-cigarette marketing targets youths, addiction, and vaping marijuana and THC -- the main psychoactive compound that produces marijuana's high.

Hersey High School in Arlington Heights and Prospect High School in Mount Prospect are the first in Northwest Suburban High School District 214 to adopt VapeEducate's curriculum this year. Provided it's successful, officials might roll it out districtwide.

"We have a lot of different ways we are being proactive. This is one of the tools we are using," said Nick Olson, Prospect division head for student success, safety and wellness.

Huntley Unit District 158 has taken a comprehensive approach to addressing the vaping problem through education for teachers, parents and students since last school year. As a result, fewer students have been caught vaping this year, said Tony Venetico, principal of Marlowe Middle School in Lake in the Hills.

"We're going to handle it on a case-by-case basis," Venetico said. "Sitting in suspension doesn't teach students anything. We're hoping they walk away from this and make better choices and help educate their friends as well. That is how we are going to have a lasting impact on this epidemic."

3rd Millennium's course can take between 45 minutes and two hours to complete depending on the student's ability and focus. It includes a test that students can take at home or during non-class times at school, said Janet Cook, Glenbard District 87's director of student services.

Students placed in detention for having or using vaping devices can complete the course to get out of detention.

"We're trying to use this as part of restorative justice," Cook said. "Our hope is that it changes future decisions."

VapeEducate's online course also is self-paced and includes six lessons and a test after each unit. Students must score a minimum of 80% to pass a unit. The course takes about 5 hours to complete and can be done at home or at school. Results are sent to school administrators and parents, and students receive a certificate of completion.

The McHenry County Substance Abuse Coalition used federal grant funding to purchase 1,000 licenses of VapeEducate's course, which it is providing for free to middle and high schools countywide. Each license can be used only once.

Health officials have been providing five weekly presentations in schools on the risks of tobacco use, vaping and nicotine addiction. But it's hard to gauge how much information students absorb or retain, said Laura Crain, Drug Free Program coordinator for the coalition.

"VapeEducate is similar in content, but it is more you watch and learn," Crain said. "It's just one more way of really reaching the students that we know are engaged in (vaping)."

Some high school athletic coaches are considering having entire sports teams take the course rather than just the players who might be vaping, Crain said.

VapeEducate's curriculum is developed by Ohio-based school administrators and teachers. It is updated frequently with new information about vaping-related health issues, the vaping industry and new laws.

"We have an average of about 25,000 online users that we are educating. ... It's growing immensely," said Dorothy Bishop, chief operating officer. "Some schools are being very proactive and using it to educate students in orientation, health class."

Many schools that piloted the program are returning to purchase additional licenses. "That's a strong signal that it's helping," she said.

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How schools are using online education, rather than punishment, to curb vaping - Chicago Daily Herald