Capstone, a digital and print book publisher for elementary learners, has announced the acquisition of Buncee, a creation, communication, collaboration tool for students and educators to construct and share interactive classroom content.
According to Capstone, Buncee users will not experience a change with the product, and plans are already underway for integrating Buncee tools across Capstone’s digital products. Capstone will share integration details in the coming months and plans to have a PebbleGo-plus-Buncee solution ready for classroom use in early 2022.
Capstone is a publisher of children’s books and digital products. The platform focuses on the educational market and also sells to the trade market and internationally. Capstone publishes nonfiction, fiction, picture books, interactive books, audiobooks, literacy programs, and digital media. Imprints and divisions include Capstone Press, Compass Point Books, Picture Window Books, Stone Arch Books, Red Brick Learning, Capstone Digital, Heinemann-Raintree, and Switch Press.
The Minnesota-based company was founded in 1991, with an aim to provide boundless opportunities for children to access books and online resources. The platform is dedicated to the belief that all kids are readers when matched with the right book. By piquing their curiosity through positive early literacy experiences, they can help create a lifetime love of reading and learning.
Commenting on the development, Capstone President, Scott Sustacek, said:
“With about 40% of U.S. elementary schools using PebbleGo at the K-2 level and growing adoption of PebbleGo Next for grades 3-5, adding Buncee to our portfolio reinforces Capstone’s unwavering commitment to meeting the needs of educators and young learners. At Capstone, we think about this acquisition in terms of the ability to read and create. Educators and students can mine the depth and breadth of Capstone’s engaging content and take it one step further by creating something that enhances and demonstrates their understanding.”
Used in over 188 countries around the world, Buncee is an all-in-one digital multimedia solution designed to help educators give personalized learning and help their students achieve learning goals with ease. Buncee fosters creativity, engagement, and is integrated with Microsoft Teams, OneNote, Microsoft Word, and Immersive Reader, making it a seamless experience for both teachers and students.
Started in 2011 by Marie Arturi, Buncee provides a digital canvas where users can add and arrange personal text and photos, public Google, Flickr, or Instagram images, YouTube videos, SoundCloud music, and any elements within their library of backgrounds, clip art, and messages to create content and share it across social network posts.
Marie Arturi, Founder and CEO of Buncee, said,
“Capstone shares our passion and commitment to meeting the needs of educators and young learners, and this move significantly expands the reach of Buncee – putting our tools and support at the fingertips of millions more educators and students. We’re grateful for the love from the Buncee community and look forward to continuing our support of educators and students.”
Adding Buncee’s interactive creator tools to Capstone’s offerings means even students as young as K-2 students “read and create” in three steps – safely engage with content that interests them, demonstrate what they have learned, and share their creations with classmates, teachers, and family members.