The New York Times and CIG Education Group have launched the NYT EDUcation, a new initiative providing courses and programs for students in the pre-college level to higher education.

“This is an important milestone in The New York Times Company’s brand extension strategy,” said Michael Greenspon, General Manager News Services & International, The New York Times in a press release. “NYT EDUcation provides our readers and other like-minded individuals in the U.S. and across the globe an opportunity to learn across a wide range of topics on which The Times has world-class expertise. We are proud to be working with CIG Education Group who have a strong track record in building corporate-branded education programs, and our relationship will highlight the history, depth and breadth of The New York Times.”

NYT EDUcation, the release said, “will provide innovative courses and programs covering a wide array of subjects, including communications and media, which reflect the authoritative content and intellectual breadth of The New York Times.”

“Courses will be offered on a wide variety of topics, ranging from pre-college level to higher education, continuing education and executive education by incorporating the skills, knowledge and experience of The New York Times,” the release said.

According to Michael Chung, CEO of CIG Education Group, COO of Cambridge Information Group, in the release, NYT EDUcation will give the company an opportunity to connect students “to an innovative and relevant curriculum that has, at its heart, the content, creativity and wide-ranging knowledge of one of the greatest media companies in the world.”

“We will focus on curricula that will be developed and taught by some of the finest practitioners in their respective fields while maintaining The New York Times’s highest level of quality standards,” Chung said in the release. “We believe that by bringing this extraordinary resource into a formal educational context we are creating a new model and a major milestone in the development of 21st century education.”

NYT EDUcation, the release said, is in the process of assembling a team for its development. Planning of courses and programs will begin and the first offerings will be available in fall 2015.

Article by Kassondra Granata, Education World Contributor