Have you ever wondered why we choose to work for VariQuest? We've got a whole team of dedicated employees and in our new promotional video series, #variquestvalue, you can hear their unique stories and perspective on our brand and the value our products and services bring to our customers!

We appreciate teachers, we appreciate principals, we appreciate admins, we appreciate paraprofessionals, we appreciate parent volunteers, and we appreciate all other school building staff members. Most importantly, we appreciate everyone who works tirelessly to educate and support the education of students. And we know educators and school staff appreciate all the help they can get. The VariQuest Perfecta® Poster Design System, Cutout Maker 1800 Digital Die-Cut System, and Motiva® 400 Specialty Printing System are tools designed to help educators and students create vibrant, colorful visual learning and promotional supports. Using the VariQuest Design Software containing thousands of templates, cutouts, graphics, fonts, and collections in our Engage Every Learner® Content, the possibilities are endless. And because there's so much to choose from, we've created a helpful tool to save time and make creating even easier - especially when you have help! VariQuest Customers can download and utilize our new work request forms, tailored to each VariQuest product, now available free for customers in the Teacher Resources section on the VariQuest Resource Center!

Put on annually by EdTech Digest, the 2022 EdTech Cool Tool Award Finalists and Winners have been announced, and we're pleased to share that VariQuest® was selected as a finalist in three of its categories! In its 12th year of existence, the US-based program is the world's largest program for recognizing education technology, featuring the biggest names in edtech – and those who soon will be. The 2022 EdTech Awards honored companies and individuals in 3 areas: the Cool Tool Awards, the Leadership Awards, and the Trendsetter Awards, featuring industry products, leaders, and innovators respectively. Entered in the Cool Tool Awards, VariQuest was honored among this year's finalists ranging in everything from data dashboards to artificial intelligence to interactive coding tools.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WORLD! While we know every day is Earth Day, on April 22nd, we honor and celebrate this place we call home by demonstrating support to protect, respect and care for our planet. Founded in 1970, and celebrated by more than a billion people, Earth Day is a day to teach us about environmental issues and show partnership in making our world a happier, healthier place to live—giving Mother Earth the best birthday gift ever! This year's theme is, Invest in our planet, an all-encompassing movement to not only protect our planet, but also protect and preserve our health, our families and our livelihoods. To serve this mission we are all called upon, and as educators, that includes helping our students discover ways in which they can take personal action to help. After all, the future of our planet rests in their precious little hands.

Spring has recently sprung, which means some very important events are fast approaching! We want to make sure you are equipped with the tools you need to make preparations a breeze, which is why we are providing VariQuest® customers with a collection of all-new customizable templates for the upcoming prom and graduation seasons! Whether you need graduation banners, prom posters or personalized invitations, we’ve got you covered with all that and more in our Engage Every Learner® 2022 Prom & Graduation Expansion Pack!

Self-Awareness: the ability to see yourself clearly. How do others see me? How do I see myself? How are my actions being interpreted? Are my actions in line with the person I want to be perceived as? What are my strengths and weaknesses? How can I use those to make a positive impact? As children ask these questions to cultivate an understanding of how their choices, emotions, and actions affect the world around them, it is important we as educators help guide them in exercises to enhance their self-awareness, and of course, make learning about it fun! In this bonus installment of our social-emotional learning unit series, we spark discussion among students about what it means to be self-aware.

There are plenty of reasons and ways to recognize students. Doing so promotes self-confidence, determination, a positive attitude, and overall social-emotional wellbeing! In the age of cell phones, social media influencers, and YouTube stars, the word "selfie" has become commonly used in our vocabularies, and the concept is foreign to no one. Alongside displaying student artwork in your school hallways and classrooms, allow students to showcase work they're especially proud of, and infuse parental involvement in a modern way with this fun and easy selfie station in your classroom!

Traveling from classroom to classroom, assisting students, completing necessary documentation, and on top of their vital instruction and planning, these are the challenges that middle and high school special education teachers face every day. Creating schedules to meet varying needs and keeping well-organized notes and records is of the utmost importance, to avoid becoming overwhelmed. We've joined with Cathy Henry, founder and partner of The Curriculum Corner and Free Word Work and with a Master's Degree in Special Education, to bring you this toolkit complete with printable charts, posters, handouts, and more to assist you in organizing and managing your important workload.

If you are interested in purchasing a digital die-cutting machine, you may be wondering how to select the best option for your needs. Die-cutting machines are exceptional tools for everyone from crafters to professional businesses, to teachers and students. Below, we provide some key tips for choosing the optimum digital die cut machine for your applications. At VariQuest, we offer the Cutout Maker 1800, a high quality die-cutting machine ideal for the classroom.

We tend to think of visual cues as supportive tools for students with special needs or for English language learners, but sets of visual prompts can also be helpful to students outside of these groups, and especially important for classroom management. This concept might relate to a direction in the classroom, a recognition of desired behavior, or a redirection.