New York, NY – If spring is in the air, so are the season’s trademark allergies. Wreaking runny noses and itchy eyes on 40 percent of children, seasonal allergies account for two million missed school days a year. Annually, Americans spend $8 billion trying to treat their allergies. Most of us can name a few things that trigger our misery, but do we understand what’s actually happening to our bodies? Can we explain it to our tissue-toting kids? *

BrainPOP, the leading producer of animated, educational movies for youngsters in grades 3-12, might be just what the immunologist ordered. Visit www.brainpop.com and join teen-robot duo Tim and Moby for a plane ride on which a seemingly innocent bag of almonds prompts an in-depth discussion of allergies. Viewers learn about the physiology of an allergic reaction, the role of the immune system, the different types of allergens and the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of allergies. Additional BrainPOP films tackle related subjects like asthma and the immune system itself.

For allergic little ones in grades K-3, there’s a BrainPOP Jr. film on the subject as well. Find out why Moby has cupcake frosting all over his metal face at www.brainpopjr.com. There, he and leading lady Annie explain the basics of allergies in terms this age group can relate to. Interactive games and activities supplement the film’s lessons.

“At this time of year, it seems like someone’s talking about or suffering with allergies everywhere we turn – on the news, at work, at school, on the subway, at the drug store,” says BrainPOP chairman and CEO Avraham Kadar, M.D., a physician specializing in the treatment of allergies and immunological disorders. “Kids dealing with allergies – or watching their parents deal with them – are bound to be curious about what’s happening. The BrainPOP and BrainPOP Jr. films are a great way to explain allergies. They may even help take kids’ minds off their symptoms for a little bit!”

The topics of allergies and asthma are close to Kadar’s heart. As an immunologist, he spends much of his time explaining these and other conditions to his young patients. Inspired by the need he saw for a vehicle that could present complex topics in a kid-friendly way, Kadar created BrainPOP eight years ago. Today, its award-winning repertoire boasts more than 600 films on an array of subjects.

Head to the BrainPOP and BrainPOP Jr. web sites for seven days of free access to all the films. This log-in information expires June 7.

Username: Journalist

Password: Allergies

About BrainPOP

BrainPOP (www.brainpop.com) is the leading producer of animated educational movies for grades 3-12. With more than one million new viewers each month, BrainPOP offers curriculum-based content in the areas of Science, Math, English, Social Studies, Health, Arts and Music and Technology. Guided by their hosts, Tim and Moby, millions of students regularly watch BrainPOP movies and exchange messages with a dynamic cast of characters who lead them through related activities on the BrainPOP web site, including homework help, interactive quizzes, comic strips and experiments. Founded in 1999 by Avraham Kadar, M.D., BrainPOP has won multiple education and media awards and has developed partnerships with a number of international brands, including McGraw-Hill, National Geographic, Yahoo! and AOL. In 2006, the company launched BrainPOP Jr. (www.brainpopjr.com), targeted to children in grades K-3. Like BrainPOP, BrainPOP Jr. teaches core curriculum topics in a fun and easily digestible manner, while correlating to national standards and testing mandates. BrainPOP is also available in Spanish at es.brainpop.com. BrainPOP’s first print title, The Science Almanac for Kids, was published in 2004.

* Source: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology

BrainPOP Jr. (www.brainpopjr.com), a new learning program specifically geared for children between 5 and 8 years old. Topics are carefully chosen to correlate with national standards and testing mandates but are written in fun and understandable language for children.

The newly created movies on BrainPOP Jr. range in topic from the food pyramid and allergies to animal hibernation and telling time. The audio-assisted, kid-friendly navigation allows young children to easily move through various sections, including science, health, reading, writing, social studies, and math. Each entertaining, animated movie is also supplemented with quizzes that are read aloud, as well as games and innovative features to assist teachers and parents.

"The extraordinary success of BrainPOP inspired us to create BrainPOP Junior, designed specifically for younger children," says BrainPOP chairman and CEO, Avraham Kadar, M.D., himself an NIH-trained immunologist who has specialized in the treatment of children. "We think we've developed a 'magical' mix of joyful exploration and education that will allow children of all backgrounds to understand subjects like never before. We truly believe BrainPOP Jr. is an important milestone in the future of education, and we look forward to receiving feedback from parents, teachers and children."

Developed to be used by families at home and as part of lesson plans at school, BrainPOP Jr. allows users to customize the pacing of the movies and to give children the chance to answer questions independently or make predictions before proceeding.

"We were repeatedly asked by teachers, 'What do you have for younger students who love BrainPOP but need content that is easier for them to digest?'" says Karina Linch, a vice president for BrainPOP Jr., who as a teacher used BrainPOP in the classroom before recently joining the company. "BrainPOPJr. is the perfect tool for children as early as kindergarten."

For a limited time, BrainPOP Jr. (www.brainpopjr.com) is offering a free subscription to view and experience its content, which includes five-minute movies and a unique notebook feature corresponding to the content. The Web-based product will be updated continuously.

About BrainPOP

www.brainpop.com

BrainPOP, founded by Avraham Kadar, M.D. in 1999, is the leading producer of animated educational movies for grades K-12. Millions of students regularly watch BrainPOP movies and exchange messages with a dynamic cast of five characters who lead them through related activities on the BrainPOP web site: interactive quizzes, comic strips, and experiments. Twenty-five percent of U.S. school districts subscribe to BrainPOP and integrate its offerings into daily curriculum. The company has developed partnerships with Time Warner, Popular Science, McGraw-Hill, National Geographic, AOL @ SCHOOL, Yahoo! and Road Runner. BrainPOP has won multiple education and media awards including: The District Administration Curriculum Award; top honors at the Flash Film Festival; Forbes Best of the Web; and AEP's Distinguished Achievement Award for Educational Websites for Children. BrainPOP's first print title, The Science Almanac for Kids, was published in Summer 2004.

In early 2006, BrainPOP also launched BrainPOP en Español (http://es.brainpop.com/) designed for Spanish-speaking students.