Market Newsdesk

Cleveland, Ohio, Nov. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

PRE4CLE RELEASES “PRESCHOOL REIMAGINED” ANNUAL REPORT TO OUTLINE THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND STRATEGIES FOR RECOVERY

CLEVELAND, OHIO – PRE4CLE, Cleveland’s plan to expand access to high-quality preschool, released its annual report today. The report outlines a comprehensive framework that takes the lessons of 2020 and reimagines solutions to help Ohio’s child care and early education system recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Preschool Reimagined
was crafted because early education, like most industries, has been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis. Widespread closures, safety concerns, staffing shortages, and changes in parental employment have caused unprecedented disruption within early education, and are threatening the viability of a system that is critical to our community’s ability to recover from COVID-19.

Katie Kelly, Executive Director of PRE4CLE, said “The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare many of the weaknesses in our early education system, and those challenges are reflected starkly in this report. However, we also think that this is an opportunity to build a newly-resilient system that offers greater access to high-quality care and education to children, reliable and affordable care to families as they head back to work, and fair compensation for child care and early education professional. That’s where PRE4CLE is focused as we head into a new year.”

Throughout 2020 PRE4CLE has been heavily engaged in mitigating the effect of the pandemic on Cleveland’s youngest citizens and their families, and translating those lessons learned into advocacy through their “Build Back Stronger” agenda. Much of that work is focused on actions at the state and federal levels to reimagine the way in which our current child care programs are supported. Reopening safely and resourcing programs to remain intact during this period are critical to the well-being of children, families, early educators, and the economy.

Despite these roadblocks, PRE4CLE reports several positive changes for Cleveland’s preschool programs in the last year, including significant gains in the number of programs participating in Ohio’s quality rating program for early education, Step Up To Quality. Additionally, PRE4CLE is launching a new initiative, The Cleveland Early Learning Spaces Program that will look to renovate and rebuild early learning facilities to enhance the quality of early education throughout the city.

PRE4CLE is looking to bring stakeholders in Cleveland and throughout Ohio together to address the urgent needs of early education, especially as Ohio heads into a state budget process and the federal government resumes work on a relief package early in 2021.

Marcia Egbert, Cleveland Early Childhood Compact Co-Chair and Senior Program Officer for Human Services at The George Gund Foundation, said this plan is important for everyone. “This information is Cleveland specific, but Cleveland’s story is not unique-the same effects are being felt all across the state and the country. Indeed, because of PRE4CLE and its strong commitment to supporting and building high-quality early childhood opportunities, we have a pathway to survive and even thrive through this pandemic.”

About PRE4CLE:

PRE4CLE is Cleveland’s plan to expand access to high-quality preschool to all 3- and 4-year-olds in the city. PRE4CLE helps families find and enroll in high-quality preschool programs, connects preschool providers to tools and resources to increase their quality and serve more children, and provides strategic leadership and advocacy to accelerate the availability of high-quality preschool in Cleveland. PRE4CLE fulfills a core priority of Cleveland’s Plan for Transforming Schools and is led by the Cleveland Early Childhood Compact. For a copy of the full annual report, visit

www.PRE4CLE.org

/annualreport


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• King County opens public
  sewer
  system to private-sector wastewater-energy-recovery projects

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SHARC International Systems Inc. (CSE:SHRC) (FSE:IWIA) (OTCQB:INTWF) (the “Company” or “SHARC Energy”) is pleased to announce plans are proceeding to apply its wastewater energy recovery technology to the King County sewer system, the 12^th most populous county in the US, which includes the city of Seattle.

SHARC Energy participated in the opportunity that King County provided for public consultation with regards to the development of the template contract that could be used for agreements with private parties (users) for sewer heat recovery. On September 15, King County Council unanimously approved legislation allowing three wastewater heat recovery projects.

“This is one of the most ambitious wastewater recovery initiatives in North America and we are delighted to see King County take a leadership role in recovering the energy that goes down the drain every minute of every day in buildings across the United States and around the world,” said SHARC Energy CEO Lynn Mueller.

“SHARC Energy’s wastewater recovery systems, now successfully operating in Canada — the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom — reduce the use of fossil fuels for heating and cooling, and that means energy savings and dramatic reductions in GHG emissions to help residents, property owners and government’s meet vital decarbonization targets.”

The approved program proposes up to three pilot projects in King County, including Seattle, which will operate without paying the energy transfer fee for three years in exchange for sharing data with King County Water Treatment Division (“King County WTD”), which provides wastewater treatment services to 17 cities, 17 local sewer districts and more than 1.8 million residents across a 420-square-mile area in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties, including Seattle.

SHARC Energy’s system has been accepted by a US national developer which has a Seattle project that is potentially one of the pilot King County wastewater recovery projects. Details of the application involving SHARC Energy are being withheld for commercial reasons. Final development applications for one or potentially more of the pilot project proposals closes December 18, 2020.

This initiative highlights one of two opportunities for “Smart Cities”, municipalities, wastewater authorities and other owners of city wastewater and sewer infrastructure to monetize a previously forgotten resource and cost center while helping achieve the goals of government climate action plans.

“Our new Sewer Heat Recovery program is a great opportunity for us to partner with King County commercial property owners,” Mark Isaacson, WTD Director, said in a Nov. 5^th statement. “This technology will lower a connected building’s carbon emissions, and help owners decrease their environmental footprint. Sewer heat recovery can also help owners and developers meet more stringent energy codes and give them a chance to leverage occupancy strategies that could attract tenants, buyers, and potential investors.” 

King County WTD is showcasing the ability to sell the wastewater flowing within their current sewer infrastructure through transfer fee agreements with the private sector. In Vancouver, the City of Vancouver Neighbourhood Energy Utility (“NEU”) is powered by a sewer heat recovery district energy system, utilizing two SHARC 880 systems for superior wastewater filtration, to sell 3 megawatts (MW) of heating and cooling to 5,750,000 square feet of residential, commercial and institutional floor area and has approval for a Federal and Provincial government subsidized 5-MW expansion to heat over 20,000,000 square feet of the city slated to begin in 2021. This expansion represents one of two sewer heat recovery district energy projects within the Greater Vancouver area being funded by the Federal and Provincial government.

King County is now at the forefront of wastewater heat recovery. They are now the first county or municipality in Washington State and the first in North America to establish a clear framework for private-sector partners to tap into the wastewater sewer system, a previously unutilized publicly-owned renewable energy resource.

The King County Strategic Plan has also set out an aggressive Healthy Environment plan to reduce countywide greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030. The proposed legislation also furthers its Strategic Climate Action Plan goal of reducing countywide sources of greenhouse gas emissions by supporting development of renewable energy resources.

About SHARC International Systems

SHARC International Systems Inc. is a world leader in thermal heat recovery. SHARC systems recycle thermal energy from wastewater, generating one of the most energy efficient and economical systems for heating, cooling & hot water preheating for commercial, residential and industrial buildings. SHARC is publicly traded in Canada (CSE: SHRC), the United States (OTCQB: INTWF) and Germany (Frankfurt: IWIA).

Further information about the Company is available on our website at www.SHARCenergy.com or SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

“Lynn Mueller”

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

For
investor inquiries
, please contact:

Jason Shepherd
Investor Relations
SHARC International Systems Inc.
Telephone: (250) 212-2122
Email: [email protected]

For media inquiries, please contact

Mike Tanyi        
Director of Marketing and IT 
SHARC International Systems Inc. 
Telephone: (250) 212-2122 
Email: [email protected]  

The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is often, but not always, identified
by the use of
words such as “anticipate”, “plan”, “estimate”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “intend”, “should”, and similar expressions. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. SHARC
Energy
‘s actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates, prevailing economic conditions, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. SHARC
Energy
believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the Company’s expectations as of the date
hereof, and
is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether
as a result of
new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation.

A video accompanying this announcement is available at  https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5826f829-bcf9-4b2b-bc65-1477ddfe2889

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3a9f3f98-0530-4fd7-bbc8-7128aa576e83

TORONTO, Nov. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Field Trip Health Ltd. (CSE: FTRP, OTCBB: FTRPF) (“Field Trip”), a global leader in the development and delivery of psychedelic therapies, and WHOOP, the human performance company, today announced a partnership whereby Field Trip will be using WHOOP Strap 3.0 to measure the biometric effects of Field Trip’s psychedelic therapies.

Field Trip, which is opening Field Trip Health centers across North America and Europe for the delivery of psychedelic therapies, plans to conduct an observational study to assess whether Field Trip’s ketamine-assisted therapies, which have demonstrated significant efficacy in treating mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety and PTSD, translate into improvements in physical health through a variety of biometric measures collected via WHOOP Strap 3.0 including heart rate variability (HRV), resting heart rate, and overall sleep quality. Field Trip procured WHOOP products and access to additional data insights via a research partnership and enterprise program.

“The clinical results from our first three centers in Toronto, New York and Los Angeles, as determined by validated mental health measures, have been extremely positive. We have noted a significant reduction in depressive symptoms from severe or moderately severe to mild or non-existent, along with reduction in anxiety and trauma related symptoms,” said Dr. Ryan Yermus, Field Trip’s Chief Clinical Officer. “Through this partnership with WHOOP and the observational study we will be conducting, we expect to find that these improvements in mental health correlate strongly to improvements in a person’s biometrics as well.”

The initial focus of the study will be on military veterans who seek ketamine-assisted therapies through Field Trip’s Basecamp program, a treatment program designed specifically for military veterans and people in high-intensity professions such as front line medical workers, police and firefighters. Military veterans experience post-traumatic stress at significantly higher rates than the general population, which may be a result of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) from exposure to blast waves from explosives.

“In their continual search for a persistent, unfair advantage on the battlefield, Special Operations veterans are highly attuned to their physical and mental performance and well-being,” said Adam Wright, Director of Field Trip Basecamp. “Deploying WHOOP as part of their treatment program is consistent with this natural disposition of veterans. We not only expect veterans to be eager to participate in a study that will help future veterans, we also anticipate they will optimize their performance and experience additional health improvements through actionable insights from WHOOP across sleep, recovery, and strain.”

Studies have demonstrated that physiological metrics such as HRV and slow wave sleep patterns are correlated with improved health outcomes. The parties anticipate that the effects of Field Trip’s psychedelic therapies will improve these key metrics and this study is expected to advance the understanding of correlation between mental health and physiology.

Kristen Holmes, Vice President of Performance Science at WHOOP, commented: “Through our initial work with SEAL Future Foundation, we were able to show that psilocybin and ayahuasca therapies had profoundly positive effects on the physiology of veteran SEALs. With this program at Field Trip, which is offering legal treatment with psychedelic therapies across North America and Europe, we hope to be part of the healing of a much larger group of people, and further show that 24/7 health monitoring by WHOOP technology can help people take control of their overall well-being when used in association with new mental and emotional health therapies.”

“At Field Trip, our mission is to bring the world to life through psychedelics and psychedelic-enhanced therapies,” said Ronan Levy, Field Trip’s Executive Chairman. “Through this partnership with WHOOP, we hope to demonstrate that our work not only changes the mental and emotional well-being of people, it also tangible and meaningfully gets expressed through their physical well-being as well.”

About Field Trip Health Ltd.

Field Trip is the global leader in the development and delivery of psychedelic therapies. With our Field Trip Discovery division leading the development of the next generation of psychedelic molecules and conducting advanced research on plant-based psychedelics including psilocybin-producing fungi and our Field Trip Health division building centers for psychedelic therapies across North America and Europe along with the digital and technological tools that will enable massive scale, we help people from those in treatment to those seeking accelerated personal growth, with a simple, evidence-based way to heal and heighten engagement with the world.

Learn more at https://www.meetfieldtrip.com, https://www.fieldtriphealth.com and https://www.fieldtriphealth.nl.

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @fieldtriphealth

To receive company updates about Field Trip and to be added to the email distribution list please sign up here.

For further information, contact Ronan Levy, Executive Chairman and a Director at Field Trip, at 1 (833) 833-1967.

About WHOOP


WHOOP, the human performance company, provides a membership for 24/7 coaching to improve health. The WHOOP membership comes with free hardware (the new Whoop Strap 3.0), a coaching platform designed to optimize your behavior, and a community of high performers. WHOOP members range from professional athletes and Fortune 500 CEOs to fitness enthusiasts, frontline workers, and military personnel. Studies show WHOOP can positively change behavior, increase sleep, and improve physiological biomarkers. Founded in 2012, WHOOP is based in Boston and has raised more than $200 million in venture capital. Visit whoop.com for the latest company news and connect with WHOOP on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information


This release includes forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws regarding Field Trip and its business, which may include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the listing of the common shares of Field Trip on
the Canadian Securities Exchange, and the timing of such events. Often but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of words such as “expect”, “intends”, “anticipated”, “believes” or variations (including negative variations) of
such words and phrases, or state that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved. Such statements are based on the current expectations and views of future events of the management of Field Trip, an
d are based on assumptions and subject to risks and uncertainties. Although the management of Field Trip believes that the assumptions underlying these statements are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect. The forward-looking events and circumstances
discussed in this release may not occur and could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting the companies, including risks regarding the COVID-19 epidemic, the medical clinic industry, market conditions, ec
onomic factors, management’s ability to manage and to operate the business and the equity markets generally. Although Field Trip has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those
described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements or inf
ormation. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Except as required by applicable securities laws, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Field Trip does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or r
evise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

Media contacts:

Paige Tatulli
Autumn Communications
212-206-9780
[email protected] / [email protected]

Investor contacts:

Elizabeth Barker
KCSA Strategic Communications
212-896-1203
[email protected]

SOURCE Field Trip Health Ltd.

NEW YORK, Nov. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Youth INC hosted its virtual Celebration “Un-Gala” on Wednesday, November 18^th. The event, which capped off a fall fundraising drive, garnered more than $2.1 million for the organization. The night’s honoree was Roger Ferguson, TIAA President and CEO, who was presented with the John C. Whitehead Leadership Award in recognition of his public service and philanthropic contributions.

In his acceptance remarks, Ferguson spoke about the opportunities available to underserved students through education, and his appreciation for Youth INC’s work. “I firmly believe that education is the key to enabling success and ensuring young people can become leaders who can make a difference in our communities,” said Ferguson. “I share Youth INC’s conviction that education has the power to save lives and am honored to be recognized by an organization committed to making an impact on our underserved youth and the world.”

Youth INC has raised more than $100 million over the past 26 years to empower its nonprofit partners to harness best practices from the private sector and academia to achieve sustainable growth and deepen the social emotional learning (SEL) impact of its programs on young people. Scholars and many leading organizations in the public and private sector believe SEL is a critical component of youth development and key to supporting social progress. In fact, the Aspen Institute estimates that every dollar spent on SEL makes an $11 return on the investment.

This was the first year that the Celebration event was not held in person. Youth INC Board Co-President Kathleen McCabe of PJT Partners addressed the change, saying, “Despite moving online, this year’s Celebration ‘Un-Gala’ was a remarkable event. It connected us with a host of new supporters and champions and Roger Ferguson was a consummate honoree—inspiring, humble, and ever insightful.”

Youth INC also highlighted the work of its nonprofit partner, St. Ignatius School. “Our partnership with Youth INC has paid so many dividends over the past four years. We are excited to continue deepening our relationship and honored to be featured in this year’s Celebration ‘Un-Gala,’” said St. Ignatius Principal, Richard Darrell. “Youth INC’s support and coaching has helped fuel our organizational growth and development and deepened our impact with our students.”

“Youth INC’s mission to ‘transform the lives of New York City youth by empowering the nonprofits that serve them’ is more vital than ever,” said Dhananjay M. Pai, Youth INC Board Co-Chair and President & COO of P. Schoenfeld Asset Management. “That this year’s event was able to raise over $2 million, speaks to that vitality. We are grateful to our community of supporters for their ongoing belief in our mission and venture philanthropy model for impact.”

“We are currently navigating through unprecedented times for the social impact sector,” said Youth INC National Advisory Board Member, Alan Schwartz, Executive Chairman of Guggenheim Partners. “But it is remarkable to see the resiliency of the Youth INC team in the face of challenging headwinds. This Celebration ‘Un-Gala’ was a testament to the importance of their work with NYC grassroots nonprofits and the young people they serve. I am excited to see how we can use these funds to extend our impact in a time of great need.”

As part of its work to support its nonprofit partners during the ongoing pandemic, Youth INC has issued more than $700,000 in grants to 58 grassroots nonprofits through its COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund. During a tumultuous period for the social impact sector, these funds have proved critical in helping organizations weather the storm. Lisa Recio, Executive Director of Roads to Success, one of the grantees, shared her thoughts on the program: “There is a saying One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone . . . The Youth INC Response and Recovery Grant allows us the opportunity to show our youth that they are not alone.”

COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund Grantees: STEM From Dance, Girl Be Heard Institute, Minds Matter NYC, Opening Act, viBe Theater Experience, Youth Action Programs and Homes, Inc., Drama Club Inc, Roads to Success, Inc, Fresh Youth Initiatives, Inc., I Challenge Myself, Inc., Project Morry, Artists Striving to End Poverty, America on Tech (AOT), Chess-in-the-Schools, INC, Trail Blazer Camps, Beam Center, You Gotta Believe!, St. Ignatius School, Fiver Children’s Foundation, Girls Write Now, Only Make Believe, Community-Word Project, Inc., LEAP, Inc, Bloomingdale Family Program, Play Rugby USA, Literacy, Inc. (LINC), America SCORES New York, Rocking the Boat, Council for Unity, FAN4Kids, Behind the Book, George Jackson Academy, 826NYC, Kids Creative 404 Inc., Extreme Kids & Crew, Ifetayo Cultural Arts Academy, Inc., Dancewave Inc., PowerPlay NYC, Inc., Beat the Streets, NYC, INCLUDEnyc, Read Ahead, The Reading Team, Change for Kids, A Fair Shake for Youth, Inc., The Brooklyn Music School, Serious Fun After School, Inc., The New York Center for Children, TADA! Theatre and Dance Alliance, Inc., GallopNYC, Saint Barnabas High School, Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York, NYC FIRST, Cornelia Connelly Center, Hour Children, ParentChild+, Futures and Options, Friends of the Children NY, Global Kids

Celebration Un-Gala
Vice Chairs: Antoinette ‘Toni’ Bush (News Corp), Stephanie Cohen (Goldman Sachs), Jeffrey R. Holzschuh (Morgan Stanley), Jo Ann Jenkins (AARP), Elizabeth Lempres (McKinsey & Co., Emerita), Stephen K. Orr (Orr Group), Richard P. Schifter (TPG Capital), Alan Schwartz (Guggenheim Partners), George P. Stamas (Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher), Ted Virtue (MidOcean Partners), John Waldron (Goldman Sachs), Jonathan Weiss (Wells Fargo & Co.) Co-Chairs: James Christopoulos (CVC Capital), Rodney Cohen (Black Diamond Capital), William Q. Derrough (Moelis & Company), Stratton Heath (Oak Hill Capital Partners), Christine Hommes (Apollo), Mel Ike (Blackstone), Douglas Kaden (SDC Capital Partners), Barbara Marcin, Kathleen McCabe (PJT Partners), Amy Miller (Scotiabank), Dhananjay Pai (P. Schoenfeld Asset Management), Daniel Pine (CS Capital), Mai Shiver (AIG), Wray Thorn (Sightway Capital), Evan Wildstein (Kohlberg & Company) BenefitCommittee: Noel Anderson (NYU), Karen Beldy Torborg (Marsh), Mark DiMilia (Morgan Stanley), Emmett McCann (Oaktree Capital), Robert McCooey (Nasdaq), Kenneth Prince (Advent International), Stancel Riley (Mizuho), Adrianne Shapira (Eurazeo)

Media Contact:

Vanessa Marquez
[email protected]
914.316.4600

About Youth INC

Youth INC’s mission is to transform the lives of NYC youth by empowering the organizations that serve them. Youth INC’s network of 76 grassroots nonprofits collectively champion the lives of more than 300,000 young people across New York City. Youth INC provides our nonprofit partners with the coaching, capital and connections to achieve sustainable growth and maximize their impact. Our fundraising, governance and impact evaluation programs yield incredible results. Over the course of a partnership with Youth INC, our partners experience average budget growth of 157%, board size of 42%, and youth served of 190%. Using our pioneering Metrics Platform, our partners helped 81% of their young people surveyed to improve key Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) skills that scholars agree are the most predictive indicators of success in school, career and life. Since inception, our venture philanthropy model has raised over $100 million and empowered over 180 nonprofits, impacting the lives of 1 million NYC youth.