Explorius Education / Educatius / Aiducatius / CETUSA / Tom O Ericsson

• Educatius UK Ltd
  • FriSciFiUtbildningsfabrik AB
    • Explorius Education AB
      • Explorius Education AS
      • Explorius Education OY
      • Explorius Education ApS
    • Educatius Inc
    • Payius AB
    • Explore Tours Fair Travel Sweden AB
      • Explore Tours Alm Fair Travel Sweden AB
  • CET Management Ltd
    • CET International
    • CETUSA Inc
    • CET, Vancouver
    • DFSR, Germany
    • European Hotel Academy
  • AStudy Ltd
    • AStudy USA

—————————————————–

History:

1986-1991: Tom Ericsson worked for STS Travel Schools / Language Schools

1990-1999: United Educational Consultants International inc.

1991-1998: Aspect Inc. / Aspect International Language Schools / Aspect Language School SA – Hired 1991, TOE president 1998 of Aspect. (English language programs at 19 schools in five countries)

1997-1999: Travel Selections Inc., Tom Ericsson President

1990-1999: Educational Consultants International Inc., Tom Ericsson President

1998: Aspect Inc. / Aspect Foundation / Aspect Education were sold to Sylvan Learning Systems. Tom Ericsson remains with the company.

1999: Travel Selections Inc / Educational Consultants International Inc. merged into Aspect Education Inc.

2000: Sylvan Learning Systems Inc. sells the Aspect group to Optagon Holdings Ltd. (Kaplan). At this point Tom Ericsson leaves Aspect.

Tom Ericsson claims to have started Educatius in 2001. I have not been able to substantiate that claim. There was/is a firm called Educatius Handelsbolag (969675-1933) that was incorporated in Sweden but it is no longer registered as active. It is used as a domain address for Educatius.org.

2003: Educatius UK Ltd (08555156 / 08553853)

• 2004: Explorius Education AB / First Education of Sweden AB / Educatius International (556721-0819)
• –   USA Boarding Schools (seems to be run by Educatius)
• –   TLI – The Mandarin School (run by Carla Kearns at Educatius)
• –   Educatius New Zealand (formerly Masters College Education Agaency – MCEA)
• 2008: Explorius Education AS (992 794 941)
• 2008: Explorius Education OY / ASSE Finland (1294/09/Mj)
  –   EurAuPair / Aspire Worldwide / Go Campus University Programs
• 2009: Explorius Education Aps (32552218)

2007: Educatius International – non-profit (Because this organization failed to file a Form 990, 990-EZ, 990-N, or 990-PF for 3 consecutive years, its exempt status has been automatically revoked by the IRS)

• 2007: Delaware (4376887)
• 2007: Washington (602752937)

2008: FriFiSi Utbildningsfabrik AB, Sweden (556759-3123). FriFiSi functions as the management firm of the above Scandinavian Explorius companies and Explore Tours Fair Travel Sweden AB.

2010-2012: Attentio AB (556808-8560)

2010: Payius AB, Sweden (556819-1117): Online payments

2010: Explore Tours Fair Travel Sweden AB (556800-8311): Founded by Tom O Ericsson

• 2013: Explore Tours Alm Fair Travel Sweden AB (556939-5592):

2009: Educatius Inc. – for-profit (Educatius is not part of the CSIET approved programs, enabling them to pay hosts money for boarding the students. The students come in under the F-1 visa program. That means that the DofS Regulations do not apply to them in the same sense as it does to others. There are State regulations that should apply instead.)

• 2009: Delaware (4641887)
• 2009: California (C3221223)
• 2011: Arkansas (800196929) – Revoked
• 2012: Massachusetts (001075916)
• Educatius claim to have started offices in the below places. I have not found addresses or data to confirm that, so do not know whether this is in fact the case.
• Guangzhou, China
• Shanghai, China
• Beijing, China
• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

2011: CET International Inc. (C3354480)

• 2012: Educatius bought CET Management UK, Ltd (03423974) and its subsidiaries: Terry Watson continues on from CET. Web address
  –   Educatius Language Schools Ltd. / Twin Towers English College, London (3915611)
  –   DFSR, Dr. Frank Sprachen & Reisen, Germany
  –   CET, Vancouver (Dissolved For Non-Compliance (s. 212) On 2010-03-02)
• –   CETUSA
• –   CET Adventures
• –   European Hotel Academy
• –   CET International

2012: Educatius College & University Services Inc

• 2012: Delaware (5148466)
• Washington (The Educatius International University)

2013: Educatius Cultural Exchange Programs Inc.

• 2013: Delaware (5439954)
• 2014: Michigan (60645J)
• 2014: Florida (F14000000435) (Terry Watson/Tom Ericsson directors)
• 2014: California (C3650622)

2013: Astudy Ltd (08547538) / Astudy USA (86096407) / Norway (275334) (could possibly end up at the site astudy.se)

2013: Innsamlingsstift Aiducatius (802477-8659)

—————————————

Educatius host family application

Explorius High School Exchange Program application

2009 Nov 25: International students source of revenue for APS

2010 Sep 20: CETUSA ANNOUNCES PROGRAM NAME CHANGE

2010 Dec 01: – Vertsmor kjørte bil i fylla og bad om penger

2010 Dec 08: – Explorius holder elevene som gisler

2011: Evaluations of DFSR

2012 Mar 08: Insight: Public schools sell empty classroom seats abroad

2012 Mar 15: Should Cash-Strapped Public Schools Sell Seats To Foreign Students?

2012 Aug 01: Cultural exchange programs boost local school revenue

2013 Jan 15: Educatius acquires for-profit CET entities

2013 Feb 18: Santa Barbara a Home Away from Home for Rising Number of International Students

2013 Jan 29: Worldnet selected by Payius AB as their International ‘White-label’ Payment Gateway Partner

2013 Apr 18: Utsattes för våldtäkts- försök på språkresan

2013 May 07: Saras, 16, värdfamilj drev en strippklubb

• 2013 May 07: Arrangören: Det stämmer inte

2013 Jun 24: Språkresan blev en mardröm

2013 Jul 30: Exclusive: Virtual Interview with Nauset Schools’ Dr. Richard Hoffmann

2013: Explore Tours evaluated by clients

2014 Jan 24: Mormon Ex-Bishop accused of luring teen boy

2014 Apr 03: Can International Students Save U.S. Public Schools?

2014 Apr 16: Mt. Lebanon School District might add international students to fortify budget

2010: CETUSA v. CSFES

Attempt to ‘Sue’ Child Advocate’s Mouth Shut

Court Date Scheduled for Local Child Protection Advocate 

Oceanside resident, Danielle Grijalva, will be taken to court by a student exchange placement agency for her efforts to protect foreign exchange students in Minnesota.

Grijalva formed the Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students, a California-based 501 (c)(3) child protection organization five years ago.  She has since been nominated twice for the City of Oceanside Martin Luther King, Jr. Civic Award; received a Certificate of Recognitionin 2008 by San Diego County Board of Supervisors for being selected to receive the Channel 10 News Leadership Award for her hard work and service to the San Diego region and is currently Ambassador of Child-Safe, Ltd., of the United Kingdom.

In June, 2009, a lawsuit was filed in San Diego County Superior Court, Council for Educational Travel USA v. Danielle Grijalva; Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students; Complaint for Damages; Slander Per Se; Libel; Temporary Restraining Order, Preliminary and Permanent; Injunction; Intentional Interference with Prospective Economic Advantage.

In 2009, a Norwegian foreign exchange student’s complaints over living conditions he endured with a host family in Minnesota prompted a state investigation by Minnesota Deputy Secretary of State Jim Gelbmann.  Gelbmann called upon lawmakers to expand the state’s authority to oversee foreign exchange programs.

Star Tribune’s Aimee Blanchette’s story, “When a foreign exchange year goes bad” dated May 17, 2009, which explained, “Another Norwood parent began making inquiriesaboutEspen’s predicament, and that’s when the secretary of state’s office got involved. WhenGelbmann began contacting some of the 37 other Minnesota schoolswhereCETUSA has placed students, he found more reports ofproblemsencountered by students.”

On July 16, 2009 during WCCO News Radio 830 interview by Don Shelby with Minnesota Deputy Secretary Jim Gelbman discussed the importance protecting these visiting teens.

Part of the interview:

GELBMANN:  … “Sure, Don.  Probably the most common problem that happens with the CETUSA organization in multiple high schools throughout the state is that they would bring more students over to Minnesota than they had families to place them in.  And, again, that is against the federal regulations, as well.  Federal law requires the organization to have as signed contract with a host family one month before the student arrives in the States.  And what would regularly happen is CETUSA would have three or four host families signed up for a specific school and five or six students would be brought over, and then CETUSA would frantically search for host families for the students.  In one case that was documented actually WCCO TV a number of years ago, I think back in 2006 um, one CETUSA organization, uh, uh, coordinator had six students living in her basement, had six foreign exchange students living in her basement because she couldn’t find host families for them —

SHELBY:  And that is violation of law —

GELBMANN:  And that is a violation of law right then and there.”

To read entire interview:

WCCO INTERVIEW BETWEEN WCCO’S DON SHELBY AND ASSISTANT DEPUTY …

 

CETUSA is allegedly blaming Danielle Grijalva, Director of the Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students (CSFES) for the attention given to the vital importance keeping foreign exchange students protected and safe.  “Foreign exchange students deserve a positive impression of our country.” she said.

Director Grijalva, remains firm, “Abuse by those in positions of trust will not be tolerated.”

“Do I believe this is an intimidation tactic?  Absolutely.”  said Danielle Grijalva.  She continued, “Let me emphasize that children’s safety must be first and foremost in foreign exchanges and every other aspect of education.  We want to ensure that visitors to our country enjoy a safe and enriching academic and cultural experience that builds bridges for future collaboration, be it social, educational or economic.”

Court date scheduled Friday, October 22, 2010 at 1:30 pm, San Diego Superior Court, North County Division, Dept. N27, 325 S. Melrose Drive in Vista, CA.

Trial date scheduled December 10, 2010 at 8:30 am, San Diego Superior Court, North County Division, Dept. N27,325 S. Melrose Drive in Vista, CA.

————————————————-

CETUSA v. Alissa Zeegers

Helpline US Department of State

1-866-283-9090 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) The Department of State activated the helpline to ensure the health and safety of its exchange participants. Students have a right to be treated fairly and to report abuse without retaliation or threat of program cancellation. (Dep of State)

Blind trust in exchange organisations

You would not send your child to a house at the end of your street if you knew nothing about the person living there. Yet on the strength of a glossy brochure, the payment in some cases of vast sums of money, and an assumption that someone else has asked the right questions, we send our children thousands of miles across the world to stay with strangers.

The companies, organisations and individuals that abuse this blind trust cannot be allowed to continue to profit from it and we must all take responsibility for the care and safety of our young people. (Chris Gould)