Discovery Communications Empowers High School Girls With National "Say Yes to the Prom" Initiative
Discovery Employees, Industry Partners and Premier Lifestyle Brands Join Together to Make Prom More Accessible for Girls Across the Country with Mentorship, More than 1,200 Dresses, Makeup and Accessories
Silver Spring, Md., March 19, 2014 /3BL Media/ – Discovery Communications today announced the national expansion of its annual SAY YES TO THE PROM initiative, promoting confidence and a positive self-image for deserving high school girls. Now in its third year, SAY YES TO THE PROM invites a select group of high school girls to meet with Monte Durham, star of TLC’s SAY YES TO THE DRESS: ATLANTA, makeup and style experts as well as employees for mentoring, prom dress shopping and makeovers at Discovery’s global headquarters. This year’s program expands to Chicago and Des Moines and will more than double past years’ impact by giving high school girls across the country a chance to develop mentoring relationships with industry professionals, build their self-confidence and of course, “say yes to the prom dress.”
Discovery will kick off this year’s national program at the company’s global headquarters in Silver Spring, Md. on March 26, hosting girls from KidsPeace and Magruder High School. To further the reach of the program, designed to go beyond the dress and empower young girls across the country, Discovery will partner with Mediacom to hold SAY YES TO THE PROM for girls from Roosevelt High School on April 23 at La’ James International College in Des Moines, as well as partner with Comcast, OWN and Harpo to host girls from Julian High School and Curie Metropolitan High School for the final event at Harpo Studios in Chicago on May 7. In preparation for the events, employees from Discovery, Harpo Studios, Mediacom and Comcast rallied around the effort donating more than 1,200 dresses for the girls. To further build the relationship between the girls and their employee mentors and to reinforce the day’s overarching goals of building courage and self-confidence, a pre-prom mixer and networking event will be hosted in each of the cities.
In addition to the day’s style sessions, mentoring events and a red carpet finale, the girls also will receive a letter from First Lady Michelle Obama, one of the country’s most outspoken champions for the empowerment of young women.
“Say Yes to the Prom’s expansion is a testament to the incredible success of the past two years and the power that can be found in the collective effort of partners across the industry,” said Adria Alpert Romm, Chief Human Resources and Global Diversity Officer, Discovery Communications. “Pairing like-minded organizations with creative on-air talent and local vendors has created an unmatched team and incredible initiative – one with the power to make a positive impact on girls across the country.”
Discovery Communications and TLC also will be spreading the style online and across social media, inviting people across the country to flash back to their prom moments. Everyone is invited to share their photo memories of prom using the #TBTProm hashtag on Twitter, Instagram and beyond every Thursday through May 8. Each week the TLC team will select their favorite #TBTProm pics – which may include a few familiar faces – to feature on TLC.com. For regular updates on SAY YES TO THE PROM, including updates from the glamorous girls themselves as they receive their makeovers, follow the #SYTTP hashtag across social.
Monte Durham, fashion director and star of TLC’s SAY YES TO THE DRESS: ATLANTA, will host the events in each city ensuring his personal touch is given to every girl’s prom ensemble. Throughout the day, each of the girls will receive a complimentary makeup look provided by bareMinerals and their choice of the most fashionable prom wardrobe. JCPenney is providing salon experts to work with the girls to create the perfect prom-do. Additionally, JCPenney donated a wide range of stylish accessories including clutches, shawls and an assortment of jewelry. As part of the program, each girl also is paired with a mentor who serves as a coach, personal shopper and style assistant throughout the day. Each event concludes with a red carpet reveal hosted by Monte giving the girls the opportunity to show off their personalized prom day looks.
Monte Durham shares the screen on SAY YES TO THE DRESS: ATLANTA with his best friend, Lori Allen, owner of Bridals by Lori. On Friday nights, fans can watch Monte glamourizing brides. More of Monte’s wedding wisdom and notes on travel, style and beauty can be found on TLC.com/SayYesAtlanta.
About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching 2.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 220 countries and territories. Discovery is dedicated to satisfying curiosity through more than 190 worldwide television networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science and Investigation Discovery, as well as U.S. joint venture networks OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network and the Hub Network. Across the Nordic region, Discovery owns and operates SBS Discovery Media, a top-three portfolio of television brands that feature leading nonfiction content, as well as locally produced entertainment programs, sports and the best scripted series and movies from major studios. Discovery also is a leading provider of educational products and services to schools, including an award-winning series of K-12 digital textbooks, and a digital leader with a diversified online portfolio, including Discovery Digital Networks. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.
