Discovery Education Announces Major Initiative to Provide No Cost STEM Curricula to Support After-School and Summer Camp Programs
-- Discovery Education STEM Camp broadens company's deep commitment to ensuring all students have access to the critical tools needed to support college and workforce readiness –
Silver Spring, Md., May 10, 2013 /3BL Media/ - Recognizing the need for meaningful, high-impact STEM curriculum that can be used in any environment when students are not in school, Discovery Education announced the development of Discovery Education STEM Camp, a dynamic series of standards-aligned STEM curricula available at no cost to schools, districts, non-profit organizations and parents. Created for use as part of summer camps, after-school learning opportunities and other educational programs, Discovery Education STEM Camp supports President Obama’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign to encourage more students to pursue careers in STEM fields and is designed to keep students inspired and engaged in learning during the summer months and after school.
“Building STEM literacy among America’s next generation of leaders is critical to meet the global challenges that lie ahead and prepare students for tomorrow’s careers,” said Bill Goodwyn, CEO, Discovery Education. "Today's announcement broadens our decade-long commitment to fostering student achievement. Discovery Education STEM Camp provides parents, educators and summer program leaders with easy-to-use resources that maximize after-school hours and summer months to keep students engaged in learning.”
Created in collaboration with leading educators and launched in partnership with the Afterschool Alliance and STEMconnector®, Discovery Education STEM Camp features hands-on and virtual labs, engineering challenges, digital investigations, videos and career connections designed to inspire and engage students in learning about STEM subjects. Launching this summer, STEM Camp will be deployed in conjunction with key partners, including Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel's Chicago Summer of Learning program and the Chicago Public Schools. STEM Camp is designed to support the grand challenges of science issued by the National Academy of Engineers with curricula built around STEM-related topics of water, urban infrastructure and energy.
"Every summer, the city is a classroom for our children. Through our Chicago Summer of Learning initiative, we are encouraging all of our Chicago youth to participate in hands-on learning outside of the classroom, and I am proud that Discovery Education has partnered with this initiative to offer engaging learning opportunities that connect STEM education to real-world experiences and challenges," said Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
“We know that too often, unequal access to summer and after-school learning opportunities contribute to disparities in student achievement,” said Cindy Moss, director of global STEM initiatives for Discovery Education. “After-school hours and summer months provide rich opportunities to broaden all students' exposure to the STEM concepts we know are critical for their success in the classroom today and that are vital to prepare them to compete for the jobs of tomorrow.”
Discovery Education STEM Camp is part of Discovery Communications’ “Connect the Dots” campaign, which is designed to help students connect the dots between learning and life. Other initiatives that are part of the campaign include the new science-focused series THE BIG BRAIN THEORY: PURE GENIUS on Discovery Channel, and a partnership between Science Channel and America’s manufacturers in support of Discovery’s ‘Discover Your Skills’ initiative to inspire STEM learning and careers in the skilled trades, among other programs.
In addition to the development of the Discovery Education STEM Camp, Discovery Education partners with like-minded organizations committed to STEM achievement to bring supplemental curriculum programs to schools at no cost. Some of Discovery Education’s long-term partners include the Siemens Foundation, 3M and America’s Navy. Through programs including the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge, Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge and Navy STEM for the Classroom, Discovery Education and its partners empower educators and promote STEM engagement in classrooms around the world.
For more information about Discovery’s “Connect the Dots” campaign and to access the Discovery Education STEM Camp curricula, visit www.discoveryeducation.com/STEM.
About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content that supports the implementation of Common Core, professional development, assessment tools, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Available in over half of all U.S. schools, community colleges and in 50 countries around the world, Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that accelerate academic achievement. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world, Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.
