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DISCOVERY EDUCATION AND CME GROUP JOIN FORCES TO HELP HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS NATIONWIDE DEEPEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF ECONOMICS THROUGH REAL-WORLD APPLICATION

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Alycia Chanin, Discovery Education
(240) 662-3056, alycia_chanin@discovery.com

–Standards-aligned education program, “Econ Essentials,” makes economics relevant with digital learning modules; plus new three-part mini documentary series from Discovery’s Seeker brings concepts to life-

Silver Spring, Md. (November 2, 2016) – Now more than ever, it’s critical for students to understand the core concepts of risk management and the factors that drive the global economy. That’s why Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, has partnered with CME Group, the world's leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, to offer high school classrooms nationwide a dynamic, standards-aligned education program that broadens students’ understanding of key economic principles.

Econ Essentials offers three, interactive learning modules that are aligned with the Council for Economic Education’s Voluntary Content Standards for Economics. They present the fundamentals of microeconomics using real-world scenarios, interactive components, embedded assessments, and accompanying Educator Guides. The interactive modules are:

  • Fueling the Future: Presents students with a hypothetical challenge of starting a shuttle business. Students learn about supply and demand, discover the forces that impact gas prices, and explore how these prices impact their everyday lives. Students apply their knowledge to set a ticket price for their business and see if they made a profit.
  • The Facts About Food: Allows students to take a journey from ‘farm to table’ in the role of an advisor to a farm, enabling them to learn how the supply chain and other global factors influence supply and demand. Students explore the role of economics in food prices and what influences the price we pay for our food.
  • Foundations of Finance : Introduces learners to the topics of interest rates and its relationship with financial health. Students will learn about personal financial growth in a real-world context, such as applying for student loans, buying a car, or saving.

Discovery Education and CME are also offering a compelling three-part mini documentary series by Seeker, from Discovery Digital Networks. Appropriate for students in grades 6-12, each episode brings economic topics to life – transporting students across the globe and showcasing stories of people overcoming challenges in the areas of agriculture, energy, and finance. These thought-provoking videos, offered alongside an engaging classroom activity, reinforce fundamental economic concepts in real-world contexts – agriculture and food, energy and fuel, and finance. The five-minute episodes are:

  • How Algae Could Change the Fossil Fuel Industry: In this video, students meet a CEO of a company developing new techniques to convert algae into energy. Students learn about the challenges associated with bringing new and innovative technologies to market and reaching a sufficient scale to make the solutions viable.
  • Why the U.S. Needs a New Generation of Farmers: Meet the owner of a farm who is fulfilling her dream of responsibly providing meat for members of her community. Students learn about the challenges associated with food production including the fact that so few young people are choosing to farm.
  • Owning A Restaurant Under the Cuban Embargo: Hear from a restaurant owner operating in Cuba, a country that has historically been a command economy. As market reforms have taken place and relations with the United States have improved, new opportunities have arisen for people to start businesses.

“Through the study of economics, students become equipped to make wise decisions in both their public and private lives and also grow important skills like critical thinking, problem solving, media and information literacy,” said Jackie Prester, Business and Technology Teacher, Mansfield Public Schools, Massachusetts. “I’m looking forward to using Econ Essentials to help my students learn fundamental economic principles in an engaging, digital environment.”

“Food, fuel and finance matter to our everyday lives, so it is critically important that students understand how these economic concepts work, impact their families and affect the world around them,” said Anita Liskey, CME Group Managing Director, Corporate Marketing & Communications.  “We are thrilled to partner with Discovery Education and all of the talented educators around the country who are using these modules to help students better understand and participate in our global economy.”

“From purchasing a car, to paying taxes, to making investment decisions, the principles of economics impact our daily lives. Econ Essentials helps students engage with these important topics and empowers them with the information they need to make smart decisions in their public and private lives,” said Lori McFarling, Senior Vice President at Discovery Education. “Discovery Education applauds CME for their leadership in helping today’s students understand basic economic topics, and we look forward to continuing to collaborate with CME’s team on our joint mission to support the success of all learners.”

For more information about Econ Essentials, visit http://www.econessentialsinschool.com/.

About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content and professional development 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. Serving 4.5 million educators and over 50 million students, Discovery Education’s services are in half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of all primary schools the UK, and more than 50 countries. Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase 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.

About CME Group
As the world's leading and most diverse derivatives marketplace, CME Group (www.cmegroup.com) is where the world comes to manage risk.  CME Group exchanges offer the widest range of global benchmark products across all major asset classes, including futures and options based on interest rates, equity indexes, foreign exchange, energy, agricultural products and metals.  Around the world, CME Group brings buyers and sellers together through its CME Globex® electronic trading platform and its exchanges based in Chicago, New York and London.  CME Group also operates one of the world's leading central counterparty clearing providers through CME Clearing and CME Clearing Europe, which offer clearing and settlement services across asset classes for exchange-traded and over-the-counter derivatives.  CME Group's products and services ensure that businesses around the world can effectively manage risk and achieve growth.

CME Group is a trademark of CME Group Inc. The Globe Logo, CME, Globex and Chicago Mercantile Exchange are trademarks of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc.  CBOT and the Chicago Board of Trade are trademarks of the Board of Trade of the City of Chicago, Inc.  NYMEX, New York Mercantile Exchange and ClearPort are registered trademarks of New York Mercantile Exchange, Inc.  COMEX is a trademark of Commodity Exchange, Inc.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.  Further information about CME Group (NASDAQ: CME) and its products can be found at www.cmegroup.com.