DISCOVERY EDUCATION AND FREEPORT-MCMORAN HOST LIVE VIRTUAL EVENT FOR CLASSROOMS NATIONWIDE EXPLORING STEM IN TODAY’S COPPER INDUSTRY 

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

– ‘Day of Learning’ Virtual Field Trip Offers Students an Exclusive Look Into Real-World STEM Applications and Important Role of Copper in Everyday Life –

SILVER SPRING, Md. (December 5, 2016) – Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, and Freeport-McMoRan, a leading international natural resource company, will host an interactive live virtual field trip on Tuesday, December 13, 2016 from 11am ET – 2pm ET for students nationwide. This ‘Day of Learning’ virtual event will offer students a behind-the-scenes look into the STEM careers available in today’s copper industry, and show participants how copper plays a crucial role in everyday life. During this virtual event, which is offered as part of the “Dig Into Mining: The Story of Copper” educational initiative, participants will meet professionals at Freeport-McMoRan as they discuss the various STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) applications found in each phase of copper recovery.

At the top of each hour between 11am ET – 2pm ET, the ‘Day of Learning’ event will highlight different copper industry professionals including geologists, engineers, metallurgists, and reclamation and environmental managers. Designed with educators in mind, this flexible viewing format allows classrooms to tune-in at any particular hour throughout the event. Students may submit questions in advance on the program website for a chance to have them answered live by Freeport-McMoRan professionals during the event. To register and submit questions for this event, please visit: http://www.digintomining.com/virtualfieldtrips.

“My class and I are looking forward to this event, as it will give us with real-time access to STEM professionals and demonstrate first-hand the real-world applications of our classroom lessons,” said Andy Losik, Digital Learning Coordinator at Hamilton Community Schools in Fennville, MI. “Through this ‘Day of Learning’ event, I hope to introduce my students to some of the many STEM career paths available to them after graduation. The Dig into Mining virtual field trips are a perfect way for students to open their eyes to the processes involved in copper recovery and transforming ore into materials needed to build everything from toasters to smartphones.”

The ‘Day of Learning’ event is offered as part of Discovery Education and Freeport-McMoRan’s comprehensive “Dig Into Mining: The Story of Copper” program. Available at no cost, this initiative provides students, educators and families an online site that includes hands-on resources to inspire students to explore how the earth’s natural resources shape their lives geologically, societally and economically. The program offers standards-based classroom tools and Virtual Labs that encourage the development of students’ STEM, critical thinking and problem solving skills. Additional at-home family resources help students to share their classroom learnings with family members through insightful conversation about geology, and match their skills and interests to exciting opportunities within the copper industry.

“The Day of Learning is an outstanding culmination of the learning opportunities included in Dig Into Mining,” said Tracy Bame, President of the Freeport-McMoRan Foundation. “This fun, interactive way of learning will bring the mining process to life for students and allow them to engage with the employees who make it happen. We believe it’s an excellent way for students to gain a greater understanding of how STEM knowledge is used in a workplace in various careers on a daily basis, making the content they learn in math and science classes more relatable.”

For more information about the virtual field trip or Dig Into Mining: The Story of Copper’s free resources, visit: http://www.digintomining.com/

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, professional development, 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 in 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.