Silver Spring, MD (Friday, November 6, 2020) — Discovery Education and leading corporate and community partners are partnering to offer engaging, no-cost digital learning resources to students, teachers, and families to support National STEM Day observances. Held annually on November 8th, National STEM Day unites communities around the importance of teaching science, technology, engineering, and math to students in grades K-12. Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-aligned digital curriculum resources and professional learning for K-12 classrooms.
The STEM Careers Coalition™ is a leading contributor to the vast array of new STEM-focused resources now available. A coalition of industry partners joining forces with Discovery Education to create a culture of STEM education in K-12 schools nationwide, the STEM Careers Coalition™ empowers educators to teach STEM effectively in the classroom, fosters equity and access to quality education, and is building the next generation of solution-seekers.
Among the new resources now available to educators, parents, and families are a series of new Career Exploration resources. Sourced from industry leaders like API, Boeing, Chevron, and Microsoft, as well as content contributors Sanofi and GAF, these resources help educators and families connect what is being learned in the classroom to possible STEM careers in a variety of fields.
The STEM Careers Coalition™ is also making available the COVID-19 Solution Seekers video series. This engaging series spotlights how non-profits, corporations, and industries have pivoted to meet the needs of communities presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. A series of Classroom Activities resources further support educators’ efforts to integrate STEM teaching and learning into instruction with ready-made activities featuring step-by-step guides educators can use in the classroom, the remote environment, or wherever learning is taking place.
While these resources are available at www.stemcareerscoalition.org, even more STEM Careers Coalition content is available in Discovery Education Experience, the company’s award-winning, flexible K-12 learning platform. The all-new STEM Careers channel featuring content highlighting a wide range of fascinating STEM careers including a variety of resources like career profiles, student activations, challenges, classroom activities, virtual field trips, and more. Discovery Education Experience users can visit the STEM Careers Channel here.
In addition to the Career Explorations, the COVID-19 Solution Seekers video series, and Classroom Activities resources from the STEM Careers Coalition, a host of Virtual Field Trips, curriculum supports, and professional learning resources are also available at no cost to educators, students, and families. Those resources include:
DNA Decoded – Virtual Classroom Activities
Through DNA Decoded, an initiative from the Illumina Corporate Foundation and Discovery Education, teachers have the digital tools to bring scientific exploration and real-world problem solving to students in fresh and exciting ways. The new versatile classroom activities investigate relatable issues through a powerful DNA science lens. From genetics and fitness to bats and COVID-19, these hands-on activities for middle and high school students show cutting-edge STEM fields and how genomics professionals are driving innovation in a variety of areas.
FUTURE U. – Virtual Field Trip
Inspire and equip the next generation of STEM professionals, FUTURE U. from Boeing and Discovery Education offers hands-on learning experiences for students in grades 6-12. Discover how STEM builds a more sustainable future in the ecoAction Virtual Field Trip by virtually visiting locations around Seattle, Washington to meet STEM experts who are working on sustainability in the air, on land, in the water, and in the handling and reduction of waste.
Girls Get STEM – Family Resources
Girls Get STEM: Unleash Your Inner Scientist from the Girl Scouts of the USA and Discovery Education offers resources for K-5 educators, troop leaders, and families to spark girls’ interest in STEM. The initiative includes compelling resources, such as the award-winning Unleash Your Citizen Scientist Virtual Field Trip (VFT) inspiring students to take positive action through STEM in their classrooms and communities. New family resources are also available in both English and Spanish to bring the STEM learning home!
Ignite My Future in School – e-Learning Modules
Designed for students in grades 6-8, these e-learning modules from Ignite My Future in School – a program from Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and Discovery Education to transform the way students learn through computational thinking – weave STEM into multiple disciplines. Discover how to use computational thinking strategies to solve problems and find solutions while building 21st century skills needed for successful careers in any sector.
TGR EDU: Explore – STEM-Focused Professional Learning Series
TGR Foundation, A Tiger Woods Charity, and Discovery Education offer a digital professional learning series empowering educator agency with new strategies to support student’s success in school and beyond. The professional development series for educators from TGR EDU: EXPLORE presents schools, particularly those from under-resourced communities, the access and materials needed to transform STEM teaching. By focusing on student-centered approaches to foster innovative, relevant, and engaging STEM instruction, the modules redefine STEM by innovating interdisciplinary learning, focusing on design principles and real-world connections, and rethinking skill building.
“As educators, we know integrating STEM into lesson plans means students can dive deeper into real world skills while becoming expert problem solvers. Now, finding that STEM content is easier than ever!” said Beth Weeks, an Instructional Technology Specialist in Texas’ Sherman Independent School District. “With Discovery Education’s no-cost resources from trusted partners, I know I can educate my students about STEM with resources that are tailored to their interests, learning styles, and location.”
The new, no-cost digital STEM resources now available to teachers, students, and families supports Discovery Education’s Keeping You Connected to Curiosity initiative. A new initiative keeping the continuity of curiosity alive for teachers and students everywhere, Keeping You Connected to Curiosity is anchored by a team of celebrity scientists sharing how curiosity has played an important role in their lives and what they’re most curious about today. Discovery Education is supporting this initiative through its award-winning services, a host of new content designed to spark curiosity in teachers and students about the world around us, and events, community activities and more focused on promoting science education scheduled throughout Fall 2020.
All of the resources and program content is available on the award-winning Discovery Education Experience, a flexible K-12 learning platform that connects educators to a vast collection of compelling high-quality, standards-aligned content, ready-to-use digital lessons, and professional learning resources. Experience users can find all the content in the Corporate Education Partnerships channel and the Health & Wellness channel.
“Curious students are successful students. Ensuring educators and families have what they need to make STEM come alive wherever learning takes place is a key mission of Discovery Education and our partners,” said Marla Wilson, the Executive Director of the STEM Careers Coalition. “We are proud to keep communities connected to their STEM curiosity with engaging and dynamic digital-first resources created in thoughtful partnership with corporations and community organizations.”
For more information about the STEM Careers Coalition™, or participate STEM Day events, visit www.stemcareerscoalition.org.
For more information on Discovery Education’s digital resources and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Twitter and LinkedIn.
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About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-aligned digital curriculum resources, engaging content, and professional learning for K-12 classrooms. Through its award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia resources, and the largest professional learning network of its kind, Discovery Education is transforming teaching and learning, creating immersive STEM experiences, and improving academic achievement around the globe. Discovery Education currently serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 140 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Discovery, Inc., Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and like-minded organizations to empower teachers with customized solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.DiscoveryEducation.com.
Contacts
Grace Maliska
Manager, Global Communications
Discovery Education
Email: gmaliska@discoveryed.com
Phone: (240) 839-4239