DISCOVERY EDUCATION HELPS EDUCATORS WORLDWIDE BEGIN THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR WITH EXCLUSIVE, ENGAGING VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS FOR STUDENTS Elizabeth Hillman(240) 662-2664, Elizabeth_Hillman@discovery.com Stephen Wakefield(240) 662-5563, Stephen_Wakefield@discovery.com -Unique virtual experiences will help classrooms around the world observe Constitution Day and International Dot Day, as well as deepen students’ understanding of how to protect and conserve our oceans- Silver Spring, Md. (September 8, 2016) – Next week, Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, is offering educators worldwide three new, exclusive virtual field trips they can use to begin the new school year with dynamic digital learning experiences. Offered at no cost to participating educators and students, the scheduled virtual field trips are: International Dot Day Virtual Field Trip on Tuesday, September 13 at 1 PM EST: Discovery Education and FableVision are partnering to host a virtual event marking International Dot Day, a global celebration of creativity, courage and collaboration. International Dot Day began when Iowa teacher Terry Shay introduced his classroom to Peter H. Reynolds’ book The Dot, the story of a caring teacher who dares a doubting student to trust in her own abilities and be brave enough to “make her mark.” During this special event, Dot Day Founder Terry Shay will showcase how his students are celebrating Dot Day. Students will also hear from the author of The Dot himself, New York Times Best Selling Author and Illustrator Peter H. Reynolds. To register for this event or submit questions to be answered live during the broadcast, visit https://www.discoveryeducation.com/Events/monthly-themes/dot-day-2016.cfm. Of the People: Our Ocean, One Future Virtual Field Trip, on Wednesday, September 14 at 1 PM EST: United States Secretary of State John Kerry is hosting the 2016 Our Ocean Conference in Washington, D.C., September 15 and 16 to promote action to protect our ocean from threats – including unsustainable and illegal fishing, marine pollution, and climate-related impacts – and empower a new generation to lead the way toward a healthier and more sustainable ocean. During this virtual field trip offered in conjunction with the conference, students will have the one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn about the challenges facing our ocean from experts including Cathy Novelli, United States Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment; Dr. Vaughan Turekian, Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary of State; and Dr. Richard W. (Rick) Spinrad, Chief Scientist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Classrooms will also view exclusive footage of Secretary Kerry meeting with high school students to discuss ocean protection and environmental issues. Students will also be able to participate in a live Twitter chat with Dr. Vaughan Turekian during the event using @STASatState. To learn more and access this virtual field trip, visit www.DiscoveryEducation.com/OfThePeople. Students can also share their own ocean action with world leaders by going to 1000Oceanactions.org. This 30-minute virtual field trip is the latest in the Of the People series, a collaboration between the White House and Discovery Education. Constitution Day Virtual Field Trip on Friday, September 16 at 1 PM EST: In honor of Constitution Day, Discovery Education will take students behind-the-scenes at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Participating classrooms will have the opportunity to meet the new Librarian of Congress, Dr. Carla Hayden, the first woman and first African American to hold this prestigious office. Students will also tour the largest library in the world, and, through diaries, letters, and other primary sources written by George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and others, explore the unique perspectives of our nation’s founders. Finally, participants will tour one of the library’s research labs not open to the public to see how scientists are uncovering new information from 200-year-old documents. Students will also be able to participate in a live Twitter chat with the Librarian of Congress during the event using #DEConstitutionDay2016. For more information and to register, visit www.DiscoveryEducation.com/ConstitutionDay. To further support participating educators, Discovery Education is providing a collection of classroom activities related to each of these virtual field trips that includes comprehensive pre-and post-event lessons, which educators can utilize to enhance the learning experience and prepare students for these virtual events. These materials can be found on the homepage of each individual virtual field trip. “Our students engage immediately with Discovery Education’s virtual field trips because they provide unique experiences during which they can visit places and meet people they would not otherwise be able to access,” said Margie Rogers, technology integration specialist at Waynesville R-VI School District in Missouri. “We are looking forward to building these and Discovery Education’s other virtual field trips into our instructional plans throughout the year.” All of Discovery Education’s virtual field trips are archived and available at https://www.discoveryeducation.com/Events/virtual-field-trips/explore/. Educators can use these virtual field trips at any time to create an immersive learning experience for their students. “As a former school superintendent, I understand the unique learning opportunities that virtual field trips present to teachers and students,” said Dr. Mark Edwards, Senior Vice President of Digital Learning at Discovery Education. “Discovery Education’s virtual field trips not only provide the opportunity for educators to create one-of-a-kind learning experiences for their students, they also provide valuable collateral resources that help teachers extend learning and broaden the impact of these events. I invite educators worldwide to participate in these truly unique events.” For more information about Discovery Education, visit www.discoveryeducation.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 3 million educators and over 30 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.