NEW ‘RED NOSE CHALLENGE’ INSPIRES STUDENTS IN GRADES 3-8 TO PUT IDEAS INTO ACTION FOR CHILDREN LIVING IN POVERTY Dara Klatt, Discovery Education240-662-3043, Dara_Klatt@Discovery.com Brooke Wood, Comic Relief Inc.917-557-1232, b.wood@comicrelief.org CALL FOR VIDEO ENTRIES Chance for Students to Win $5,000 to Implement Their Plan of Action and Other Exciting Prizes; PLUS, Accompanying Classroom Activity Aims to Build Empathy for Children in Need “The Red Nose Challenge creatively empowers kids to help other kids.” ? Janet Scardino, CEO, Comic Relief Inc. New York, NY (March 2, 2017). Big change starts with small steps. That’s why Comic Relief Inc. today announced the call for entries for the Red Nose Challenge, as part of its Red Nose Day in School program. The Challenge inspires students in grades 3-8 to submit a creative video explaining how they plan to make a difference for children living in poverty. Winning entries will receive $5,000 to implement their plan of action and other exciting prizes. Red Nose Day in School is just one element of the broader Red Nose Day campaign, which launched in the U.S. in 2015 with a mission to end child poverty. The third annual Red Nose Day in America will take place on May 25, 2017, raising awareness and funds to keep children in need safe, healthy and educated – both here in the U.S. and around the world. In the lead up to May 25, the Red Nose Challenge gives students the opportunity to showcase how they plan to help. Entries for the Red Nose Challenge are open from now through April 17, 2017. To enter, students must create a one to two-minute video sharing their idea to make a difference for children living in poverty, as well as one statistic or fact on the issue, and why everyone should care. The judging panel will include Red Nose Day founder and award-winning writer director Richard Curtis, whose film credits include Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral, and Bridget Jones’s Diary. Other celebrity judges will be announced soon. A student or team of up to four students must register online through an adult team leader. All video entries must be submitted online at www.rednosedayinschool.org/Challenge. Entries will be evaluated based on their originality, advocacy, action plan and presentation; they will not be judged on production skills and may be recorded on cell phones or basic digital cameras. Accompanying the Challenge is a two-part classroom activity engaging students on the issue of poverty by first viewing videos, and/or researching on their own, and participating in group discussion; and second, by engaging with the concept of empathy using role-playing activities. Students work to understand empathy as the ability to step into the shoes of another person, and specifically what life is like for children living in poverty. Comic Relief Inc. is working with Discovery Education to deliver the Red Nose Day in School program and the Red Nose Challenge, leveraging their expertise in reaching students and teachers across the U.S. “Red Nose Day in School is designed to help students better understand the issue of poverty, and empower them to make a difference,” said Janet Scardino, CEO of Comic Relief Inc. "We added a new way to engage students this year with the Red Nose Challenge, which creatively empowers kids to help other kids. We can’t wait to see their ideas and how they plan to make a positive impact.” “My students are aware that so many children do not have access to food, shelter, clothing, housing, or more, and have a genuine desire to help. The Red Nose Challenge is a perfect opportunity to put their heart and their ideas into action, and have fun doing it!” said Francie Snyder, Gifted Teacher K-5, Oneco and Prine Elementary Schools, Manatee County Public Schools, Florida. Red Nose Challenge finalists enrolled in grades 3-5 and 6-8 will be chosen and announced in mid-May, 2017. The grand prize winning student or team from each grade band will receive $5,000 to implement their plan of action or donate to a charitable organization, as well as a video equipment package for the team leader and individual prize packs for each team member. The runner up teams will win $2,500 to implement their plan of action or donate to a charitable organization and an iPad for the team leader. Additionally, the general public will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite entry; this “People’s Choice Winner” in each grade band will receive a $250 gift certificate. An in-school assembly will also be offered as a prize to one winning entry. For more information on the Red Nose Challenge, including submission guidelines and complete rules, please visit: http://www.rednosedayinschool.org/challenge About Red Nose Day Red Nose Day (rednoseday.org) is run by the non-profit organization Comic Relief Inc. (comicrelief.org), a registered 501(c)(3) American public charity. Red Nose Day started in the U.K., built on the foundation that the power of entertainment can drive positive change. Red Nose Day has raised over $1 billion globally since the campaign’s founding in 1988. Red Nose Day launched in the U.S. in 2015 with a mission to raise money and awareness to end child poverty, and has raised over $60 million to date for the cause. Money raised for the campaign goes to the Red Nose Day Fund, which supports programs that keep children in need safe, healthy and educated, both in America and abroad. Since launching in the U.S., Red Nose Day has received generous support from millions of Americans, and many outstanding partners, including Walgreens, NBC, Mars, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. About Discovery EducationA leader in educational technology, Discovery Education partners with K-12 districts and like-minded partners to strategically support the shift from print to digital learning environments. Providing the highest quality digital content (digital textbooks) and professional development, Discovery Education is increasing student achievement for over 50M students and 4.5M teachers worldwide. Learn more: www.discoveryeducation.com.