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2024 Education Technology Finalists

Oregon’s Harrisburg School District Announces New Partnership with Global Edtech Leader Supporting Innovative Science Lessons in all Elementary School Classrooms

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Charlotte, NC (Thursday, March 28, 2024)—Oregon’s Harrisburg School District (HSD) today announced a new multiyear partnership with global edtech leader Discovery Education. Thanks to this new collaboration, teachers and students in HSD’s elementary school classrooms will soon have access to two dynamic new digital products that empower educators to bring science instruction to life in ways that ignite student curiosity about the natural world and drive deeper engagement in learning. 

Located in Northwestern Oregon and serving the city of Harrisburg and the surrounding rural areas of Benton, Lane and Linn Counties, HSD offers a comprehensive K-12 education. Through an elementary school serving students in kindergarten through 4th grade, a middle school serving students in 5th grade through 8th grade, and a high school for 9th grade through 12th grade, HSD’s talented team of professionals provide students learning opportunities that empower all students to succeed. 

The HSD’s elementary school team sought a new suite of high-quality science resources aligned to state standards that would be simple to integrate into instruction and support the district’s goals for academic progress. Following a thorough review of viable solutions, the district selected Discovery Education’s Science Techbook for Oregon and Mystery Science for classroom use.  

Delivered through Discovery Education Experience, the company’s K-12 learning platform, Science Techbook for Oregon is a K-12 core curriculum that includes engaging digital resources, print student textbooks, hands-on activity kits, virtual investigations, and custom professional learning. Adopted for classroom use by Oregon’s State Board of Education and aligned to the 2022 Oregon Science Standards, this comprehensive resource includes ready-to use, phenomena-driven lessons that motivate students, powerful technology tools—such as toggle-on Spanish translation—that personalize access, and time-saving teacher tools that streamline prep and grading. Science Techbook for Oregon is available in both print and digital formats, providing a seamless classroom experience complete with immersive, interactive ways to explore, including hands-on engineering activities, interactive labs, and STEM connections.  

Through its digital, print, and blended options, Science Techbook for Oregon delivers a wide range of high-quality resources that support students as they discover how science is practiced in the real world, while focusing on deeper understanding and application of grade-appropriate science content. Recently, Discovery Education’s Science Techbook was certified as meeting the rigorous, evidence-based ESSA Tier III standards as set forth in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). 

Mystery Science provides K-5 educators simple-to-use, open-and-go, hands-on lessons that inspire students to love science. Each lesson begins by posing a question commonly asked by young students. Students then explore these questions through interactive videos featuring real-world visuals fostering a sense of wonder and actively supporting student engagement in the accompanying discussion prompts. Mystery Science simplifies prep for teachers, making the integration of this resource into classroom instruction simple. Plus, all K-5 science lessons are available in Spanish, with accompanying videos featuring authentic Spanish narration and Spanish text-on-screen (for discussion questions, vocabulary words, and step-by-step instructions). Editable, ready-to-use worksheets and assessments are also available in both English and Spanish.  

“Igniting young learners’ curiosity about the natural world at a young age is important,” said Darcey Edwards, Principal of Harrisburg School District’s Elementary School. “If an educator can spark students’ curiosity in science, they can engage them in learning and begin to build the knowledge and skills that will promote further academic success as they progress through school. We believe these new resources will pique students’ curiosity and engage them in science, and we look forward to seeing these tools in action in our classrooms.” 

All HSD educators will now also enjoy access to the Discovery Educator Network. A global community of education professionals, the Discovery Education Network connects members across school systems and around the world through social media, virtual conferences, and in-person events, fostering valuable idea sharing and inspiration.  

“Discovery Education is excited to kick-off this new collaboration with the Harrisburg School District,” said Abbey Whitworth, Discovery Education Account Executive. “The educators serving Harrisburg’s elementary school students are dedicated to helping each student live up to their fullest potential and we look forward to supporting their efforts with these dynamic resources.” 

For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources and professional learning solutions visit www.discoveryeducation.com and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.  

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About Discovery Education 
Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, innovative classroom tools, and corporate partnerships, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com

Contact 
Stephen Wakefield 
Discovery Education 
Phone: 202-316-6615 
Email: swakefield@discoveryed.com 

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New Free STEM Resources from the STEM Careers Coalition to Nurture Student Curiosity

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Charlotte, NC (Thursday, March 19, 2024) — The STEM Careers Coalition – an alliance of industries and non-profit organizations partnering with Discovery Education to ignite student curiosity by creating equitable access to STEM content and career connections – today announced the availability of a new suite of free digital learning resources. Designed to ignite all students’ curiosity in STEM, this new collection of content was created in partnership with organizations such as Sanofi, the Caterpillar Foundation, LydaHill Philanthropies, API, Keysight, and more.  

Since its founding in 2019, the STEM Careers Coalition has reached more than 7.9 million students in its mission to support the next generation of diverse STEM solution-seekers. To support its goal of reaching 10 million students by 2025, the Coalition is presenting a host of new resources for students including: 

Classroom Resources 
Inspire students to explore STEM by connecting what is learned in the classroom to the wider world. With new Women’s History Month themed ready-to-use resources created with LydaHill Philanthropies, students meet with women leaders in exciting STEM fields such as computer science, life science, Earth science, space science, and physical science. Each resource features instructional activities that are designed to spark curiosity, foster a deeper understanding of the subject matter, and encourage exploration of the vast opportunities in STEM-related fields. 

Career Exploration Tools 
The new career profiles spotlighting professionals in STEM will help teachers make the connection between classroom instruction and potential careers through videos and accompanying lessons, activities, and hands-on student activations. New career profiles include professionals from Sanofi, DuPont, and Keysight. 

After School Activities 
Take student’s learning a step further with our engaging family activities. Through these hands-on experiences, learners can put problem-solving skills into practice and extend their STEM knowledge at home. Two new activities created with API encourage students to explore their surroundings through a hands-on experiment that demonstrates water-resistance materials and a scavenger hunt identifying the importance petrochemical items in everyday life.  

In addition, the STEM Careers Coalition now offers a new set of resources for teachers that includes effective strategies for encouraging student curiosity sourced from fellow educators and corporate volunteers. The new Kickstarting Curiosity: Extra-Curricular STEM Tools and Tactics Activities series created with the Caterpillar Foundation offers practical guidance for integrating STEM into instruction in a Masterclass format, as well as step-by-step guides for implementing creative STEM activities that focus on important STEM skills and extension opportunities. 

“With these free resources, students can explore all types of STEM careers in new and exciting ways while easily seeing how what they learn in school impacts the world,” said Amy Nakamoto, General Manager of Corporate Partnerships at Discovery Education. 

STEM Careers Coalition partners share a common goal of empowering educators to teach STEM effectively in the classroom by nurturing student curiosity. The Coalition is preparing students for the future of work by providing equitable access to digital content and experiences that engage students in instruction, build foundational STEM knowledge, and develop the critical skills students need for college and career success.  

“At Sanofi, we chase the miracles of science to improve people’s lives. As part of the STEM Careers Coalition with Discovery Education, we aim to inspire students to become STEM solution seekers so that they too can chase the miracles of science,” said Diana Blankman Roberts, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, Sanofi US. “We are proud of these new career profile videos showcasing some of our own leaders so students can imagine improving the lives of others through a STEM career of their own.” 

For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources and professional learning solutions visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.    

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About the STEM Careers Coalition 
The STEM Careers Coalition solves for critical gaps in diverse representation in the STEM professional workforce. The Coalition is an alliance of industries and non-profit organizations, reaching 7.9 million teachers and students with equitable access to STEM resources and career connections since its launch in 2019. The Coalition will continue to ignite student curiosity and influence a diverse future STEM workforce and reach 10 million teachers and students by the end 2025. 

About Discovery Education 
Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, innovative classroom tools, and corporate partnerships, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com

Contact 
Grace Maliska
Discovery Education 
Email: gmaliska@dicoveryed.com 

Georgia’s Downtown Academy to Create Dynamic Digital Learning Experiences for All Students Through New Partnership with Global Edtech Leader 

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Charlotte, NC (Tuesday, March 12, 2024)— Georgia’s Downtown Academy today announced a new partnership with global edtech leader Discovery Education. Thanks to this new collaboration, Downtown Academy’s teachers will soon have access to a suite of award-winning digital products that nurture each learner’s curiosity and support the creation of dynamic digital learning experiences for all students.   

Downtown Academy began as an initiative of Downtown Ministries to better serve the children of Athens, Georgia. After years of building relationships with the families in the community through sports and after-school programs, Downtown Ministries believed that offering a Christian education option serving the families of K-5 students in their community would help in its goal of investing in the next generation of leaders. 

The Downtown Academy staff are dedicated to supporting the growth and development of each student so that they reach their fullest potential. To achieve this goal, school leaders sought a suite of high-quality digital resources that empower teachers to create engaging lessons connecting classroom instruction to the outside world. Following a comprehensive review process, Downtown Academy selected Discovery Education as their digital content provider. Among the digital resources selected by the school are:  

Discovery Education Experience. Connecting educators to a vast collection of high-quality, standards-aligned content, ready-to-use digital lessons, intuitive quiz and activity creation tools, and professional learning resources, Discovery Education Experience provides a powerful K-12 learning platform that facilitates engaging instruction in any environment. These resources, sourced from trusted partners, are aligned to state and national standards, and help educators bring the outside world into teaching and learning every day. Through expanded, lasting partnerships with Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, Schoology, Canvas, Brightspace, and Clever, integrating Discovery Education’s learning platform into existing Information Technology architecture is easier than ever.       

Discovery Education Science Techbooks. The Discovery Education Science Techbook series is a comprehensive, research-backed science solution for grades K-12. Used in classrooms across the United States, the Science Techbooks drive engagement with exclusive, phenomena-based, interactive digital content and companion printed resources. The virtual and hands-on investigations, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) activities, and instructional supports within Techbook enhance the delivery of impactful, blended instruction, in person or at a distance. Available with the Science Techbooks are coordinated teacher guides offering unit, concept, and lesson overviews, standards connections, and differentiation activities that inform instructional planning and guide three-dimensional learning. Teacher editions also provide flexible pacing options, embedded teacher notes, and pathways for learning that support diverse learners.       

Mystery Science. Mystery Science provides K-5 educators simple-to-use, open-and-go, hands-on lessons that inspire students to love science. Each lesson begins by posing a question commonly asked by young students. Students then explore these questions through interactive videos featuring real-world visuals fostering a sense of wonder and actively supporting student engagement in the accompanying discussion prompts. Mystery Science simplifies prep for teachers, making the integration of this resource into classroom instruction simple. Plus, all K-5 science lessons are available in Spanish, with accompanying videos featuring authentic Spanish narration and Spanish text-on-screen (for discussion questions, vocabulary words, and step-by-step instructions). Editable, ready-to-use worksheets and assessments are also available in both English and Spanish.  

Social Studies Techbook. Discovery Education’s Social Studies Techbook is a standards-aligned, core-curricular resource that uses an inquiry-based approach to enhance literacy and critical thinking skills, allowing students to approach inquiry through the 5Es: Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, and Evaluate. From stories of ancient cultures to current events, this comprehensive digital textbook takes concepts off the pages and brings lessons to life. In addition, users of this resources enjoy access to two Lexile levels of core content, authentic Spanish translation, 180 additional languages through Google Translate, and innovative strategies for teaching all students. 

“One of Downtown Academy’s core values is partnership,” said Xernona Thomas, Principal. “We believe that the greatest results and progress come from connection and cooperation across a wide range of partners. We are living this value through our new partnership with Discovery Education, as we believe the digital learning experiences our teachers will build with these new high-quality resources will help our students meet their goals. We look forward to getting these resources into the hands of our teachers.”   

All Downtown Academy educators enjoy access to the Discovery Educator Network. A global community of education professionals, the Discovery Educator Network connects members across school systems and around the world through social media, virtual conferences, and in-person events, fostering valuable idea sharing and inspiration.   

“Discovery Education is proud to partner with Downtown Academy,” said Kimberly McCullough, Discovery Education Account Executive. “Their innovative approach to serving their community is an inspiration and we are excited to support their work to help all their students live up to their fullest potential.”  

For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources and professional learning solutions visit www.discoveryeducation.com and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.   

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About Discovery Education 
Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, innovative classroom tools, and corporate partnerships, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com

Contact 
Stephen Wakefield 
Discovery Education 
Phone: 202-316-6615 
Email: swakefield@discoveryed.com

Creating Cultures of Inquiry