Discovery Communications Supports White House My Brother's Keeper Initiative With Town Halls In Chicago And Philadelphia And Discovery Channel Special To Air This June

SILVER SPRING, Md., April 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, today announced details on a series of town hall discussions on the My Brother's Keeper initiative.  A White House program, My Brother's Keeper seeks to improve the life outcomes of boys and young men of color through public-private partnerships and other measures.

Last year, Discovery Communications announced a comprehensive program to support the My Brother's Keeper initiative. To build awareness and drive discussion of this important issue, Discovery Communications, the parent company of Discovery Education, committed more than $1 million to produce and air an upcoming one-hour TV special and to host town hall meetings. The TV special, which features uplifting programs and best practices that improve outcomes for young men of color, is scheduled to begin airing in June on Discovery Channel, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, in Spanish on Discovery en Español, and will be featured across Discovery's online properties. Additionally, Discovery Channel will host a premiere event in Washington, DC, followed by a panel discussion. Details on that event will be made available soon.

Leading up to the TV special, Discovery will host two town halls in partnership with local public school systems. These town halls will bring together local government leaders, law enforcement officials, and educators, as well as advocacy, faith, and business leaders. The focus of the town halls will be to discuss the six milestones outlined by the My Brother's Keeper task force, a federal interagency group charged with developing a coordinated federal effort to improve significantly the expected life outcomes for boys and young men of color. In addition, panelists will discuss the state of national and local efforts to assess progress and the steps that need to be taken to ensure that all students have the tools necessary to succeed.

These local events will feature a preview of the special, followed by a panel of experts who will discuss and assess the impact they are making on boys and men of color in their cities. Panelists and speakers for the Chicago event will include:

• Annette Gurley, Chief Officer of Teaching and Learning, Chicago Public Schools
• James Cole Jr., General Counsel, U.S. Department of Education
• Maricela Garcia, CEO, Gads Hill Center
• Candice Jones, Director, Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice
• Tim King, Founder and CEO, Urban Prep Academies
• Anthony Watson, Director, Youth Guidance's Becoming A Man Program
• Yamiche Alcindor, national reporter, USA Today (moderator)

Panelists and speakers for the Philadelphia event will include:

• Mayor Michael A. Nutter, City of Philadelphia
• Dr. William R. Hite Jr., Superintendent, School District of Philadelphia
• Charles H. Ramsey, Commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department

The Chicago event will be available nationally to view online via a live webcast.  To register for this live webcast, please go to: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/Live/MyBrothersKeeper.

"We are proud to be part of President Obama's powerful and impactful initiative. These events and our upcoming special will stimulate discussion and action to enhance the opportunities for men of color," said David Zaslav, President and CEO of Discovery Communications. "For 30 years, Discovery has been driven by our mission to satisfy curiosity, educate and entertain our viewers by celebrating the amazing parts and people of our world. We're also driven by a desire to improve our world for the better, and the My Brother's Keeper initiative is just that vehicle to bring about meaningful change."

For more information on My Brother's Keeper, including the key milestones the initiative seeks to address, please go to https://www.whitehouse.gov/my-brothers-keeper.   

About Discovery Education
Discovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content and professional development for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content that supports the implementation of Common Core, professional development, assessment tools, and the largest professional learning community of its kind.  Available in over half of all U.S. schools and primary schools in England, community colleges and in 50 countries around the world, Discovery Education partners with districts, states and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that accelerate 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.

About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) reaches nearly 3 billion cumulative subscribers in more than 220 countries and territories. For 30 years Discovery has been dedicated to satisfying curiosity and entertaining viewers with high-quality content through its global television brands, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery and Science, as well as U.S. joint venture network OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. Discovery controls Eurosport, the leading pan-regional sports entertainment destination across Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Discovery also is a leading provider of educational products and services to schools, including an award-winning series of K-12 digital textbooks, through Discovery Education, and a digital leader with a diversified online portfolio, including Discovery Digital Networks. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.

About CPS
Chicago Public Schools is the third largest school district in the United States with more than 600 schools providing education to approximately 400,000 children. The District's mission is to engage every student in every neighborhood in a rigorous, well-rounded instructional program so that they may graduate prepared for success in college, career and life.

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SOURCE Discovery Education

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