The Los Angeles Post

Discovery Education & Corporate Program Partners Recognize Red Ribbon Week with New Resources to Aid in Substance Abuse Prevention

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Comprehensive Instructional Tools Focus on Prevention of Underage Drinking and Opioid and Prescription Medication Misuse

SILVER SPRING, Md., October 24, 2019 — Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital curriculum resources, digital content, and professional development for K – 12 classrooms nationwide, continues to add to the portfolio of Corporate Education Partnership programs that provide students, families, and employees with cross-disciplinary, standards-aligned resources and fact-based evidence to support educating students about the dangers of substance misuse. Aligning with this year’s Red Ribbon Week theme of “Send a Message. Stay Drug Free,” these programs provide proactive strategies to help ensure the health, wellbeing, and safety of our students and communities nationwide.

  • Ask, Listen, Learn: Kids and Alcohol Don’t Mix, a program of Responsibility.org in partnership with Discovery Education offers no-cost, standards-aligned lessons and digital resources to teach students in grades 5-7 the science behind how alcohol affects their developing brains, bodies, and behavior. The program features a series of short videos, lesson plans, and parent resources to help kids say “YES” to a healthy lifestyle and “NO” to underage drinking. A new interactive digital exploration coming this fall will dive into the science of how alcohol impacts the developing brain and strategies to navigate peer pressure. Students will meet Alex, a 6thgrade student, who is invited to attend a party where there is likely to be alcohol. Students will learn refusal strategies from the tactics she uses to make smart, healthy, and safe decisions to say “NO” to underage drinking.
  • Created in partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Operation Prevention provides students in grades 3-12 with an in-depth look at the science behind addiction and the extremely harmful impact opioid misuse has on lives of those that become addicted. Three on-demand virtual trips takes students inside opioid addiction and communities coping with the epidemic, and newly updated classroom resources, a self-paced module and parent resources give students in-depth lessons that aid them in making well-informed choices. New workplace resources to be released in the Spring will focus on providing employers with tools to educate and support their employees with information on the opioid crisis, including how opioids affect the brain and body, how to seek treatment, where to find preventative resources, and how to interact with those who have been directly affected.
  • Dose of Knowledge, a Pharmacists Teach program created in partnership with CVS Health and Discovery Education, officially launches in January 2020 and will feature a suite of digital resources for pharmacists, educators, and students grades 9 – 12, including classroom activities, digital lesson bundles, and student-led digital interactives.  The program is aligned to UN Sustainable Development Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being and is focused on the importance of healthy lifestyle choices and empowering students with the facts about prescription and illicit drug misuse.

“It is more important than ever that we provide educators, parents and communities with instructional resources to support their efforts to deliver these vital lessons about the dangers of substance misuse,” said Lori McFarling, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Discovery Education. “Public health is of key concern to Discovery Education and our partners, and we look forward to continuing the work to ensure that students are prepared to make healthy choices that will benefit their long-term goals and future success.”

For more information about Discovery Education’s digital curriculum, content services, and professional learning opportunities, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Facebook, follow us on Twitter at @DiscoveryEd, or find us on Instagram and Pinterest.