Discovery Education And Arconic Foundation Host First "Manufacture Your Future" Virtual Day Of Learning To Inspire Future Engineers, Scientists, Technologists

SILVER SPRING, Md., Oct. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of National Manufacturing Day, Arconic Foundation, the independently endowed philanthropic arm of Arconic, and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, today announced the Manufacture Your Future Day of Learning – a virtual experience developed to inspire students to explore innovative opportunities in modern manufacturing.

Hosted LIVE from Discovery Communications global headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, the Manufacture Your Future Day of Learning will premiere on Friday, October 6, 2017 at 11 a.m. ET, and will stream through 1 p.m. ET. At the top of each hour, students will engage in digitally interactive activities that aim to help transform their intellectual curiosity into a future in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

The Manufacture Your Future Day of Learning, part of the Manufacture Your Future educational initiative, encourages the development of critical thinking skills through real-world applications. Available at no cost to classrooms nationwide, the comprehensive program offers standards-based resources focused on STEM; lesson plans; a manufacturing career guide; family discussion starters; and virtual field trips to give students an up-close look at some of today's most prominent manufacturing careers.

"Arconic Foundation is committed to supporting the nation's brightest, most industrious minds by preparing tomorrow's workforce for rewarding careers that advance the future of manufacturing," said Suzanne van de Raadt, vice president, global communications and partnerships, Arconic Foundation. "We are thrilled to partner with Discovery Education to help change the perception of manufacturing by providing access to science, technology, engineering and math education to the next generation of talent."

The inaugural Manufacture Your Future Day of Learning invites students and educators to explore STEM-based manufacturing careers in the following ways:

11:00 - 11:15 a.m. ET | Celebrating National Manufacturing Day: Participants will learn about National Manufacturing Day, why it was started and how modern manufacturing applies to a wide range of careers. Students and educators will engage in a myth-busting activity that tests their manufacturing IQ.

12:00 - 12:15 p.m. ET | Crowdsourcing Careers: Students and educators will interact with real-world manufacturing professionals in a collaborative project that connects classrooms to STEM careers across the globe.

1:00 - 1:15 p.m. ET | Designing the Future: Students across the country will create a robot, design a shoe and investigate applications of 3D printing. The virtual experience will focus on Manufacture Your Future resources and how students can directly apply their interests and strengths to STEM-based concepts.

1:30 – 1:50 p.m. ET | Facebook LIVE Q&A: Classrooms nationwide will join Discovery Education and Arconic on Facebook LIVE where questions submitted from the Manufacturing Day of Learning will be addressed in real time.  

"Discovery Education is proud to partner with Arconic Foundation to empower educators and prepare students to solve today's complex engineering challenges," said Lori McFarling, senior vice-president and chief marketing officer, Discovery Education. "The Manufacture Your Future initiative makes quality STEM education opportunities accessible to all students and provides pathways for them to explore high tech careers that make a difference in communities."

Manufacture Your Future, designed by Discovery Education's curriculum experts for 3^rd-12^th grade students, offers educators, guidance counselors and families with hands-on resources that build excitement around post-secondary manufacturing career opportunities. Comprehensive, cross-curricular lesson plans range from a look at the history of manufacturing to STEM-based interactives on robotics, and are designed to stimulate insightful conversations between educators and students. The program's family discussion starters extend the conversation beyond the classroom, giving parents a way to highlight the crucial role that manufacturing plays in day-to-day life.

"It is powerful to have the ability to connect students with stimulating STEM concepts that translate to relevant lessons in real-world application," said Dacia Jones, STEM educator from Durham Public Schools in North Carolina. "Teachers within the Discovery Educator Network are always eager to leverage digital learning environments to improve student achievement. Today's Manufacture Your Future Day of Learning enhances our ability to reignite the curiosity of our youth, while continuing standards-aligned instruction that keeps them engaged."

Every year during National Manufacturing Day, Arconic comes together with more than 1,600 manufacturers across the country to motivate the next generation of manufacturing leaders and innovators. Participants can join the celebration with @DiscoveryEd on social media by using #ManufactureYourFuture. This will also give schools a chance to have their classroom featured during the virtual event.

For more information on the program or to access the site's free resources, visit www.manufactureyourfuture.com.  Manufacture Your Future materials are also available through Discovery Education Streaming Plus. For more information about Discovery Education's digital content and professional development services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com. Stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Facebook, follow us on Twitter at @DiscoveryEd, or find us on Instagram and Pinterest.

About Arconic Foundation

Arconic Foundation supports programs that help prepare the 21st century engineering and advanced manufacturing workforce. Arconic Foundation is an independently endowed foundation with assets of approximately $320 million and is the charitable arm of Arconic, Inc. – which works in close partnership with customers to solve complex engineering challenges to transform the way we fly, drive, build and power. Through collaboration with our nonprofit partners, our initiatives make quality STEM education opportunities available to students; support engineering and technical skills training through community colleges, technical schools and universities around the world; and help to create access for underrepresented individuals to the STEM fields. The work of Arconic Foundation is further enhanced by the thousands of Arconic employee volunteers who share their talents and time to make a difference in their communities. Established in 2016, Arconic Foundation is active in 26 countries around the globe.

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 4.5 million educators and over 50 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.

SOURCE Discovery Education