TLC Celebrates Fifth Annual SAY YES TO THE PROM Initiative With Events For Deserving High School Students Across The Country

SILVER SPRING, Md., March 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- TLC's SAY YES TO THE PROM initiative will return this spring alongside AT&T^® to offer deserving high school students across the country the opportunity to have the prom of their dreams. The program, designed to remove the financial burden of the milestone event while building self-confidence and a sense of empowerment among its academically strong participants, will bring a day of mentorship, prom dress shopping and tuxedo rental fittings, as well as head-to-toe makeovers from star of TLC's SAY YES TO THE DRESS: ATLANTA Monte Durham, to more than 300 students across the country this year. The biggest and most impactful initiative to date, SAY YES TO THE PROM will make stops in New York City, Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas and Silver Spring, Md. in 2016 and for the first time welcome young men in addition to young women to participate in the nationwide tour. A one-hour SAY YES TO THE PROM special, the first-ever chronicling the initiative, will air on TLC on Friday, May 20 at 9/8c.

SAY YES TO THE PROM will offer students in each location an opportunity to select from a dazzling array of more than 2,000 donated dresses and tuxedo rentals, as well as a wide range of accessories and shoes. Paired with a professional mentor turned style advisor for the day, each student will be treated to custom tailoring services, full hair and makeup and one-on-one style sessions with Monte. A red-carpet, runway reveal show will wrap up each event, giving participants the chance to stand in the spotlight and show off their new prom-ready looks. In Silver Spring, a special shopping-only day will extend the reach of the program and bring more than 150 students to the global headquarters of TLC's parent company, Discovery Communications, to select the perfect dress or tuxedo for the special occasion.

"SAY YES TO THE PROM began five years ago as a single event for 50 girls at Discovery's global headquarters in Silver Spring, Md., and today we have grown to impact 300 young women and men across the country with an initiative that goes well beyond the dress – and tux – to build self-confidence and a sense of empowerment among our next generation of innovators, leaders and change makers," said Adria Alpert Romm, Chief Human Resources and Global Diversity Officer, Discovery Communications, and creator of SAY YES TO THE PROM. "This initiative is a truly collaborative effort – one made possible by Discovery's purpose-driven mission, the collective generosity of our employees and talent, and the support of a growing list of highly influential partners."

Educational extensions, including new partnerships with The Emma Bowen Foundation, Miami Dade College (MDC) and the Montgomery College Foundation will further the impact of this year's initiative. Working alongside participating schools and students, The Emma Bowen Foundation will offer qualifying participants multi-year internship placements within the media industry. MDC will bring additional opportunities to this year's Miami participants including an academic expo, leadership workshops, a tour of its facilities, empowering panel discussions and more surprises. The Montgomery College Foundation will provide continuing education support for participants at the Silver Spring event.  

Dates and locations for the 2016 SAY YES TO THE PROM tour include:

• March 14 in New York City, N.Y.
• March 30 in Miami, Fla.
• April 13 in Los Angeles, Calif.
• April 18 in Dallas, Texas
• May 3 in Silver Spring, Md.

AT&T^® will join TLC this year as an exclusive industry partner providing employee volunteers to serve as mentors and style guides in each of the five cities. "This opportunity to participate in SAY YES TO THE PROM is a fun and meaningful way for our company and our employees to touch the lives of students across the country," said Tina Morefield, Director, Community Engagement for AT&T. "We are grateful for programs like these that inspire confidence among young people, providing them the foundation to pursue their passions and find success in whatever they do." 

The program will welcome both new and returning national partners in 2016. In addition to support from AT&T^®, SAY YES TO THE PROM will be more impactful than ever before as a result of contributions from premier partners including more than 700 dresses donated by Sherri Hill, tuxedos from Men's Wearhouse, a wide range of stylish accessories and salon stylists from JCPenney, hair stylists from Paul Mitchell Schools, airbrush services and artists from Dinair Airbrush Makeup, hands free purses from Girly Go Garter and onsite tailoring from zTailors.

TLC and premier editorial partner People have teamed up ahead of this year's initiative to host a contest that will bring one lucky winner to SAY YES TO THE PROM's Los Angeles event.

For up to date information on this year's initiative as well as photos and videos, please visit www.tlc.com/sayyestotheprom and follow #SYTTP on Twitter and Instagram.

About TLC
Offering remarkably relatable real-life stories without judgment, TLC shares everyday heart, humor, hope, and human connection with programming genres that include fascinating families, heartwarming transformations, and life's milestone moments. In 2015, TLC was a top 10 cable network with women and over the past year had 25 series averaging 1 million P2+ viewers or more.

TLC is a global brand available in more than 93 million homes in the US and 312 million households in 189 markets internationally. A destination online, TLC.com offers in-depth fan sites and exclusive original video content.  Fans can also interact with TLC through social media on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and @TLC on Twitter as well as On Demand services, YouTube and mobile platforms. TLC is part of Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the leader in global entertainment reaching 3 billion cumulative subscribers in more than 220 countries and territories.

About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the leader in global entertainment reaching 3 billion cumulative subscribers in more than 220 countries and territories. Discovery satisfies curiosity, entertains and inspires viewers with high-quality content through global brands, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Science and Turbo/Velocity, as well as U.S. joint venture network OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, and through the Discovery Digital Networks portfolio, including Seeker and SourceFed. Discovery owns Eurosport, the leading pan-regional sports entertainment destination across Europe and Asia-Pacific. 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. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com. 

About Philanthropy & Social Innovation at AT&T
AT&T Inc. is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. Through its community initiatives, AT&T has a long history of investing in projects that create learning opportunities; promote academic and economic achievement; or address community needs. AT&T Aspire is AT&T's signature philanthropic initiative that drives innovation in education by bringing diverse resources to bear on the issue including funding, technology, employee volunteerism, and mentoring. Through Aspire, we've passed the $250 million mark on our plan to invest $350 million in education from 2008-2017.

SOURCE Discovery Communications

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