Today, there is no shortage of health crises that affect our students. And new threats keep coming. Opiod abuse. The coronavirus outbreak. Childhood obesity. Vaping. But amongst daunting challenges, there is good news. Organizations are training their sights on better health education and updating the curriculum available to teachers and parents to tackle these issues.  

Discovery Education's Partner Programs

A great resource available to teachers across the country is Discovery Education's vast partnerships with prominent companies and organizations. Their platform now boasts at least six different websites with lessons and activities for educators and families. Below is a briefing on each website and its concern.

  • Ask Listen Learn (4 - 7) includes videos and lessons cover alcohol prevention for students. The focus of the resources is to explain "what the brain does, what alcohol does to it, and what that does to you." There are resources portals for students, parents, and teachers. The materials are a result of Discovery's partnership with the Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibly and have been reviewed by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA).
  • Be Vape Free (5 - 12) is one of two websites built in coordination with CVS Health. This initiative focuses on middle grades and addresses the risks of e-cigarettes.  The curriculum focuses on identifying the risks associated with nicotine, the marketing tactics used by companies, and how states are addressing these issues with legislation. 
  • Discovery Your Happy (7 - 12) offers a collaboration with LG Electronics. Based on research from the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley, the site hosts lessons encouraging the idea that happiness can be achieved through learnable skills and practices. Resources for educators and parents promote "mindfulness, human connection, positive outlook, purpose, generosity, and gratitude."

  • Decoding Cancer (9 - 12) explores the science of cancer with the School of Public Health and Cancer Institute at Rutgers University. Resources include interactive lessons, career spotlights, and a virtual land to investigate the biological, genetic, and emotional impact of cancer.
  • Dose of Knowledge (6 - 12) is another CVS Health resource. It partners pharmacists with educators to addresses substance misuse. This curriculum is an expansion of CVS' Pharmacists Teach program with a comprehensive curriculum surrounding how opioids work, the risks associated with misuse, and how to help those who might be struggling. 
  • Generation Health (6 - 8) take students on a virtual field trip to AstraZeneca. Thier intention is to "make the connection between health and the science behind the prevention and treatment of disease." The curriculum is designed with the support of the STEM education organization Learning Undefeated. Resources include a virtual field trip to AstraZeneca's labs and lessons on the applications of oncology research.   
  • NFL Play60 (6 - 8) might be the most famous site buitl in partnership with Discovery education. It features virtual experiences, a digital exploration, and activities.Discovery worked with NFL players and the American Heart Association toinspire physically active lifestyles in schools and homes nationwide. 
  • Operation Prevention (K - 12) joins Drug Enforcement Agency with Discovery to tackle the opioid epidemic. To address the true impacts of opioids and kick-start lifesaving conversations, this comprehensive curriculum includes virtual field trips, self-paced modules, and resources for classrooms, households, and even workplaces.   

These resources are wonderful compliment to Discovery's more commonly recognized Experience platform. They are family and health-focused, include materials for out-of-class exploration, and perhaps most inportantly, tackle many of the pressing health issues of our time.