Investigation Discovery, National PTA and Discovery Education Stand Up for Kids in Observance of National Safe Schools Week
-- Comprehensive Campaign Supporting School Safety Runs October 19-24 --
October 5, 2009
(Silver Spring, Md.) Investigation Discovery and National PTA announced today a year-long partnership that will kick off during October's National Safe Schools Week, which empowers communities to keep their schools safe by encouraging everyone to stand up against school violence. As the organizations' first joint campaign, ID and PTA will launch STAND UP FOR KIDS: NATIONAL SAFE SCHOOLS WEEK, a comprehensive initiative aimed at raising awareness of effective ways to keep children safe in the classroom, on the playground and at the computer.
From Monday, October 19 through Saturday, October 24, STAND UP FOR KIDS: NATIONAL SAFE SCHOOLS WEEK will be showcased on Investigation Discovery with on-air child safety tips and public service announcements, culminating in the documentary special, BLACKBOARDS AND BULLIES: ARE YOUR KIDS SAFE? premiering Saturday from 10-11 PM ET. Child and school safety resources will be available online at InvestigationDiscovery.com/StandUpForKids and PTA.org/schoolsafety. ID will provide customizable campaign elements for distribution partners, as well as a webinar featuring school safety experts for Discovery Education's national teacher community, the Discovery Educator Network (DEN), of over 100,000 teachers nationwide. Discovery Education will also provide free school safety resources via their teacher website, DiscoveryEducation.com, and other resources through its Discovery Education streaming, the nation's premier digital curriculum solution, which is scientifically proven to improve student achievement and is available in more than half the schools in the U.S.
"ID is honored to partner with such a powerful voice for children, National PTA, in order to raise awareness of the violence affecting the daily lives of so many children," said Henry Schleiff, president and general manager of Investigation Discovery. "Educational institutions are safe harbors for children and, accordingly, we have designed this initiative, STAND UP FOR KIDS: NATIONAL SAFE SCHOOLS WEEK, to help all parents, students and educators work to preserve America's classrooms as secure, comfortable settings where a student's only concern is their academic progress."
"For decades, PTA and its millions of members have taken action so that children can succeed and learning environments can improve. That's why we are proud to partner with Investigation Discovery on this campaign to call attention to the importance of keeping our schools safe for children," said Charles J. "Chuck" Saylors, National PTA President. "We all have a stake in keeping children safe everywhere and we believe that the resources offered to communities through STAND UP FOR KIDS: NATIONAL SAFE SCHOOLS WEEK will help unite parents, teachers and communities so that everyone does their part."
As the finale of STAND UP FOR KIDS: NATIONAL SAFE SCHOOLS WEEK, the world premiere of BLACKBOARDS AND BULLIES: ARE YOUR KIDS SAFE? explores the roots of violent incidents in America's school systems and tangible ways for communities to improve child safety. This one-hour special surveys some of the most critical categories of school violence, from bullying to gang violence to sexual assault. Using case studies and interviews with leading experts, BLACKBOARDS AND BULLIES shows the consequences of American adolescent violence and provides information to families on how to protect their children.
BLACKBOARDS AND BULLIES: ARE YOUR KIDS SAFE? is produced by ORTV Ltd. for Investigation Discovery. For ORTV Ltd., Christopher Mitchell is executive producer and Jonathan Hacker is producer. For Investigation Discovery, Pamela Deutsch is executive producer and Henry Schleiff is president and general manager.
About National PTA
PTA comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of parent involvement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education health, and welfare of children and youth.
About Investigation Discovery
Investigation Discovery (ID), America's leading investigation network, is the source for fact-based investigative content about culture, history and the human condition. Providing the highest quality investigative programming focused on fascinating stories of human nature from the past to the present, Investigation Discovery's in-depth documentaries and series challenge viewers on important issues shaping our culture and defining our world. As the premier authority in real investigations, ID is expanding partnerships with established news organizations and production companies to bring the strongest analytic, factual investigative and current affairs programming to over 54 million U.S. households. For more information, please visit investigation.discovery.com.
About Discovery Education
Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) revolutionized television with Discovery Channel and is now transforming classrooms through Discovery Education. Powered by the number one nonfiction media company in the world, Discovery Education combines scientifically proven, standards-based digital media and a dynamic user community in order to empower teachers to improve student achievement. Already, more than half of all U.S. schools access Discovery Education digital services. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com.