Discovery Communications was recognized today at the Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative for its multimedia, multi-year science initiative, “Be the Future,” which supports President Obama’s science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education priorities.  (See Discovery Communications President and CEO David Zaslav talking about the importance of a STEM education.) Zaslav, along with other business and non-profit leaders, was honored by President Bill Clinton before the meeting’s technology plenary (video below), which addressed how technology can play a major role in meeting global challenges.

In conjunction with today’s event, Discovery announced that Science Channel, the only 24-hour network devoted to showcasing the wonders of science, will continue inspiring and exciting viewers about science with Head Rush, the network’s one-hour, commercial-free block of programming targeted at middle-school age students.  In its first four weeks on air, Head Rush posted double and triple-digit gains among key kids demos.  Science Channel will continue airing the block every Monday-Friday from 4-5pm ET and Saturdays from 7-9am ET.

In addition, Discovery Education, which provides curriculum-based digital content and professional development and whose resources and services are available in more than half of U.S. schools, is adding exciting new Head Rush content to its Discovery Education streaming service. This content will include videos, interactives, images, articles, and more, and can be integrated into any curriculum.  The additional Head Rush content is part of a larger investment to broaden the scope of STEM Connect, Discovery Education’s curriculum-based and career development resource designed to fuel teacher and classroom engagement by helping students link science, technology, engineering and mathematics to the real world.