At first glance, high school senior Kelly Acevedo is like many other students: she’s involved in a host of extracurricular activities, including a leadership council, ROTC and prom committee, and boasts one of the top GPAs of her class. But woven into her triumphs are obstacles few her age have been forced to face, including years of domestic instability and gang violence. Seeker’s Laura Ling sat down with Acevedo to…
Despite the evolution of high school culture and ever-changing trends, senior prom is an American high school tradition that largely seems to stay the same year after year. Flashy gowns, awkward photos, limo rides, and (today at least) elaborate “prom-posals” punctuate this tradition, which can be dated back to the pre-Snapchat days of the 19th century, when they were known as “promenades”. No matter what era, prom has always been…
This year commemorates the eighth annual World Autism Awareness Day on April 2, and for the sixth consecutive year, Discovery Communications is partnering with Autism Speaks to “Light It Up Blue.” To honor the millions affected by autism and to spread awareness of the fastest growing developmental disorder in the world, Discovery has been running a PSA across all of its U.S. networks this week, including Discovery, Animal Planet, TLC, Investigation Discovery…
With warmer weather and more sunshine comes prom season, and you know what that means: TLC’s fifth annual Say Yes to the Prom is back! Kicking off in New York City yesterday, more than 50 students were treated to a full head-to-toe prom experience, with special guests Eden Duncan-Smith and Discovery Communications President and CEO David Zaslav personally attending to wish them well. The students also received a special video message…
April is Autism Awareness Month, and to kick it off, Discovery Communications is joining Autism Speaks in their annual Light It Up Blue campaign for World Autism Awareness Day today, April 2. Autism Speaks is an organization dedicated to funding research focusing on the causes, prevention, treatments and possible cure for autism. Discovery’s U.S. networks – including Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Investigation Discovery, OWN, Science Channel, Velocity, American Heroes…
It’s 8 am at Discovery’s headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland – racks of dresses are carefully hung, sparkling in the light. Stylists arrange their stations, and employees who have volunteered as mentors prepare to meet their mentees for the day. It can only mean one thing – the return of Say Yes to the Prom. Shortly thereafter students stream through the doors, jittery and wide-eyed with anticipation. A little apprehensive…
TLC is saying “yes!” once again to ‘Say Yes to the Prom,’ an initiative that makes prom more accessible for girls across the country with mentorship, dresses, makeup and accessories. Now in its fourth year, the event is designed to build courage and self-confidence among young women, and connects students with industry professionals for future networking. Girls at each of the events will select from more than 2,500 donated prom dresses…
Fans of Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl know the annual sporting event for its clumsy, energetic puppies who jump, run and flop around until they pass out from exhaustion. But there’s another part of Puppy Bowl that happens off the turf: to help the joy animals bring us all materialize into forever homes, Animal Planet harnesses the excitement shared by Puppy Bowl fans year round and brings that energy to animal…
Discovery has teamed up with the White House and the National Institutes of Health to create a PSA with MythBusters hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman, who encourage viewers to “get the facts and find reliable information” about Ebola. In the 30-second PSA, Adam and Jamie acknowledge that there are “a lot of rumors and false information popping up” about the deadly virus, and while the virus should certainly be…
Businesses, charities, families, community centers, schools and individuals from around the world are coming together today to celebrate Giving Tuesday, a day dedicated to giving back. The annual movement is timed to coincide with Thanksgiving and the kickoff of the holiday season – a time when season spending hits a series of successive high notes with Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday. Here at Discovery Communications, we’re proud…