EdCircuit Staff 
Charlotte, NC (Tuesday, March 12, 2024)— Georgia’s Downtown Academy today announced a new partnership with global edtech leader Discovery Education. Thanks to this new collaboration, Downtown Academy’s teachers will soon have access to a suite of award-winning digital products that nurture each learner’s curiosity and support the creation of dynamic digital learning experiences for all students.
Downtown Academy began as an initiative of Downtown Ministries to better serve the children of Athens, Georgia. After years of building relationships with the families in the community through sports and after-school programs, Downtown Ministries believed that offering a Christian education option serving the families of K-5 students in their community would help in its goal of investing in the next generation of leaders.
The Downtown Academy staff are dedicated to supporting the growth and development of each student so that they reach their fullest potential. To achieve this goal, school leaders sought a suite of high-quality digital resources that empower teachers to create engaging lessons connecting classroom instruction to the outside world. Following a comprehensive review process, Downtown Academy selected Discovery Education as their digital content provider. Among the digital resources selected by the school are:
Discovery Education Experience. Connecting educators to a vast collection of high-quality, standards-aligned content, ready-to-use digital lessons, intuitive quiz and activity creation tools, and professional learning resources, Discovery Education Experience provides a powerful K-12 learning platform that facilitates engaging instruction in any environment. These resources, sourced from trusted partners, are aligned to state and national standards, and help educators bring the outside world into teaching and learning every day. Through expanded, lasting partnerships with Microsoft Teams, Google Classroom, Schoology, Canvas, Brightspace, and Clever, integrating Discovery Education’s learning platform into existing Information Technology architecture is easier than ever.
Discovery Education Science Techbooks. The Discovery Education Science Techbook series is a comprehensive, research-backed science solution for grades K-12. Used in classrooms across the United States, the Science Techbooks drive engagement with exclusive, phenomena-based, interactive digital content and companion printed resources. The virtual and hands-on investigations, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) activities, and instructional supports within Techbook enhance the delivery of impactful, blended instruction, in person or at a distance. Available with the Science Techbooks are coordinated teacher guides offering unit, concept, and lesson overviews, standards connections, and differentiation activities that inform instructional planning and guide three-dimensional learning. Teacher editions also provide flexible pacing options, embedded teacher notes, and pathways for learning that support diverse learners.
Mystery Science. Mystery Science provides K-5 educators simple-to-use, open-and-go, hands-on lessons that inspire students to love science. Each lesson begins by posing a question commonly asked by young students. Students then explore these questions through interactive videos featuring real-world visuals fostering a sense of wonder and actively supporting student engagement in the accompanying discussion prompts. Mystery Science simplifies prep for teachers, making the integration of this resource into classroom instruction simple. Plus, all K-5 science lessons are available in Spanish, with accompanying videos featuring authentic Spanish narration and Spanish text-on-screen (for discussion questions, vocabulary words, and step-by-step instructions). Editable, ready-to-use worksheets and assessments are also available in both English and Spanish.
Social Studies Techbook. Discovery Education’s Social Studies Techbook is a standards-aligned, core-curricular resource that uses an inquiry-based approach to enhance literacy and critical thinking skills, allowing students to approach inquiry through the 5Es: Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, and Evaluate. From stories of ancient cultures to current events, this comprehensive digital textbook takes concepts off the pages and brings lessons to life. In addition, users of this resources enjoy access to two Lexile levels of core content, authentic Spanish translation, 180 additional languages through Google Translate, and innovative strategies for teaching all students.
“One of Downtown Academy’s core values is partnership,” said Xernona Thomas, Principal. “We believe that the greatest results and progress come from connection and cooperation across a wide range of partners. We are living this value through our new partnership with Discovery Education, as we believe the digital learning experiences our teachers will build with these new high-quality resources will help our students meet their goals. We look forward to getting these resources into the hands of our teachers.”
All Downtown Academy educators enjoy access to the Discovery Educator Network. A global community of education professionals, the Discovery Educator Network connects members across school systems and around the world through social media, virtual conferences, and in-person events, fostering valuable idea sharing and inspiration.
“Discovery Education is proud to partner with Downtown Academy,” said Kimberly McCullough, Discovery Education Account Executive. “Their innovative approach to serving their community is an inspiration and we are excited to support their work to help all their students live up to their fullest potential.”
For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources and professional learning solutions visit www.discoveryeducation.com and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook.
Subscribe to edCircuit to stay up to date on all of our shows, podcasts, news, and thought leadership articles.
