Illinois’ School District Renews Longterm Partnership with Discovery Education Supporting Science Education

Charlotte, NC (Tuesday, May 9, 2023)—Illinois’ Geneva School District 304 (Geneva CUSD 304) today announced it has renewed its multi-year partnership with Discovery Education supporting science education in grades K-5 through the year 2026. This continued collaboration ensures K-5 students and teachers districtwide will continue enjoying access to Discovery Education’s award-winning Mystery Science service, which is helping drive deeper engagement in science instruction. Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports instruction wherever it takes place. 

Each day, Geneva CUSD 304’s teachers, administrators, and staff seek to educate the nearly 5,500 students they serve within an environment that encourages the desire to learn and meets the unique academic, personal, physical, and social needs of each child. In 2016, district educators selected Mystery Science to support hands-on elementary science instruction and foster within each student a love of science. Today, Mystery Science continues to fulfill that mission as it helps district students develop into complex, creative thinkers. 

Mystery Science, which joined the family of Discovery Education services in 2020 and is a winner of SIIA’s Best Science Instructional Solution CODiE Award for Grades PK-8, 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.  

Then, students participate in easy–to–prepare hands-on labs that use simple science supplies commonly found in classrooms or at home. The NGSS-aligned Mystery Science contains everything teachers need to get students engaged in hands-on science and make that subject the best class of the day.  

Mystery Science simplifies prep for teachers, making the integration of this resource into classroom instruction simple. Plus, all K-5 science lessons are now available in Spanish, with the 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. 

“In reviewing the data for this digital service, we found that Mystery Science is popular with teachers,” said Geneva CUSD 304’s Learning & Teaching Facilitator Jill Marsh. “However, the data only tells part of the story. If you walk into a classroom using this service to teach a science lesson, you will see a room of engaged, smiling students who are learning to love science. We are pleased to continue this valuable, long–term partnership.” 

All Geneva CUSD 304 educators enjoy access to the Discovery Educator Network as they transform students’ learning experiences with dynamic digital media. 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 networking, idea sharing, and inspiration. 

“Discovery Education is proud to renew its relationship with Geneva School District 304,” said Sage Pintler, Discovery Education’s District Partnership Manager for Mystery Science. “As a long-term partner, the district’s feedback has helped shape our service and has led to innovations that have gone on to help educators and students nationwide, and we look forward to continuing this important collaboration.” 

For more information about Discovery Education’s award-winning digital resources—which can be purchased with federal stimulus funds—and professional learning services, visit www.discoveryeducation.com and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Twitter and LinkedIn.