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"Discovery Communications To Launch New Multimedia, Multi-Year Science Initiative, "Be The Future," Supporting Obama Administration STEM Priorities -- DirecTV Boosts Support of Science Literacy with Move of Science Channel to Total Choice, Offering Millions of Additional Subscribers Access to Quality Science Programming -- November 23, 2009 (Silver Spring, Md.) Underscoring its commitment to leading in science-related programming and education, and answering President Obama's call to action to encourage science literacy, Discovery Communications today announced a new multimedia, multi-year nationwide initiative called "Be The Future." Over the next five years, Discovery will launch a programming block, education curriculum and tools to inspire student learning and careers in the sciences and support the White House's efforts behind science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. "Lifting American students from the middle to the top of the pack in STEM achievement over the next decade will not be attained by government alone," said President Obama. "I applaud the substantial commitments made today by the leaders of companies, universities, foundations, non-profits and organizations representing millions of scientists, engineers and teachers from across the country." "The exploration of science, technology and the natural world is central to the mission and DNA of Discovery Communications and we are incredibly proud to put the full muscle of our content and resources behind this critical White House initiative," said John S. Hendricks, founder and chairman, Discovery Communications. "Through 'Be the Future' we will spark the innate curiosity in school-aged viewers and people of all ages, help drive interest and leadership in science-related careers and inspire a lifelong interest in how science shapes our everyday lives." A sweeping, multi-platform initiative, "Be the Future" will be built on two primary Discovery businesse

"The Reemployment Works! Community of Practice is a communications vehicle to offer technical assistance, share promising practices, and network with colleagues in the Workforce and Economic Development world. Workforce3One currently has over 50,000 registrants from every corner of our workforce world, not just the public workforce system: Business and Industry, Education and Training, Non-Governmental organizations and Community-based organizations, Faith-based organizations, organized labor. To date, our knowledge-sharing tool, Workforce3One has been a repository for tools and resources that complement the technical assistance offered by ETA and peer-to-peer learning. Using social media and Web 2.0 technology, we can take this to another level. You may consider the Reemployment Community of Practice an exclusive, professional club. Exclusive (we're inviting only 50,000 of our closest associates), professional (we're offering technical assistance to build the capacity of the public workforce system) club (we'd like to keep the engagement informal and socially comfortable). Through our Community of Practice (CoP) we can open more two-way exchanges among thought-leaders and workforce system learners. We can communicate in real time and continue "conversations" we started at a forum, a Webinar, a conference call, etc. We can upload documents to the Wiki section and ask our colleagues to edit them or offer comments. Wikis can also be used to document what's happening in your region on a particular topic. Our CoP can be used to jump start collaboration on a project and to engage in peer-to-peer learning activities. The CoP also complements our blended learning strategy . Now our colleagues can view a PodCast that introduces or defines a topic, then move to a wiki document to be share or edit content, then participate in a Webinar to learn more and to brainstorm further, and then join a discussion thread on the CoP to "continue

"All that has been integrated into NVC has been known for centuries about consciousness, language, communication skills, and use of power that enable us to maintain a perspective of empathy for ourselves and others, even under trying conditions." Marshall B. Rosenberg, Phd Nonviolent Communication contains nothing new. It is based on historical principles of nonviolence-- the natural state of compassion when no violence is present in the heart. NVC reminds us what we already instinctively know about how good it feels to authentically connect to another human being. With NVC we learn to hear our own deeper needs and those of others. Through its emphasis on deep listening-to ourselves as well as others-NVC helps us discover the depth of our own compassion. This language reveals the awareness that all human beings are only trying to honor universal values and needs, every minute, every day. NVC can be seen as both a spiritual practice that helps us see our common humanity, using our power in a way that honors everyone's needs, and a concrete set of skills which help us create life-serving families and communities."

"PolicyLink is a national research and action institute advancing economic and social equity by Lifting Up What Works.® Founded in 1999, PolicyLink connects the work of people on the ground to the creation of sustainable communities of opportunity that allow everyone to participate and prosper. Such communities offer access to quality jobs, affordable housing, good schools, transportation, and the benefits of healthy food and physical activity. Guided by the belief that those closest to the nation's challenges are central to finding solutions, PolicyLink relies on the wisdom, voice, and experience of local residents and organizations. Lifting Up What Works is our way of focusing attention on how people are working successfully to use local, state, and federal policy to create conditions that benefit everyone, especially people in low-income communities and communities of color. We share our findings and analysis through our publications, website and online tools, convenings, national summits, and in briefings with national and local policymakers. Our work is grounded in the conviction that equity-just, fair, and green inclusion-must drive all policy decisions."

"We are a global community of educators who value innovative uses of information & communication technology that improve learning outcomes. By joining the Partners In Learning Network, you can: Create or join communities and discussions; Find lesson plans and activities, as well as share your own resources; Access free tools and learning programmes for your classroom and school; Collaborate with like-minded colleagues, improve education in your own classroom and community, and ultimately help improve the quality of education globally"

"The United States Distance Learning Association was the first nonprofit Distance Learning association in the United States to support Distance Learning research, development and praxis across the complete arena of education, training and communications. In 1987, the USDLA was founded on the premise of creating a powerful alliance to meet the burgeoning education and training needs of learning communities via new concepts of the fusion of communication technologies with learning in broad multidiscipline applications. An elected president, an Executive Committee, and a governing board now govern USDLA with Dr. John G. Flores as the Executive Director of the Association. The learning communities that USDLA addresses are: pre K-12, higher education, continuing education, corporate training, military and government training, home schooling and telemedicine. In addition USDLA is also focused on national and international technology based Distance Learning"

"Who We Are: The UHI serves as an interface between Johns Hopkins and the Baltimore community in which it resides. The UHI was established in 2000 by Dr. William Brody, president of the University, in response to a recommendation from the Urban Health Council - a group of community residents, clergy, local leaders, business representatives, city officials, and faculty, staff, and students from the Johns Hopkins Institutions (JHI). Together with its community partners, the UHI explores ways that the research, teaching, and clinical expertise of the University can be better harnessed for the benefit of the residents of East Baltimore; Mission: To serve as a catalyst that brings together the resources of Johns Hopkins Institutions with the City of Baltimore, and especially East Baltimore to improve the community's health and well-being, and in so doing serve as a model of community-university collaboration regionally and nationally."

"Good corporate citizenship and operating responsibly are important to Microsoft's long term success. We strive to be a positive partner in communities, and manage our environmental footprint. What Citizenship Means at Microsoft: Our mission is to help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential. As the world's largest software company, Microsoft helps to create social and economic opportunities wherever we work, live, and do business. Our technology innovations, our people, our partnerships, and our day-to-day business contribute to the prosperity of communities and the sustainability of the planet. Our commitment to good corporate citizenship reflects our belief that social and economic opportunity go hand in hand. When individuals, communities, and governments thrive, so do we. Our citizenship efforts focus on four key areas that allow us to best use our technology, people, partnerships and business to promote social good and economic opportunity."

"Our Strategy: The National Urban League employs a five-point approach to provide economic empowerment, educational opportunities and the guarantee of civil rights for African Americans. Education and Youth Empowerment ensures the education of all children by providing access to early childhood literacy, after-care programs and college scholarships. Economic Empowerment invests in the financial literacy and employability of adults through job training, homeownership and entrepreneurship. Health and Quality of Life Empowerment promotes community wellness through a focus on prevention, including fitness, healthy eating and access to affordable healthcare. Civic Engagement and Leadership Empowerment encourages all people to take an active role to improve quality of life through participation in community service projects and public policy initiatives. Civil Rights and Racial Justice Empowerment guarantees equal participation in all facets of American society through proactive public policies and community-based programs."

"Focusing on the K-12 community In the late 1990s, the State of Michigan founded Michigan Virtual University to support the state's economic development efforts by providing convenient and cost-effective education and training to Michigan's current and future workforce. After redefining its mission and vision in 2004, MVU now serves the K-12 education community exclusively through the Michigan Virtual School and Michigan LearnPort. As one of the largest virtual schools in the U.S., Michigan Virtual School offers more than 150 online courses, including unique courses like Chinese and CareerForward®, an online career exploration course. Michigan LearnPort brings professional development to the K-12 educational community. Hosting a broad catalog of courses and collaborative tools, Michigan LearnPort provides online learning resources and solutions for educators. MVU provides powerful and engaging online career development tools for high school and middle school students, parents and K-12 educators, including a no-cost online course called CareerForward that helps all Michigan schools meet the state's online learning graduation requirement. MVU's web-based application called myDreamExplorer® gives students an opportunity to explore different career pathways, take personal interest surveys and build a personalized education development plan. The MVU organizational values represent a set of core beliefs that continue to build a high performance team environment. These value statements serve as the foundation for MVU's vision and mission statements. MVU is committed to the following values: High standards for quality, ongoing research and the use of data to improve operational decisions; Use of innovative technologies to address persistent educational challenges; Listening to customer and stakeholder feedback to guide product and service evelopment plans; Excellence in the design, development and delivery of online educational

"Excerpt from the Covenant with Black America Without question, education is the key to progress and prosperity in the United States today. Whether fair or not, educational opportunity and academic achievement are directly tied to the social divisions associated with race, ethnicity, gender, first language, and social class. The level and quality of educational attainment either open the doors to opportunity or close them. Education starts at home, in neighborhoods, and in communities. Reading to children, creating time and space for homework, and demonstrating-through words and deeds-that education is important are the key first building blocks for high educational achievement. While schools are responsible for what children are taught, reinforcement at home is essential. As members of the black community, we must take responsibility for educating all our children-whether ours by birth or otherwise-to uplift our people as a whole. - excerpt from Edmund W. Gordon's essay in the Covenant with Black America"

"Welcome to the convenience and flexibility of an online education at Kaplan University. Earn a college degree on your terms. You control the schedule. There are no travel expenses, or hours spent searching a campus map. Simply attend our online classes anytime, anywhere, virtually 24/7. Our Mission: Kaplan University is an institution of higher learning dedicated to providing innovative undergraduate, graduate, and continuing professional education. Our programs foster student learning with opportunities to launch, enhance, or change careers in today's diverse global society. The University is committed to general education, a student-centered service and support approach, and applied scholarship in a practical environment. Who We Are: Kaplan University is a part of Kaplan Higher Education Corp., which is a part of Kaplan, Inc., a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company. Today, Kaplan comprises half of the Post Company's revenue and is its fastest-growing division. Purposes: To accomplish its mission, Kaplan University has established the following purposes: Provide academic programs that have been developed and assessed by faculty, staff, and members of educational, professional, and business communities; Provide intensive and comprehensive instruction using both onsite and online modes of delivery that strengthens student academic achievement; Instill in its students the value of lifelong learning by stimulating intellectual curiosity, creative and critical thinking, and awareness of culture and diversity; Plan and provide facilities and resources that respond to the needs of students, faculty, and staff; Assist students in developing professional attitudes, values, skills, and strategies that will foster success in their careers and in life; Prepare students to meet the ever-changing needs of their communities now and in the future."

"CALL (Campaign Alliance for Life long Learning) Category: Common Interest - Current Events: Why CALL? Why now? Rising charges and course cut backs have seen two million learners' places lost from further and adult education in England since 2005. Now groups representing students, staff and local communities have come together to campaign for the right of everyone to access to learning irrespective of class, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, asylum status or employment. We have founded CALL, the Campaigning Alliance for Lifelong Learning because we believe that affordable access to the life changing opportunities provided by education is the hallmark of a civilised society. CALL is a non-party political alliance. The only qualification for joining is commitment to our six founding principles below. CALL believes our education system should provide: equality of access to high quality education for all learners (regardless of: class, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, asylum status or employment status), including a statutory right to learning in the workplace universal access to basic skills, ESOL and ICT courses and a first level three qualification regardless of age learner, teacher and community involvement in all levels of decision-making about their learning wherever it takes place learning for personal wellbeing and development and the maintenance of local authority adult education a path out of poverty and disadvantage including widening participation in higher education and the provision of a second chance later in life a stable, motivated and rewarded workforce of professional practitioners."

"Adobe TV is Adobe's online TV network, offering free training, inspiration, and information about the latest Adobe products & services. The best of Adobe's expertise and community is now in one place. Watch when you want and where you want, save episodes, subscribe to your favorite channel, and post videos on your blog. And it's not only the talent that's in action - Adobe TV itself is produced and delivered using Adobe products and technologies. From planning to playback, Adobe TV is brought to you by Adobe. Adobe expert content: Watch the ultimate experts, straight from Adobe. Get to know your favorite Adobe presenters by seeing them in action, delivering tips and tricks from the inside. You know you're getting high-value programming with the latest and greatest that Adobe has to offer. Wide variety of programming - See a full range of programs, from entertainment through instruction. For all kinds of viewers who wear all kinds of hats, Adobe TV offers programming from how-to tech talk to personality-driven shows. Find a variety of program lengths, episode frequency, and formats, from highly creative productions to desktop walk-throughs. Adobe TV presents a growing number of channels to appeal to different audiences, including channels for photographers, designers, video professionals, and developers. Featured shows include "The Russell Brown Show," where Russell Brown shows the latest Adobe® Photoshop® wizardry. In "The Complete Picture," Julieanne Kost reveals digital imaging secrets. Web design and developer shows include "Taming the Web" with Greg Rewis and "Flash Downunder" hosted by Paul Burnett. Jason Levine and Karl Soulè edit video and mix audio in "Short & Suite," and at on "CSInsider|Design," Rufus Deuchler explores design tips, tricks, and insights. Central location and fast find: Get Adobe's best all in one place. Adobe TV provides an ever-growing lineup that includes the library of existing high-quality Adobe video content - now in

"VisuaLearning Ltd is a website design company specialised in the design, creation and hosting of websites for schools and colleges. Every school has a unique story to tell and needs to communicate with its students, staff and parents. As the primary vehicle for projecting your school ethos and values to the local community, your website will be designed in close co-operation with your management team to reflect the messages your school stands for."

"Blackboard To Take Learn Platform Mobile By David Nagel 03/22/10 Blackboard Mobile Learn on BlackBerry. It will also support iPhone and Android. Blackboard is preparing to release Blackboard Mobile Learn, a new version of the company's flagship learning management system tailored for smart phones and other mobile devices. It will debut as a native application for Android, iPhone, BlackBerry, and "other Web-enabled devices" in the late spring. Mobile Learn, according to Blackboard, will move beyond the company's current mobile offerings and will mimic the full functionality of the Web-based Learn platform, including two-way communication between students and teachers, access to gradebooks, blog access and commenting, discussion board participation, and student-to-student e-mail communications. According to Blackboard, Mobile Learn will be available in the United States in June for Android, iPhone, iPod, and BlackBerry. (There is no word yet from Blackboard on when or whether there will be a version with enhanced native support for Apple's iPad; however, native iPhone applications are supported on the iPad.) Blackboard said that the initial offering will be for higher education institutions and professional schools using Blackboard Learn 8.0 or later. The company said Mobile Learn will also be available for K-12 institutions down the road and that it will eventually support institutions that are using Angel and WebCT systems, as well as those that are on versions of Blackboard's software prior to 8.0. Mobile Learn will be available via an annual license and will allow schools to apply their branding to the interface. A Blackboard Building Block to enable Mobile Learn is available as of today on Blackboard's support site. In related news, Blackboard also announced today that it's partnering with Sprint to provide Mobile Learn at "no additional cost to institutions" for users of some Sprint devices.

"Project Tomorrow is a national education nonprofit group based in Irvine, California. The vision of Project Tomorrow is ensure that today's students are well prepared to be tomorrow's innovators, leaders and engaged citizens of the world. We believe that by supporting the innovative uses of science, math and technology resources in our K-12 schools and communities, students will develop the critical thinking, problem solving and creativity skills needed to compete and thrive in the 21st century. We approach our mission by: Conducting national research projects such as Speak Up. Facilitating the replication of model projects in schools and communities. Providing online tools and resources for students, teachers and parents. Contributing to the national and regional dialogue about educational issues."

"Workforce3 One, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (ETA), is an interactive communications and learning platform designed to build the capacity of the Workforce Investment System (WIS) to develop strategies that enable individuals to be successful in the 21st century economy. This platform provides online insight into the skills and competencies required by business and industry through the innovative workforce solutions identified by a wide range of strategic partners and grantees. Workforce3 One: Allows the workforce system, educators, business and industry, and others to share their innovative approaches, products, and tools; Offers online learning events (webinars) that highlight promising practices and provides a space to share ideas; Provides a vehicle for ETA to share information and products developed at the national level; Serves as a key point of dissemination for the approaches, products, and tools for High Growth, Community-Based Job Training grants, and Workforce in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) Initiative; Offers a current searchable database of 3,500 learning modules with additional material added weekly; and Provides and supports collaborative workspaces to allow individuals associated with the WIRED initiative regional economies to share information to support their socially networked leadership groups, partnerships, and strategies."

"Founded in 1987, the Buck Institute for Education is dedicated to improving 21st Century teaching and learning throughout the world by creating and disseminating products, practices and knowledge for effective Project Based Learning. BIE is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization that receives partial funding from the Leonard and Beryl Buck Trust, the same trust that supports the Marin Community Foundation, the Marin Institute and the Buck Institute for Age Research . This funding allows us to make our products and services affordable, and to focus BIE resources on clients and partners with a demonstrated commitment to expanding the use of project based pedagogy in schools and communities."

"In April 2009, Time Warner Cable announced its largest-ever charitable commitment of $100 million cash and in-kind over five years to inspire students to pursue science and technology education and careers. According to national experts, the next generation of youth in the United States is not prepared to take on the challenges of the 21st century. Eighty percent of jobs created in the next decade will require math and science skills. However, today's students show declining interest in these subjects, with eighty-four percent of middle school students saying they would rather clean their room, eat their vegetables, go to the dentist or take out the garbage than learn math or science. There's clearly an immediate need for youth to develop skills in science, technology, engineering and math. A failure to do so puts our country, our communities and our children at risk of not competing successfully in a global economy. America is at risk of losing its leadership in technology and innovation as baby boomer retirements deplete the science and technology workforce by fifty percent over the next decade. Time Warner Cable's Connect a Million Minds introduces youth to opportunities and resources that inspire them to develop the important science, technology, engineering and math skills they need to solve the economic, environmental and community challenges of the future. Technology and innovation are central to our company's ability to connect millions of people to the entertainment they want, the information they depend on and the people they care about most. As a result, Time Warner Cable's new philanthropic initiative creates a powerful link between the full strength of our company and the talents of our employees with the needs of students and, ultimately, our country."