Silver Spring, MD (February 4, 2019)– The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital curriculum resources, digital content, and professional development for K-12 classrooms, today invited teachers and students nationwide to participate in Game Plan For The Future: An All-Star Virtual Field Trip on Thursday, February 14th at 1:00 PM EST.  During this immersive virtual experience, teachers and students will join NBA players and executives to hear how they use the STEM skills learned in school to bring the excitement of regular season games, playoffs, NBA Finals, and NBA All-Star to life for fans around the world.

Classrooms nationwide can register here for this no-cost event, which will include a live Twitter chat from NBA All-Star in Charlotte, North Carolina featuring a number of special NBA guests.

Game Plan For The Future: An All-Star Virtual Field Tripfirst takes participants to the NBA’s headquarters in New York City.  There, VP and Head of Referee Training and Development Monty McCutchen, will take attendees inside the NBA’s Replay Center to discuss his career and how technology impacts referees’ jobs on and off the court.  Next, students and teachers will meet the Digital Content Strategy analyst Iveta Karapetian and learn about how STEM impacts the way fans experience the game of basketball.

Attendees will be transported to Charlotte – the site of the 2019 NBA All-Star Game –to meet Charlotte Hornets forward Marvin Williams.  A 14-year NBA veteran, Williams uses a variety of STEM skills to create a competitive edge, and he’ll share some of his secrets with students.  Finally, participants will be introduced to Arena Events and Operations team members Trista Langdon and Alex MacKenzie, who will explain how they use math and engineering to make sure all events at Spectrum Center run smoothly, including the NBA All-Star game.

“Virtual experiences like the All-Star Virtual Field Tripspark my students’ imagination and engagement like few other classroom activities,” said Rodney Crouse, a 5th Grade teacher in North Carolina’s Guilford County Schools.  “I am looking forward to sharing this unique learning opportunity with my students.”

Game Plan For The Future: An All-Star Virtual Field Tripis part of a multi-year partnership between the NBA and Discovery Education to strengthen middle school students’ engagement in learning nationwide.

In 2016, interactive math problems derived from NBA and WNBA game footage and statistics such as points, rebounds, assists and more, were integrated into Discovery Education’s award-winning Math Techbook.  Since then, these dynamic, interactive resources have supported students as they use real-world basketball experiences to deepen their understanding of core math and science concepts.A new basketball-themed content collection that includes a variety of powerful Lesson Starters, as well as an Educator Companion Guide was recently added to Discovery Education’s curriculum resources and digital content services, and additional content will join Discovery Education’s services later in 2019.

During the month of February, all users of Discovery Education’s digital services will receive special access to the NBA Analysis Tool.  Currently exclusive to Math Techbook users, the NBA Analysis Toolhelps students create their own formulas and visualize math concepts through histograms, scatter plots and box plots using NBA and WNBA statistical categories such as points, rebounds, steals, assists and blocks.

“Each day, members of the NBA family – from players and front office staff to league referees – use a variety of STEM skills in all aspects of our game and business,” said NBA Senior Vice President, Social Responsibility Todd Jacobson.  “The NBA is excited to continue our partnership with Discovery Education to share with millions of students how the STEM skills they are developing in the classroom today can lead to a variety of exciting career opportunities in the future.”

Currently used by approximately 5.6 million students across all 50 states and Canada, Discovery Education’s award-winning Techbooks are fully interactive, comprehensive digital textbooks.  Updated regularly at no cost, Discovery Education’s Science, Math, and Social Studies Techbooks provide educators a complete digital curriculum that includes detailed lesson plans, hands-on activities, digital simulations, and robust teacher supports that immerse students in instruction.  Discovery Education’s STEM Connect is a cutting-edge, web-based, interdisciplinary K-8 supplemental resource that helps students develop the creative, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration skills they need for success beyond graduation. Discovery Education Streaming Plus is an award-winning comprehensive digital service supplementing instruction across all K-12 curricular areas.

“Discovery Education is incredibly proud to partner once again with the NBA to bring this compelling event to teachers and students,” said Discovery Education President of K-12 Education Scott Kinney.  “This type of experience, which connects what’s going on in the classroom to exciting career paths beyond graduation, provides a unique opportunity to ignite students’ interest in STEM.  We invite all educators to join us for this exciting virtual field trip.”

Following the broadcast of Game Plan For The Future: An All-Star Virtual Field Trip, it will be archived in Discovery Education’s Virtual Field Trip Library, which can be accessed here.  For more information about Discovery Education’s digital curriculum resources and content, visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Facebook, follow us on Twitter at @DiscoveryEd, or find us on Instagram and Pinterest.

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About Discovery Education:
As the global leader in standards-based digital curriculum resources, digital content, and professional development for K-12 classrooms worldwide, Discovery Education is transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content and the largest professional learning community of its kind.  Serving more than 5 million educators and 51 million students, Discovery Education’s services are available in approximately half of U.S. classrooms and primary schools in the UK, and more than 90 countries around the globe. Inspired by the global media company Discovery, Inc., Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and like-minded organizations to captivate students, empower teachers, and transform classrooms with customized solutions that increase academic achievement. Explore the future of education at DiscoveryEducation.com.

About the NBA
The NBA is a global sports and media business built around four professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association, the NBA G League and the NBA 2K League.  The NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2018-19 season featured 108 international players from 42 countries and territories.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 1.5 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.

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