— New “Career Connections: Transforming Passion into Purpose at Facebook” Virtual Field Trip Transports Students to Silicon Valley to Explore Innovative Tech Careers —
Press Release – Irvine, Calif. | Silver Spring, Md. (Monday, October 30, 2017) – The Tiger Woods Foundation (TWF) and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital education content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, are collaborating to host a new Virtual Field Trip, Career Connections: Transforming Passion into purpose at Facebook, on Tuesday, October 31, 2017 at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT. As part of TGR EDU: Explore, a joint digital initiative between TWF and Discovery Education, the Virtual Field Trip will take students to Facebook’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California where they will have the opportunity to virtually explore the high-tech powerhouse and learn more about the wide variety of jobs that exist within the company. The Virtual Field Trip features background information on careers in STEM, personal interviews with current Facebook employees, a tour of the headquarters and much more.
“In a time where careers in STEM are growing rapidly, it is important that we educate young people on the skills necessary for them to achieve future success. Career Connections: Transforming Passion into Purpose at Facebook does just that,” said Dr. Katherine Bihr, vice president of programs and education at the Tiger Woods Foundation. “Students will be exposed to a real Silicon Valley workplace and learn how to prepare for a career in this growing industry, all while fostering within them the mindset to persevere and pursue their passions.
While viewers will get a behind-the-scenes view of Facebook, the Virtual Field Trip will also take students inside TWF’s TGR Learning Lab in Anaheim, California, which served as the inspiration for TGR EDU: Explore – a free, online site available to educators, students and families worldwide. TGR EDU: Explore offers hands-on STEM and college access lessons via a dynamic digital platform that equips students with the tools and resources they need to identify their passions, develop their skills, and pursue pathways towards higher education and a promising career. The site offers a variety of immersive lessons, and expanded learning activities for middle and high school students nationwide. TGR EDU: Explore also provides virtual campus tours, training videos for educators and family discussion starters to help students explore their initial college enrollment interests.
“Discovery Education is thrilled to continue building upon the TGR EDU: Explore platform by launching the Career Connections: Transforming Passion into Purpose at Facebook Virtual Field Trip,” said Lori McFarling, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Discovery Education. “Through this immersive virtual experience, students nationwide will see first-hand how they can use STEM skills to solve real-world problems and have the opportunity to explore the range of high-tech careers powered by STEM.”
Launched earlier this year, TGR EDU: Explore was created to make possible Tiger Woods’ vision to motivate students across the world through innovative education in STEM and college access. Through their partnership with Discovery Education, TWF’s award-winning curriculum and professional development resources are made available to students and teachers at no-cost. Together, TWF and Discovery Education seek to educate students nationwide on how to prepare for a career in STEM and equip them with the tools they need to attend college.
“As an educator, I am always looking for supplemental resources and curriculum that encourage my students to reach their potential,” said Rob Lamb, chemistry teacher at Pattonville High School in Missouri’s Pattonville School District. “The TGR EDU: Explore materials and Virtual Field Trip will help my students understand how they can best prepare for college and steer them to a successful future in STEM.”
For more information on TGR EDU: Explore or to access the online resources, visit tgreduexplore.org. Join the conversation around the Career Connections: Transforming Passion into Purpose at Facebook Virtual Field Trip on Twitter @TWFoundation and @DiscoveryEd using the hashtag #TGREDUExplore.
The Career Connections: Transforming Passion into Purpose at Facebook Virtual Field Trip is also available through Discovery Education Streaming Plus. For more information about Discovery Education’s digital content and professional development services, visit discoveryeducation.com. Stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through Facebook, follow us on Twitter at @DiscoveryEd, or find us on Instagram and Pinterest.
