Around the Globe
With one of the most extensive international platforms in the media industry, Discovery is a truly global company with over 120 networks providing content to over 1 billion subscribers in 180 countries all over the world. Globally, Discovery's networks and employees partner on a wide range of initiatives focused on making a positive impact in their local communities. From the Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership, with learning centers in Africa, South and Central America and Eastern Europe, to Discovery En Escuala, and an educational programming block throughout Latin America providing comprehensive trainings for teachers, Discovery is an active global citizen, building and expanding partnerships with the communities and people it serves each day.
Click on the logos below to learn more about our global initiatives:
Discovery en la Escuela
Discovery en la Escuela (DEE) is an educational programming block airing Monday through Friday on Discovery Channel in Latin America markets. DEE empowers teachers with world-class documentary programs to stimulate the classroom experience, and provides professional development in order to improve student achievement. In the 12 years since its launch, Discovery en la Escuela has trained more than 4,800 teachers, and reached more than 885,000 students in over 3,200 schools.
In 2010, Discovery en la Escuela donated 100 backpacks with school supplies to the Instituto Infantil Guadalupano in Mexico. This orphanage provides housing and schooling to children who were previously living in the streets, sometimes as thieves; abandoned by parents, etc. This institution houses 150 boys ages 7 to 17 years old. They provide structure for the everyday lives of these boys and help them develop skills for jobs. In Argentina, Discovery en la Escuela partnered with DIRECTV to help the local senior citizen community.
Discover Your Impact Day
"Discover Your Impact Day is Discovery's global day of employee volunteerism taking place each year in June. Started in 2010 to celebrate Discovery's 25th Anniversary, Impact Day brings the Discovery family into their local communities to give back to organizations that support land, water and people, and underscores our commitment to the people and places of the world that inspire our on-air stories.
Discover Your Impact Day 2011 took place on June 17 and featured:
- 3,000 employees from 40 offices worldwide.
- Participation of 75% of global employees.
- Volunteers worked at over 140 projects.
- Site visits from some of DCI's on-air talent, including Ariel Tweto from Discovery Channel's Flying Wild Alaska and Katherine Kallinis and Sophie LaMontagne from TLC's DC Cupcakes.
- Staff who could not leave the office created cards for the NIH Children's Inn and Operation Write Home. Employees crafted over 1,000 homemade cards for sick children and our troops overseas. They also created colorful blankets to send in care packages.
Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership
Discovery’s premier partnership, the Discovery Channel Global Education Partnership (DCGEP) is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to using the power of television in under-resourced schools around the world to improve student learning, teacher effectiveness, access to information and community involvement in the schools. Over the past 12 years, DCGEP has delivered educational opportunities to more than 700,000 children. Through partnerships with Discovery, Chevron and the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, DCGEP now operates 241 learning centers in 16 countries.
Holiday Giving Around the World
Around the globe, Discovery employees partner with local charities to give back during the holiday season. In 2010, London employees launched a holiday giving campaign to help two local charities- Mencap & AgeUK. Mencap is the leading UK charity for people with a learning disability and their families and AgeUK is the UK's largest charity for the elderly. Munich Employees donated non-perishable goods, clothing and vouchers to the Tillmann Children's Home.Additionally, they launched an annual donation campaign to continue employee support of local communities.
In Asia, employees worked with The Boys' Brigade of Singapore to collect food donations for underprivileged families in support of the organization's Share-A-Gift donation drive. This organization is volunteer-based and aims to provide fun and challenging activities for children, as well as servicing the community in whatever way needed. 18 Discovery employees volunteered their time and vehicles to transport and deliver the goods to families for the holidays.
In 2010, Discovery Networks Southern Europe purchased Christmas cards to benefit Handicap su la testa Onlus. This Italian non-profit is dedicated to helping physically and mentally challenged citizens in Italy. By providing recreational and physical activities, including theater, games, concerts, and sports for the handicapped, they strive to create an entertaining and a fun atmosphere.
Disaster Relief
As the world's leading nonfiction media company, Discovery Communications has a responsibility not only to educate and inspire but to support our planet and its people, especially in incidents of disaster. Discovery is proud to partner with GlobalGiving to manage its Employee Disaster Relief Program. This program allows employees to make donations to nonprofit organizations who are on the ground in areas affected by natural disasters. For more information on how you can get involved, visit GlobalGiving.
When the devastating February 22, 2011 earthquake hit New Zealand, Bear Grylls was filming an episode in the country. Discovery and Bear teamed up with Christchurch Earthquake Appeal to raise funds and awareness for the disaster relief program. Discovery created a PSA featuring Bear calling on people to make contributions. The PSA aired on Discovery Channel Australia and Discovery Channel New Zealand from March 27, 2011 to April 10, 2011.
After the destructive Earthquake and Tsunami hit Japan on March 11, 2011, Discovery launched its Disaster Relief Program with partner GlobalGiving, to raise funds for those in need. Discovery matched employee contributions up to $250,000. Additionally, talent from several Discovery networks, including Bear Grylls, Ricky Gervais, Dave Salmoni, Jeremy Wade, and Captain Johnathon, came together to record messages of sympathy for the victims and their families, and encourage people to donate to Global Giving. Proceeds went to various organizations on-ground in Japan - such as Japan Platform, Peace Winds, Save the Children, Architecture for Humanity, International Medical Corps and Lifeline Energy.
Discovery Networks Latin America
In Latin America, Discovery is partnering with businesses and local charities to give back to the community. Recently, they have worked with organizations such as the Boys and Girls Club of Miami Dade and the America Red Cross, to support Haiti rebuilding efforts.
Discovery Kids was proud to participate in the 48-hour annual TV show Telethon, broadcast on Discovery's Latin America LIV network working to raise funds for 17 hospitals throughout Argentina who specialize in the care of children with physical disabilities. The program featured many Mexican celebrities and advocates, including Discovery Kid's very own Doki, who addressed the audience about the importance of supporting this worthy cause. In 2011, Doki will continue with this important work by visiting all 17 hospitals that benefited from the program.
Discovery Channel Latin America has partnered with Fundación Campo, Educación y Salud, a non-profit organization that promotes healthier eating habits in Mexico. Discovery Channel Latin America launched a multiplatform initiative on June 27, 2011, which teaches children and their families the benefits of eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The campaign "Kids en Accion," developed by Discovery Kids, features on-line, on-air and public service announcements advocating nutrition. The program will run through December of 2011.
Discovery Networks Asia Pacific
Discovery Networks Asia Pacific (DNAP) are proud partners of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines. As part of this partnership, DNAP will air WWF Philippines' public service announcements on local feeds to help promote environmental conservation.
Discovery Communication's Asia office teamed up with Bags of Hope, a charity that collects school supplies and bags for children in Cambodia. Employees repurposed Discovery backpacks and collected over 200 other supplies to send off to children.
In March 2011, TLC held a press event to increase the public's awareness about school children's health and to increase parents' attention to the nutritional value of kids' daily meals. Pamphlets with tips for healthy meals were distributed to the parents and children of Wu Xin Elementary School, a local school in Taipei City.
At the regional headquarters in Singapore, over 150 employees participated in an event on February 8, 2011; and an internal donation drive from February 8-March 31, 2011, to raise funds for the Singapore Paddle Club's Kalimantan Expedition. In June 2011, The SPC paddled 500 miles across the South China Sea from Singapore to Kalimantan, Indonesia, in outrigger canoes to raise money for the Breast Cancer Foundation and CARE Singapore.
The Discovery Networks International Singapore office also recently partnered with CARE Singapore and the Care Community Services Society, which both provide services for high-risk youth, to host a carefree day in the park. On July 30, 2011, 56 employees brought underprivileged children to Bird Park where they spent the day hiking on the adventure trail as a motivational activity.
Discovery Science Australia is also a proud partner of the National Science Week 2011. National Science Week, a government organized event, takes place every August in Australia. More than 1,000 events are spread across the country promoting the importance of science education, complete with a nation-wide speaking tour featuring acclaimed scientists. As part of the partnership, Discovery Science will feature six on-air spots per day through-out the event.
Discovery Channel Asia Pacific & Gawad Kalinga
In 2010, Discovery Channel Asia Pacific developed a project with Gawad Kalinga, a Philippine-based non-profit dedicated to aiding communities that live in poverty, as well as equipping and educating communities to practice a sustainable lifestyle in order to protect the environment. Discovery Channel and Gawad Kalinga collaborated on an urban farming initiative for the Green Wall Urban Farming project, encouraging communities to practice sustainable lifestyles by growing their own food. The initiative incorporated a planting ceremony in the village in Taguig, followed by an activity in Hope Christian School to educate students on the concept of urban farming. This project also included a vertical marathon, in partnership with Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation, which promoted energy conservation. The proceeds were donated to Gawad Kalinga in support of its community projects.
Discovery Networks Western Europe
In 2011, Discovery Channel UK partnered with Giving World Online to create a custom TV spot. Giving World is a non-profit organization working with companies to distribute surplus stock to different charities throughout the UK. Discovery Channel UK and Giving World also teamed up to create a PSA. Using Discovery's internal resources; a team of employees produced a TV commercial, which went to air and was also featured on Giving World's Website. This generated increased web-traffic for Giving World, 86% of them new visitors. Watch the spot here.
Discovery Networks Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East, Africa
In 2011, Discovery Romania partnered with the Department of Ministry and Fun Science, a non-profit dedicated to sparking interest in curiosity in science for young students. From March 15 to April 15, they organized events in 10 schools in Bucharest. These events provided 5th graders with fun, interactive lessons in physics and chemistry. Over 1,000 students participated in this engaging and educational event.
Discovery Networks Southern Europe
Discovery Networks Southern Europe is proud to support CAF Onlus. CAF is a non-profit based in Italy dedicated to helping victims of child abuse. CAF offers a safe home and environment for children rescued from disruptive households. They provide a safe place for traumatized children to seek treatment for their pain and suffering.