Broward County Schools Tunes in to Discovery Education on Prevention Programming

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 02/24/09

##AUTHORSPLIT##<--->

Broward County Public Schools in Ft. Lauderdale, FL is partnering with Discovery Education Health to provide district educators and counselors with access to digital resources to teach students about violence and substance-abuse prevention. The program began with a five-day professional development session, hosted by the district's Office of Prevention Programs.

"Broward County Public Schools has a strategic plan to move toward a paperless environment using digital resources to prepare our students for success after graduation," said Amalio Nieves, Title 4 Coordinator for Broward County Public Schools. "We understand that safe and healthy lifestyles increase achievement, ultimately increasing the likelihood of a student's success."

Discovery Education Health is a library of health and prevention digital resources aligned to state standards covering nine areas: physical activity, mental health, alcohol and other drugs, violence, safety, nutrition, tobacco, the body, and growth and development.

"We believe that using digital resources is a key component of our overall prevention program," said Jennifer Thomas-Simmons, project manager for the Office of Prevention Programs. "Using the train-the-trainer model, we are working to complete training for all educators throughout the district by the end of February, using a combination of face-to-face activities and Webinars."

The program at the district is being funded through a federal Safe Schools-Healthy Students grant supported by the departments of Education, Justice, and Health and Human Services. The price for a subscription to Discovery Education Health is $1,695 per school.

The district was already using Discovery Education streaming, a video-based learning resource intended to increase academic achievement.