Discovery Communications : Ahead Of Red Nose Day, Comic Relief Inc. Awards Children From Six Schools In Grades 3-8 Grants In National ‘Red Nose Day Challenge’, Focused On Putting Ideas Into Action For Children Living In Poverty

-Two winners will be awarded with a $5,000 Grand Prize to Implement Plan of Action Plus Other Prizes; Special In-School Assembly To be Held On May 18, 2017-

-Runner-Up Schools Receive $2,500 Grants and Prizes

Recognizing that big change starts with small steps, today, Comic Relief Inc. announced the winners for the Red Nose Challenge, as part of its Red Nose Day in School program. Two grand prize winners were chosen for grades 3-5 and 6-8, based on their creative videos explaining how they plan to make a difference for children living in poverty. They are receiving $5,000 to implement their plan of action or donate to a charitable organization, as well as a video equipment package for the team leader and individual prize packs for each team member. View videos here.

Grand Prize Winners include:
Student Team (William McKnight, Anajiah Edwards, Jermaine Edwards, Branniyah Taylor) from Manatee Charter, Manatee Elementary and Samoset Elementary Schools of the School District of Manatee County in Bradenton, FL

Student Team (Rakshita Gorrepati, Elizabeth Ryan, Ansley Cachuela) from Lakeside Middle School of Forsyth County School District in Cumming, GA

The Red Nose Day in School program is about educating students on the important issue of child poverty, and empowering and inspiring them to make a difference. The program is just one element of the broader Red Nose Day campaign, which launched in the U.S. in 2015 with a mission to end child poverty. The third annual Red Nose Day in America will take place next week, on May 25, 2017, raising awareness and funds to keep children in need safe, healthy and educated - both here in the U.S. and around the world. A student team in Grades 3-5 from Bradenton, Florida including William McKnight of Manatee Charter, Anajiah Edwards, and Jermaine Edwards of Manatee Elementary School and Branniyah Taylor of Samoset Elementary School and a student team from Lakeview Middle School in Cumming, GA including Rakshita Gorrepati, Elizabeth Ryan, and Ansley Cachuela, best showcased their idea to make a difference for children living in poverty, as well as one statistic or fact on the issue, and why everyone should care. Even though the winners of the Red Nose Challenge are announced, you can still organize your own fundraiser and donate to the cause - your donation will truly make a big difference for children in need. Find out how your school can get involved and access fundraiser tookits at rednosedayinschool.org

Additionally, Comic Relief Inc. announced second place teams and People's Choice winners, who were voted on by the general public.

2 place schools include:

• Grades 3-5 Student Team, Homeschooled in Bellevue, WA including Frances 'Frankie' Arendale and Mary Jane Arendale
• Grade 6-8 Student Team from Steelville Middle School in Steelville, MO including Dalton Hutson, Abigale Ireland, Emma Kreitner, Margaret Yeomans

People's Choice winners include:

• Grade 3-5 Student Team from Nellie F. Bennett Elementary School in Point Pleasant, NJ
• Including Ryan Acquisto, Lindsey Ludwig, Samuel Hankins, Jordan Davidson
• Grades 6-8 Student team from Jane Lathrop Stanford Middle School in Palo Alto, CA
• Including: Boston Abrams, Joshua Yang, Noa Shoval, Kyle Ethan Heller

These runners up in grades 3-5 and 6-8 win $2,500 to implement their plan of action or donate to a charitable organization and an iPad for the team leader. People's Choice Winners in each grade band receive a $250 gift certificate. All entries were evaluated based on their originality, advocacy, action plan and presentation.

The Challenge included a two-part classroom activity engaging students on the issue of poverty by first viewing videos, and/or researching on their own, and participating in group discussion; and second, by engaging with the concept of empathy using role-playing activities. Students work to understand empathy as the ability to step into the shoes of another person, and specifically what life is like for children living in poverty.

Comic Relief Inc. worked with Discovery Education to deliver the Red Nose Day in School program and the Red Nose Challenge, leveraging their expertise in reaching students and teachers across the U.S. For more information, please visit: http://www.rednosedayinschool.org/challenge

About Red Nose Day
Red Nose Day is a fundraising campaign run by the non-profit organization Comic Relief Inc., a registered U.S. 501(c)(3) public charity. Red Nose Day started in the U.K., built on the foundation that the power of entertainment can drive positive change, and has raised over $1 billion globally since the campaign's founding in 1988. Red Nose Day launched in the U.S. in 2015 with a mission to raise money and awareness to end child poverty, and has raised over $60 million to date for the cause. Red Nose Day 2017 will take place on Thursday, May 25. Money raised goes to the Red Nose Day Fund, which supports programs that keep children in need safe, healthy and educated, both in America and abroad. Beneficiaries include the Boys & Girls Clubs of America; charity: water; Children's Health Fund; Feeding America; Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance; National Council of La Raza; Save the Children; and The Global Fund. Since launching in the U.S., Red Nose Day has received generous support from millions of Americans, hundreds of celebrities and many outstanding partners, including Walgreens, NBC, Mars, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

About Discovery Education
A leader in educational technology, Discovery Education partners with K-12 districts and like-minded partners to strategically support the shift from print to digital learning environments. Providing the highest quality digital content (digital textbooks) and professional development, Discovery Education is increasing student achievement for over 50M students and 4.5M teachers worldwide. Learn more: www.discoveryeducation.com.