Discovery Communications : Exciting Virtual Field Trip From The National FFA Organization, Syngenta And Discovery Education To Highlight How The Stem Concepts They Are Learning Today Translate Into Careers Tomorrow

- New 'Technology in Agriculture Virtual Field Trip' Also Offers Participants Opportunity to Explore Exciting High-Tech Careers in Agriculture -

Silver Spring, Md. (Tuesday, September 19, 2017) - The National Future Farmers of America (FFA) Organization, Syngenta and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital content and professional development for K-12 classrooms, are collaborating to host a new virtual field trip on Wednesday, September 20, 2017, at 1:00 p.m. ET, entitled Technology in Agriculture: Feeding the Growing Globe Virtual Field Trip.

During this no-cost unique learning experience, students will be transported to the Syngenta RTP Innovation Center, including its Advanced Crop Lab in Research Triangle Park, N.C. There, participants will meet the analysts, agronomists, entomologists and others working at Syngenta to help farmers worldwide make better use of available resources sustainably. Through their stories, students will experience firsthand how the STEM concepts they are learning in the classroom are applied in the workplace. The immersive experience will also provide an opportunity for them to explore a number of interesting and rewarding careers. For more information on the Technology in Agriculture: Feeding the Growing Globe Virtual Field Trip or to register to participate, visit agexplorer.com/virtual-field-trip. To access the site's free resources, visit AgExplorer.com.

'This is an exciting time in agriculture, especially for innovators like Syngenta, because we have new tools to develop better seeds and crop protection products, as well as digital solutions to help farmers be more productive, said Ian Jepson, Syngenta R&D Center leader in Research Triangle, North Carolina. 'We encourage students to think about the wide range of challenging and rewarding careers in companies like ours to help develop and deliver what farmers need to feed the world.'

To help educators integrate this virtual event into classroom instruction, the FFA Organization, Syngenta and Discovery Education have made a number of pre-and post-virtual field trip teaching resources available for classroom use at agexplorer.com/virtual-field-trip. In addition, educators and classrooms are invited to deepen their experience by joining the conversation and asking questions of participants LIVE on Twitter @NationalFFA, @DiscoveryEd and using the hashtag #AgExplorerVFT. Following this live event, a Virtual Field Trip Archive will be made available on-demand through Discovery Education's website.

'What a great time to be engaged in agriculture,' said Ambra Tennery, Educational Development and Evaluation Team Leader, FFA. 'We are excited to partner with Syngenta and Discovery Education to educate youth about the importance of agriculture careers and finding their futures in agriculture.'

In the next five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that the industry of agriculture will have more than 60,000 job openings annually and an estimated 22,500 of those openings will not have highly skilled graduates to fill them. Launched last year, this resource offers teachers and students a deep database of career profiles that help students connect what they are learning in school to future careers. Among the career pathways highlighted at AgExplorer.com are: animal systems; biotechnology systems; environmental service systems; food products and processing systems; natural resources systems; plant systems; power, structural and technical systems; and agricultural education. In addition, AgExplorer.com includes more than 250 career descriptions, education requirements, average salary, links to a college and university database and more all designed to help students.

'Discovery Education is excited to collaborate with the National FFA Organization and Syngenta to share with students worldwide how the STEM concepts they are learning today can be applied to an exciting range of careers in modern agriculture,' said Lori McFarling, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Discovery Education. 'Together, we are providing teachers with valuable resources that help them connect what their students are learning in the classroom to potential careers beyond graduation, and we look forward to continuing this effort with our great partners.'

The Technology in Agriculture: Feeding the Growing Globe 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.

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About National FFA Organization

The National FFA Organization is a national youth organization of 629,367 student members as part of 7,757 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. The National FFA Organization operates under a federal charter granted by the 81st United States Congress and it is an integral part of public instruction in agriculture. The U.S. Department of Education provides leadership and helps set direction for FFA as a service to state and local agricultural education programs. For more, visit the National FFA Organization online at FFA.org, on Facebook, Twitter and the official National FFA Organization blog.

About Syngenta

Syngenta is a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through world class science and innovative crop solutions, our 28,000 people in over 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown. We are committed to rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities. To learn more visit www.syngenta.com and www.goodgrowthplan.com. Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Syngenta and www.twitter.com/SyngentaUS.

About Discovery EducationDiscovery Education is the global leader in standards-based digital content for K-12, transforming teaching and learning with award-winning digital textbooks, multimedia content, professional development, and the largest professional learning community of its kind. Serving 4.5 million educators and over 50 million students, Discovery Education's services are in half of U.S. classrooms, 50 percent of all primary schools in the UK, and more than 50 countries. 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. Discovery Education is powered by Discovery Communications (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), the number one nonfiction media company in the world. Explore the future of education at DiscoveryEducation.com.