ITT Corporation and National Geographic Partner To Build Awareness of Global Water Issues
October 15 2007 - 12:53PM
PR Newswire (US)
New National Geographic documentary and companion education program
to promote water stewardship SAN DIEGO, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- ITT
Corporation today announced a multi-faceted partnership with
National Geographic to raise awareness of global water issues. The
cornerstone of the partnership is ITT's support of the episodic
television series, National Geographic's "Strange Days on Planet
Earth." ITT is the primary sponsor of the 2008 series, which will
investigate the scale of the current water crisis and explore
potential solutions. It is scheduled to premiere in April on PBS
stations nationwide. In conjunction with the program, ITT and
National Geographic will produce a companion educator's toolkit
designed to educate and engage students across the United States.
"ITT is dedicated to addressing the world's water issues by
harnessing its technology, expertise and passion to engineer
solutions while raising awareness through support of
non-governmental organizations," said Gretchen McClain, president
of ITT's fluid technology business. "Our hope is that this
association with National Geographic will lead to greater
understanding of the underlying issues that must be addressed,
advance the dialogue regarding potential solutions, and encourage
our leaders to take action." National Geographic's "Strange Days on
Planet Earth" is a two-part television series, hosted by actor and
environmental activist Edward Norton, that transports viewers to
the remote front lines of research where investigators are
struggling to identify connections among some of the most bizarre
scientific mysteries of the day. The clues are leading researchers
to the furthest reaches of the world's water supply, which are the
subject of the first part of the series, "Dangerous Catch," and the
next hour, "Dirty Secrets." The series is scheduled to debut in
March during the 2008 Environmental Film Festival in Washington,
D.C. in advance of its PBS premiere the following month. The
education program will target middle school students by
incorporating concepts from the "Strange Days on Planet Earth"
series into an educator packet of teaching activities, as well as
supporting print and electronic materials for the classroom. The
program will be made available to subscribers of the National
Geographic Society's monthly educator newsletter. In addition,
10,000 printed educator packets will be distributed through
National Geographic's Geography Alliance Network -- a national
grassroots network of motivated educators serving as ambassadors
who champion geographic education and understanding. Additional
packets will be distributed to ITT employees to use in classrooms
in their own communities. "Education is at the heart of National
Geographic's mission. In that spirit, we have developed captivating
content with 'Strange Days on Planet Earth' and the accompanying
educator activities that promises to engage and empower teachers,
students and the public to actively seek solutions to the world's
water issues," said Stephen Reverand, senior vice president,
National Geographic Television. "In ITT we have found a partner
that shares our vision and dedication for engaging the world around
us on the pressing environmental issues that are having a dramatic
impact on our planet." The sponsorship was announced at the Water
Environment Federation's Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference
in San Diego, Calif. National Geographic's "Strange Days on Planet
Earth" is produced by Sea Studios Foundation in collaboration with
National Geographic Television. About ITT Corporation ITT
Corporation (http://www.itt.com/) supplies advanced technology
products and services in several growth markets. ITT is a global
leader in water and fluid transport, treatment and control
technology. The company plays a vital role in international
security with communications and electronics products; space
surveillance and intelligence systems; and advanced engineering and
services. It also serves a number of growing markets -- including
marine, transportation and aerospace -- with a wide range of motion
and flow control technologies. Headquartered in White Plains, N.Y.,
the company employs approximately 35,000 people and generated $7.8
billion in 2006 sales. About National Geographic Society The
National Geographic Society (http://www.nationalgeographic.com/) is
one of the world's largest nonprofit scientific and educational
organizations. Founded in 1888 to "increase and diffuse geographic
knowledge," the Society works to inspire people to care about the
planet. It reaches more than 300 million people worldwide each
month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other
magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries;
radio and music programs; films; books; DVDs; maps; interactive
media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than
8,000 scientific research projects and supports an education
program combating geographic illiteracy. About Sea Studios
Foundation Sea Studios Foundation, a next-generation media company
dedicated to raising awareness of all the ways human life is
entwined with the natural environment and motivating action.
Through the use of integrated media, it seeks to amplify and
elevate the level of discourse around key social and environmental
issues, and to provide tangible ways for individuals to create
meaningful change. DATASOURCE: ITT Corporation CONTACT: Andy Hilton
of ITT Corporation, +1-914-641-2160, Web site: http://www.itt.com/
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
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