Hernando Sun and the Tampa Bay Times were recognized by the School Board on Feb. 28 via a proclamation for providing free digital and/or print newspapers to interested teachers and students through the Newspapers in Education (NIE) program. The Hernando Sun newspapers also come with a teacher guide for each newspaper highlighting sections of the newspaper/articles that could be used in lessons.
Due to concerns about bringing outside materials into the classroom and how that could run afoul of rules on what is allowed in classrooms, many teachers are forgoing using newspapers in their classrooms. The School Board allayed these concerns in their proclamations by stating “research shows that students who learn using the newspaper as an educational resource are more likely to become lifelong readers and informed and engaged citizens.”
The Hernando Sun distributes around 500 newspapers a week through the Newspapers in Education program. These newspapers are free of charge to students, teachers, and schools and provide an opportunity for the teachers to bring discussions of current local events into the schools. We thank the Hernando County School Board for recognizing this important program.
Newspaper in Education week is celebrated the first full week in March.
