What is Newspapers in Education?

Drawing by Britney Keber
WHAT IS NIE? — Newspapers in Education is all about students showing their creative abilities. Students write the stories, take the photos, showcase their artwork and design all the ads.
    HOULTON — Newspapers can be found on people’s coffee tables, on store racks and, just as importantly, in the classroom.
    Once again, The Houlton Pioneer Times has teamed up with area schools to celebrate Newspapers in Education Week, by creating a special supplement.
    NIE is a cooperative effort between schools and newspapers to promote the use of newspapers as an educational resource. The international program, which began in 1955, also seeks to help improve the students’ reading, spelling and writing abilities.
    This year, pupils at Greater Houlton Christian Academy, East Grand School, Katahdin Elementary School and Hodgdon Mill Pond School were asked to become newspaper advertising artists and copywriters as they created “ads” for about 100 willing sponsors.
    East Grand and Mill Pond School students provided stories, while SAD 29 students added their artwork and photographs for readers to enjoy.
    While Newspapers in Education is a weeklong event, The Houlton Pioneer Times works with classrooms — students, teachers and administrators — throughout the year.
    Whether it be a school board meeting, a basketball game, spelling bee or a band concert, newspaper reporters are covering education on the front line.
    Indeed, without news of our youth and their schools, our newspapers would be missing a very important part of the communities in which we serve.
    Newspapers in the classroom serve as an exceptional supplement to textbooks, which can no longer keep up with our rapidly-changing world. A newspaper in the classroom connects young people with their community, their nation and the world.
    Over the years, members of our staff have worked closely with school personnel and students to build two-way connections between the classroom and newsroom.
    Some examples of this are when a reporter comes to a school to interview students for their opinion on a topic of the day or when one of our staff members is asked to host a job shadow experience.
    This two-part supplement to our newspaper is the result of the Newspapers in Education exercise, and we hope you will enjoy the student-created newspaper advertisements, essays and photos in this special booklet.
    We also wish to thank the pupils, teachers and administrators who agreed to partner with us, as well as the businesses that provided the opportunity for the children to showcase their artistic abilities.