“NLP and its donors have provided the means and resources that have made our goal of preserving democracy seem possible.”
– Gretchen Zaitzeff, Canyons School District, Utah
News Literacy
District Fellowship
Reimagine district-wide media literacy learning, creating a positive and lasting community impact.
✨ Now accepting applications!
About
The next generation is at a significant civic disadvantage because they are vulnerable to misinformation and are not prepared to discern fact from fiction. Education leaders and policymakers across the country already recognize the critical thinking skills necessary for students to combat misinformation and actively participate in civic life. While media literacy mandates gain momentum across the country, the media literacy field in practice lacks both definition and classroom materials that reflect the way students consume information.
The News Literacy District Fellowship, a two-year commitment, invites proposals from district leaders who wish to partner with NLP to design and execute innovative and sustainable initiatives to embed news and media literacy education into their districts. NLP provides fellows with professional learning, curriculum and community to help fellows meet the requirements of participation.
Objectives
The News Literacy District Fellowship is designed to improve education and civic engagement for students by involving district leaders in the development and implementation of news and media literacy learning. The Fellowship seeks to:
- Create a community of administrators, curriculum directors, instructional coaches, discipline leaders and teachers within a district who share expertise and collaborate with NLP on news and media literacy education issues.
- Involve administrators and educators who work daily with students and teachers in developing a district-wide implementation plan that impacts classrooms and schools.
- Highlight practitioners’ voices and expand educators’ critical leadership in the area of news and media literacy at the national, state and local levels.
- Results in a sustainable and replicable district plan for implementing news and media literacy learning at the completion of the fellowship.
We are specifically interested in hearing from educators in California, Texas, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Florida, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, but interested educators in other states are also encouraged to apply.
Fellowship Opportunity
Each year, a new cohort of fellows from around the country are selected to reimagine media literacy learning at the district level, creating a positive and lasting impact in their school communities. During the first year of the two-year fellowship, fellows will spend one year working with NLP to design an action plan for news literacy implementation in their district. Fellows will spend the second year implementing their proposals.
Current fellows
Discover more about the News Literacy District Fellowship program! Cohort 1 districts are spread across five states, while cohort 2 districts are represented in three states. Learn about them below!
COHORT 1
Las Cruces Public Schools
Location: Las Cruces, NM
Number of schools: 41
Number of students: 23,000+
Iowa City
Community School District
Location: Iowa City, IA
Number of schools: 29
Number of students: 14,000+
Canyons School District
Location: Sandy, UT
Number of schools: 41 traditional, 6 specialized/programs
Number of students: 34,000+
North Salem Central School District
Location: North Salem, NY
Number of schools: 2
Number of students: 1,000+
Greater Albany Public Schools
Location: Albany, OR
Number of schools: 20
Number of students: 9,000+
COHORT 2
Bloomfield Hills Schools
Location: Bloomfield Hills, MI
Number of schools: 11
Number of students: 5,785
Gunnison Watershed
School District
Location: Gunnison, CO
Number of schools: 6
Number of students: 2,080
Cornell School District
Location: Coraopolis, PA
Number of schools: 2
Number of students: 600
Apply
Applications are currently being accepted now through May 3, 2024.
APPLY NOWFor more information on the News Literacy District Fellowship, contact Shaelynn Farnsworth at [email protected].
Fellowship Experiences
“In the past two years, we have trained over 240 teachers in secondary schools and will branch out to elementary next year.”
– Lesli Morris, Canyons School District, Utah
– Lesli Morris, Canyons School District, Utah
“I am in the first year of the News Literacy District Fellowship program, and the research and changes that we have been able to implement would not have been possible without the support this program offers. Being able to frame the learning and educational opportunities in a way that makes sense for our staff and students has been so important. Being able to impact students and having the support of a larger organization has been an immense difference from other initiatives.”
– Miriam Klein, Cornell School District, Pennsylvania
– Miriam Klein, Cornell School District, Pennsylvania
