Newsrooms like Mainstreet Daily News and teachers across Alachua County are gearing up to join educators and communities around the world to celebrate Newspaper in Education Week next month. 

The annual celebration from March 2 to March 6 is a Newspaper in Education’s (NIE) signature event dedicated to promoting literacy and academic success by integrating newspapers into classroom learning. 

NIE Week happens during the first full week of school and aims to recognize the achievements of the organization’s programs, while honoring the dedication of educators, students and sponsors who support literacy and lifelong learning. 

Mainstreet’s print edition on March 4 will feature a special kid-friendly section for Alachua County school teachers to use during NIE Week, while all teachers can enter for a chance to win a $100 Publix gift card. 

Parents, grandparents and community members can sponsor classroom newspapers, and are encouraged by NIE to read the paper with their children and grandchildren to foster a love for reading and learning together. 

Free copies of Mainstreet’s print edition can be found at these locations across Alachua County and accessed digitally on Mainstreet’s website. 

So far, Mainstreet Daily News’ community partnerships manager Janalyn Peppel said the company has over 1,800 newspapers going to classrooms. As that number grows with increasing demand for the literacy resources, she said the community can partner with Mainstreet to help teachers access them. 

“I want to personally thank the anonymous donor who is making it possible for Mainstreet Daily News to deliver over 1,000 newspapers to local teachers who have already signed up for NIE Week,” Peppel said. “We are very excited to support teachers and promote literacy in our community.” 

According to Peppel, NIE aims to encourage reading and learning among students by using newspapers—both in print and digital formats—as effective teaching tools. 

Throughout the year, she said teachers can engage students by transforming newspapers into “living textbooks” so that students can enhance their understanding of topics like history, reading, math, economics and government. 

NIE programs focus on empowering teachers to incorporate real-world context into their lessons, making education relevant and dynamic.  

Peppel said research shows that young newspaper readers have a higher chance of becoming civic leaders. Students at schools participating in NIE score 10% higher on standardized tests than their peers, according to Mainstreet’s website. 

As students analyze current events and explore diverse subjects through the newspaper, they can develop critical thinking skills to become informed and active citizens, Peppel said. 

The “Newspaper in Education Week” proclamation was recently approved and will be presented at 11:30 a.m. on March 24 at the Alachua County Board of County Commissioners Regular Meeting. The meeting will take place in the Alachua County Administration Building, Jack Durrance Auditorium, 12 SE 1st St., 2nd Floor, in Gainesville.

For more information on how to get involved with NIE or to become a sponsor, contact Peppel at Janalyn.Peppel@mainstreetdailynews.com or visit Mainstreet’s website to sign up.