The SNPA Foundation has awarded $12,500 to the Kentucky Press Association to help fund the development of curriculum for schools that helps restore the belief that a strong media presence is essential to our democracy. The goal is to build a generation that understands the value of local journalism, who will stand as advocates today and in the future for their local newspapers.
“This is not a NIE program,” said David Thompson of the Kentucky Press Association. “It is a program designed to help newspapers make trips to local schools, regardless of where they live, and teach important concepts such as why a free press is protected by the US Constitution, how to distinguish between truth and misinformation, news versus opinion.
“We want this program eventually to be accessible to any newspaper across America and are currently developing curriculum for fifth grade, middle school and the high school level.”
SNPA Foundation Chair PJ Browning commented, “We appreciated the different approach to education and connecting newspapers to communities. We are pleased the Kentucky Press Association is planning on opening the results of this effort to papers all across America.”
The SNPA Foundation considers funding requests for programs and initiatives that support educational opportunities for the advancement of newspaper industry leaders, the creation of sustainable business models, and the technology that supports the advancement of the news eco-system.
The SNPA Foundation is especially interested in seeding projects that may start “locally,” but include the possibility of scaling to a national level; that have a broad impact on the public; or that enrich the racial diversity of professional ranks by drawing more talent into the newspaper industry.
For more information about the KPA program – Keeping Communities Connected Through Newspapers – contact David Thompson, DThompson@kypress.com. For more information about the SNPA Foundation, contact Edward VanHorn, edward@snpafoundation.org.
