Celebrating Newspaper in Education Week
Engaging young people in the world around them and building life-long readers is the mission of Newspaper in Education programs throughout the world. Here in Florida, there is a strong history of using newspapers as a living textbook in classrooms to teach about the real world. From national and local news to sports and entertainment, newspapers are a window into our communities.
Florida Press Educational Services (FPES) is proud to commemorate Newspaper in Education Week 2025 and encourages teachers, parents and students to read the newspaper daily in school and at home to enrich their lives.
FPES and its member Newspaper in Education programs join in celebrating Newspaper in Education Week during the first full school week in March annually. This event is a fantastic opportunity for publishers and marketing, news, circulation and advertising directors to learn more about the importance of Newspaper in Education (NIE) programs, too. Not only are newspapers paramount for the future of a prosperous and well-educated society; engaging young readers is paramount for a newspaper’s longevity.
Did you know that more than 60 percent of people with high exposure to newspapers in childhood are regular readers of newspapers as adults? The goal of NIE programs is to create a generation of lifelong readers, critical thinkers, engaged citizens and informed consumers. NIE programs across Florida promote literacy, civic engagement and critical thinking, particularly for young people. John F. Kennedy said, “Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource.” The purpose of NIE is to engage and develop that resource.
To learn more about Florida’s NIE programs, visit the Florida Press Educational Services website at fpesnie.org.
Jodi Pushkin is the President of Florida Press Educational Services and the manager of the Tampa Bay Times Newspaper in Education program. A former public school teacher, she has worked in NIE for more than two decades. In addition to her work with NIE, Pushkin is an adjunct instructor at Saint Leo University and Hillsborough Community College. Contact her at jpushkin@tampabay.com.