Tampa Bay STEM Network named 2025 Friend of Newspaper in Education

Newspaper in Education (NIE) programs are more relevant than ever in today’s world. Research shows that young people who are exposed to newspapers in their classrooms are more likely to become daily readers of the newspaper, become more knowledgeable about the world around them and become more involved citizens in their communities.

Since 2013, Florida Press Educational Services (FPES) has presented an annual Friend of NIE Award in recognition of an individual or organization that has helped to further FPES’ goal of promoting literacy, civic engagement and critical thinking, particularly for young people, by using the newspaper as an educational resource.

The 2025 Friend of NIE recipient is the Tampa Bay STEM Network. Larry Plank, President of the Tampa Bay STEM Network, accepted the Friend of NIE award Friday, August 1 at the 2025 Florida Media Conference.

The Tampa Bay STEM Network is committed to offering engaging and interactive STEM programs that inspire creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills in young minds. The goal of the non-profit organization is to cultivate a passion for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and prepare students for future success in a rapidly evolving world.

Plank, a visiting assistant professor of science education in the College of Education at the University of South Florida and the former executive director for K-12 science education for Hillsborough County Public Schools, played a critical role in the recent NIE project Space4All.

Space4All was funded by a grant from NASA’s Teams Engaging Affiliated Museums and Informal Institutions (TEAM II) Community Anchor Award program. TEAM II is funded through NASA’s Next Generation STEM project, which supports kindergarten to grade 12 students, caregivers, and formal and informal educators in engaging the Artemis Generation in the agency’s missions and discoveries.

The project was a partnership between the Tampa Bay Times Newspaper in Education program, Florida Press Educational Services, the Tampa Bay STEM Network, the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative and Pinellas County Schools.

Spearheaded by the Times Newspaper in Education program, Space4All included an original NIE publication, a teacher guide, teacher training activities and a series of public library-based, hands-on STEM events serving 500 students.