GREENVILLE - Newspapers In Education (NIE) brings the world into the classroom through a living textbook: the newspaper. Local businesses and organizations are sponsoring this learning tool in hopes to give teachers another resource for the classroom.
Newspapers In Education, a national program, is offered at no cost to Darke County schools, said Sherrie Ritz, NIE coordinator for The Daily Advocate. This program benefits students and teachers alike, which in turn benefits the Darke County community as a whole, because the children are the future.
Tighter education budgets make it harder for teachers to get the resources and materials they need, said Ritz. Newspapers In Education offers them a free teaching tool, delivered to their school Monday through Friday, with a special NIE page on Tuesdays, Ritz commented.
Newspapers hold something for every student, from math to science to language arts, Ritz stated, plus they’re a malleable resource; they can be written on, cut up, and colored on – activities that help young children who learn by seeing and doing, said Ritz.
This year’s first NIE page ran Feb. 5 and will run each Tuesday in color. The goal, said Ritz, is to give teachers a different tool to build their curriculum around, one that changes each time they use it, and it’s free to the teachers, schools, and students. Currently, 1,700 newspapers are going to Darke County schools each week.
The Daily Advocate currently has three sponsors for the weekly page, including the Harry D. and Esther Stephens Memorial Trust Fund, The Maid Rite Sandwich Shoppe, and Second National Bank, Ritz said, but they’re always looking for more, because more sponsors means more newspapers in Darke County’s classrooms, said Ritz.
“We’re sponsoring NIE because Second National Bank is a big supporter of our schools and our community,” said Debby Folkerth, human resources director for Second National Bank. “We’re excited to be a part of this. We have to help our own community – we live here, we work here.”
Dr. David Trimble, the owner of The Maid Rite Sandwich Shoppe, donated to NIE because many members of his family were teachers and administrators, said Steve Carter, managing partner of the Maid Rite.
Distributions from the Harry D. and Esther Stephens Memorial Trust are made twice a year, in June and December, and only the interest income from the fund can be distributed for charitable, educational, scientific, literary and/or religious purposes. Trust fund committee members include Peter Hemer, president, Dianna Wagner, Jennifer Bish, Al Greiner, and Dr. Michael Fourman. For more information on applying for funds from the trust, contact the Darke County Chamber of Commerce.
There are several ways to contribute to NIE, Ritz said, including donating the money an individual might save if they put their paper on hold for a vacation or prolonged stay away from home, individual donations sent with subscription renewals or purchases, or individuals interested in donating can call Ritz at 937-548-3151 or email her at sritz@civitasmedia.com. Businesses and organizations may also donate by contacting Ritz.
NIE is a 501(C)3 non-profit organization, Ritz said, so sponsorships are tax deductible. To show appreciation for sponsorships, The Daily Advocate places the larger ($500 and over) sponsors’ names in the newspaper each week below the NIE page, and will thank all sponsors at least once a year in the newspaper, Ritz commented.
“The Daily Advocate and NIE appreciate every sponsor and hope to see more in the future; it’s a great way to support Darke County schools, and every penny donated goes toward NIE,” said Ritz. “NIE is a way to bring the real world into the classroom, giving students a hands-on opportunity to learn about things going on right now in our communities.”