HOULTON — Newspapers can be found on people’s coffee tables, on store racks and, just as importantly, in the classrooms of most school systems.
In today’s ever-changing technological world, the Houlton Pioneer Times feels that it is important for the younger generation to know more about the newspaper industry and the history that comes with holding a product in your hands, turning the pages, and cutting out photos and articles to hang on their parents’ refrigerators.
Once again, the Houlton Pioneer Times has teamed up with area schools to celebrate Newspapers in Education Week, by creating this special supplement. This year’s section marks the 13th anniversary of the project.
NIE is a cooperative effort between schools and newspapers to promote the use of newspapers as an educational resource. The international program, which began in 1955, also seeks to help improve the students’ reading, spelling and writing abilities, as well as their artistic talents.
Again this year, pupils at Greater Houlton Christian Academy, Houlton Southside School, East Grand School, Katahdin Elementary School, Southern Aroostook and Hodgdon Mill Pond School were asked to become newspaper advertising artists and copywriters as they created “advertisements” for about 90 willing sponsors.
Students from RSU 29, RSU 50 and SAD 70 also provided wonderful essays, poems, short stories of fiction, as well as photographs and artwork for our readers to enjoy.
While Newspapers in Education is a weeklong event, the Houlton Pioneer Times works with classrooms — students, teachers and administrators — throughout the year. Whether it be a school board meeting, a basketball game, spelling bee or a band concert, newspaper reporters are covering education on the front line.
Indeed, without news of our youth and their schools, our newspapers would be missing a very vital part of the communities in which we serve.
Having newspapers in the classroom is an exceptional supplement to textbooks and iPads. A newspaper in the classroom connects young people with their community, their nation and the world.
Over the years, members of our staff have worked closely with school personnel and students to build two-way connections between the classroom and newsroom.
Some examples of this are when a reporter comes to a school to interview students for their opinion on a topic for our “Kid’s Say” segments or when one of our staff members is asked to host a job shadow experience.
This supplement to our newspaper is the result of the Newspapers in Education exercise, and we hope you will enjoy the student-created newspaper advertisements, essays and photos in this special booklet.
We also wish to thank the pupils, teachers and administrators who agreed to partner with us, as well as the businesses that provided the opportunity for the children to showcase their artistic abilities.
