Press Releases - Use The News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. USE THE NEWS ANNOUNCES NEW NEWSPAPER IN EDUCATION ELECTION GUIDES:

“YOUR VOTE COUNTS” NEW NIE MATERIALS FOR TWO LEVELS: ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY GRADES

(San Francisco, CA, April 25, 2000) The American Presidential election and beyond is the focus of new instructional materials for elementary and high schools, created by Use The News, Inc., one of the nation’s most highly-regarded and fastest-growing educational services companies. Use The News recently completed an assignment for the White House, creating a sophisticated, multi-facetted, national education program that addressed citizens’ concerns about the Y2K conversion for Newspaper in Education (NIE) programs.

“Your Vote Counts: Local, State and National Elections” helps students learn more about the many aspects of government at the community, state and national levels by using their local newspaper as a resource. In “Your Vote Counts,” Use The News has brought its special expertise in curriculum enrichment to local and state electoral processes, the Fall 2000 Presidential campaign, and other forward-looking issues in today’s political campaigns and headlines. “Your Vote Counts” responds to the timeliness of the issues surrounding the election of our next president, yet the content is designed to last far beyond a specific campaign and serves as a resource for activities and classroom discussions about the larger responsibilities of citizenship.

Working closely in partnership with Newspaper in Education programs in communities nationwide, Use The News’ “Your Vote Counts” has been developed to meet national curriculum standards. The materials have been customized for two separate educational grade levels.

A 16-page Student Supplement tabloid for elementary students (grades 2-5) is designed to provide an interactive learning experience for young students, with many workbook and activity sections. Students can use the Supplement in the classroom with their teachers or at home with their parents. Activities direct the young students to their local newspaper and age-appropriate Internet links are also provided. Topics include: How does government touch your life? What affects election decision making? Why should you become and informed, involved and active voter?

The comprehensive Teacher Guide, “Your Vote Counts: Local, State and National Elections,” is also designed to be used in conjunction with local newspapers. It serves as a stand-alone curriculum resource for middle and high school teachers (grades 6-12). Teachers can customize exercises and activities to help students understand the election process. The materials compare different forms of local and state governments, provide historical perspectives on the electoral process, examine the role of media in elections, and more. Detailed teacher pages and reproducible student activity pages are included.

“There is a need for young people to reconnect with the meaning of citizenship and civic responsibility,” says Dr. Betty L. Sullivan, President of Use The News. “This Newspaper in Education initiative will be used by teachers nationwide. Through their study of the electoral process, students learn the importance of voting and develop the habits of informed and involved citizens in a democracy.”

“The educational segments and activities in the program can be incorporated easily into a teacher’s existing educational objectives and satisfy state and local standards,” says Dr. Sherrye Dee Garrett, author of “Your Vote Counts” and Executive Editor of Use The News. “We believe the Presidential election provides a wonderful springboard for a serious exploration of government at all levels. It’s important for all of us to understand how local, state and national government bodies form the framework that makes our democracy work.”

Use The News publishes a variety of high-quality educational resources for middle and secondary school curriculums. Use The News’ imaginative and colorful products are designed to build a long-lasting awareness of newspapers among students while teaching practical subjects.

Founded by Dr. Sullivan and Dr. Garrett, Use The News offers a wide variety of teacher guides and student supplements. Use The News also works closely with many of the nation’s top newspapers in providing complete supplements that students use in conjunction with their daily local paper in their elementary, middle or high school classes. Notable recent publications include “Focus on Respect,” distributed by the United States Olympic Committee; the Y2K Youth Education Program, distributed by The President’s Council on Year 2000 Conversion; “Circus Works,” for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey; “Newspapers and the ’Net,” in which students compare news coverage of their local papers with that of national and international Internet services; and “Welcome to the Newspaper,” which introduces students to the essential aspects of producing a newspaper.

“Your Vote Counts” is available to newspaper publishers on a per-item fee basis. Contact Use The News for pricing. To order materials or receive further information about “Your Vote Counts,” contact Dr. Betty L. Sullivan of Use The News at (415) 861-1637 or by e-mail at BettySnie@aol.com Also, log on to www.usethenews.com.