One of The Lima News's largest and most important commitments is to education and literacy. Our Newspaper-In-Education (NIE) program is one means of promoting both by providing newspapers to teachers and their students throughout Northwest and West Central Ohio for use as a learning tool. NIE also allows educators to receive standard-addressing curriculum guides, supplements and workshop opportunities.

The Newspaper-in-Education (NIE) literacy program, in existence nationally for more than 40 years, is a cooperation between schools and local newspapers. The program provides students at all grade levels the opportunity to use the newspaper as a vital part of their daily studies. NIE programs have two main areas of concentration. First, NIE helps students learn with newspapers. Newspapers become key resources for teaching concepts and skills in all subject areas and at all grade levels. Second, students learn about the newspaper-how it is put together, what makes news, how to read the newspaper critically, how to separate fact from opinion, and the crucial role a free press plays in our nation.

Evidence has shown there is a distinct correlation between newspaper reading and knowledge and achievement among students. Reading skills can increase by as much as two grade levels for students who use newspapers, ANPA (American Newspaper Publishers Association) research has shown. In fact, reading scores are consistently higher for 12 to 18-year olds who use newspapers or a combination of newspapers and textbooks. The research also shows that students who read newspapers will be more advanced in reading, writing, speaking, listening and vocabulary skills, as well as more able to examine and use information presented through charts, graphs, pictures and words, manage money, property and resource, practice and understand the principles of health and safety, gain information needed to make wise career decisions, and develop a desire to learn that will last a lifetime.