Chicago Public Media and Chicago Public Schools launch an area journalism-based curriculum

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) has partnered with Chicago Public Media, house to WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times, to introduce native journalism-based sources to the CPS Skyline English Language Arts (ELA) Curriculum. Reaching hundreds of third via fifth grade college students, the initiative transforms 83 culturally related information tales from WBEZ and Sun-Times into grade stage texts designed to construct literacy, phrase research and fluency abilities. The partnership strengthens intermediate-grade foundational abilities instruction by incorporating real-world reporting into grade stage texts designed to be practiced and carried out with friends.

As a part of the initiative, college students from eight CPS excessive faculties prolonged their reporting via a summer season 2025 venture. Students dove deeper into the themes coated in journalism and created unique images to accompany the texts, producing new work impressed by skilled reporting. On Feb.19, college students and lecturers from Eric Solorio Academy High School, Lane Tech College Prep High School and Richards Career Academy visited Chicago Public Media’s headquarters at Navy Pier to current their last initiatives to workers. During the go to, college students toured the group’s renovated newsroom and studios and spoke straight with journalists, editors and audio producers concerning the reporting course of, storytelling and careers in media.

“This partnership demonstrates how local journalism can serve as both a civic resource and a classroom tool,” stated Dr. Lorelei Carver, CPS Literacy Specialist. “By bringing real reporting into the CPS Skyline ELA curriculum, students are not only strengthening literacy skills but they are also engaging critically with the issues affecting their communities.”

The collaboration additionally carries historic significance for WBEZ. When the station first went on air in 1943, it served because the official station of report for Chicago’s public faculties. In truth, the “BEZ” in WBEZ stands for “Board of Education.” During the polio epidemic of the Forties, WBEZ broadcast classes to college students studying from house and continued to offer academic programming for many years earlier than turning into unbiased from the Board of Education in 1990.

“This moment reflects both our future and our roots,” stated Kimbriell Kelly, Editor in Chief of Chicago Public Media. “WBEZ was founded to support public education in Chicago. Seeing our journalism now embedded in classrooms across the city is a powerful continuation of that mission.”

The initiative highlights the function of native nonprofit journalism in supporting literacy, civic understanding and neighborhood connection for the subsequent technology of Chicagoans.