You may not know it, but if you are a subscriber to our print edition and put your paper on hold when you are on vacation, you are helping to fund an important program for Louisiana students.

Our News in Education program has, for years, given students and teachers in K-12 classrooms across the state access to our content for free.

Teachers use it for civics lessons, to stay up to date on the news themselves or just for fun. While the newspaper bears the cost of subscriptions for participating schools, the cost savings it gets from vacation stops goes directly to that program. Even as subscribers still have full access to the news online, students get to read the news online for free.

I spoke to our director of consumer revenue Claudia Laws recently about the program and why it is important.

First, she said it is one of our most popular programs and she gets a ton of feedback on it. While the program would welcome corporate or nonprofit support, the newspaper is committed to funding it. Schools just have to send in a request to participate. If you’re a teacher and want to inquire about the News in Education program, please reach out to Claudia at claws@theadvocate.com.

No one is ever turned down. Teachers love what it brings to the classroom, she said. Right now, 1 in 3 of the state’s K-12 classrooms has access to our content through News in Education.

And for a newspaper, it’s part of our mission, she noted.

“I want these people to know who we are, that we are trustworthy. And as for media literacy, we want to encourage that,” Laws said.

Media literacy seems to be on the wane in some quarters, but we believe that supporting future generations of readers who value good journalism isn’t only good for business, but also for our society. Readers who question the sources and methods of news gathering make journalists better. We want readers to learn early how to spot the difference between news and opinion. While each has its place in a balanced media diet, they should never be confused for one another.

As AI and other forms of manipulation of media become more common, these skills become even more important.

Our News in Education program aims to provide a way for schools to teach them. And who knows? It just may light a fire in some students to become future journalists. I know I became interested in the field because we read newspapers in our household when I was growing up.

Speaking of vacations, the letters tally will be on hiatus for a while as we end the summer. But we will be back this fall as students return to school and political races heat up. Hope you are enjoying the last days of summer with family and friends.

Arnessa Garrett is managing editor for Opinions. Email her at arnessa.garrett@theadvocate.com