In a comprehensive story detailing the effects of COVID-19 on Schurz Elementary School on a reservation in the Nevada desert, reporters Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez and Jackie Valley of The Nevada Independent revealed that “Prior to the pandemic, 80 percent of households on the Walker River reservation had a computer, but only 60 percent had access to broadband internet service. Now, every single family with a student has a computer or a Chromebook and internet access.”
That encouraging finding is just one nugget among many challenges and opportunities identified in 25 stories published over five months in INN’s collaboration called “Lesson Plans: Rural schools grapple with COVID-19.”
Read the stories:
Rural schools battled bad internet, low attendance in the pandemic. Will spring semester be better?, New Mexico in Depth – January 21, 2021
In a small rural school reside big hopes for Nevada’s Native students, The Nevada Independent – January 11, 2021
Working Through Challenges in Rural Oregon, Underscore News/Pamplin Media Group – January 8, 2021
As semester ends in Wisconsin, COVID-19 fears shrink — while concerns of academic slide grow, Wisconsin Watch – January 5, 2021
Orange County middle school declines to release attendance during pandemic, compare to 2019, Charlottesville Tomorrow – January 4, 2021
Nine months into the pandemic, learning impact on rural border schools remains unclear, El Paso Matters – January 4, 2021
A historic year, learning loss threatens recent educational gains, New Mexico In Depth – January 4, 2021
The people behind a rural Iowa school district enduring the coronavirus, IowaWatch – January 4, 2021
South Hamilton, like other rural Iowa schools, takes on what-ifs of learning in COVID, IowaWatch – January 4, 2021
A rural district’s solution for reopening schools? Six-week courses for older students, The Nevada Independent – October 23, 2020
How a rural Iowa school district changed busing for costs, staffing, and students’ safety, IowaWatch – October 23, 2020
A rural district’s solution for reopening schools? Six-week courses for older students, The Nevada Independent – October 23, 2020
How a rural Iowa school district changed busing for costs, staffing, and students’ safety, IowaWatch – October 23, 2020
COVID complicates college prep for Native students, New Mexico In Depth – October 22, 2020
El Paso COVID-19 surge could disrupt rural border education efforts, El Paso Matters – October 22, 2020
Amid technical and logistical challenges, Warm Springs parents struggle to connect, Underscore News/Pamplin Media Group – October 21, 2020
Wisconsin schools ‘whipsawing’ as COVID-19 hits rural districts, Wisconsin Watch – October 20, 2020
COVID-19 pressures Orange schools to increase routes, Charlottesville Tomorrow – October 19, 2020
COVID has made rural schools suddenly responsible for getting internet to kids in remote, unserved areas, Charlottesville Tomorrow –August 28, 2020
Oregon’s mandatory distance learning puts pressure on families, Underscore News/Pamplin Media Group – August 27, 2020
Closing the graduation gap in Jefferson County’s schools, Underscore News/Pamplin Media Group – August 27, 2020
Battling a COVID backslide in Central Oregon schools, Underscore News/Pamplin Media Group – August 27, 2020
Lesson Plans, produced with generous support from the Walton Family Foundation, was one of three editorial collaborations that INN led or co-led that recently concluded. The other two focused on rural health care and the first year of Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration.
INN considers collaboration key to providing more in-depth public service reporting on critical local topics, and expanding the reach of this content. By giving participating newsrooms access to a project manager and additional funding, we help ensure that they have the resources they need to delve into complex issues critical to their audience.
Overall, these three collaborative projects created 96 stories, including text and radio pieces, and enabled members to connect with their audiences through three participatory events, both in-person and online.
Lens on Lightfoot
With support from the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, Lens on Lightfoot included four INN members — Better Government Association, Block Club Chicago, Chalkbeat Chicago and The Chicago Reporter — as well as La Raza, The Daily Line and The TRiiBE. The project looked at how Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s policies and proposals aligned with promises she made on the campaign trail and during her first year in office.
Reach highlights:
- Fifty text-based stories published between November 2019 and November 2020
- Average of more than 3,100 unique visitors per story from partner publications, plus additional print circulation.
- Two community events including one held online, with more than 7,000 cumulative views.
Read the full reach report here.
Slammed: Rural health care and COVID-19
In partnership with Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, INN’s Amplify News Project co-led a collaboration that included Iowa Watch, Side Effects Media and Wisconsin Watch. The Amplify Project receives generous support from the Joyce Foundation to make this project possible. The project focused on the extreme pressure the already financially strapped health care systems and medical professionals faced during the pandemic.
Reach highlights:
- Text-based stories reached more than 28,500 unique visitors across four states from participating publications. Additionally, Side Effects Public Media saw additional reach through its audio story.
- A Facebook Live event about this reporting had an audience of 1.2K viewers.
- Stories from Slammed were published by an additional 51 outlets in 10 states as well as seven national outlets.
Read the full reach report here.
Lesson Plans: Rural schools grapple with COVID-19
The collaboration partners were Charlottesville Tomorrow, El Paso Matters, Iowa Watch, The Nevada Independent, New Mexico in Depth, Underscore News/Pamplin Media Group and Wisconsin Watch/The Badger Project. Walton Family Foundation provided significant funding for the project. The project focused on the unique struggles rural districts face as they educate students during the pandemic.
Reach highlights:
- Text-based stories reached more than 55,800 unique visitors across seven states from the participating publications.
- Lesson Plans stories were also published by 97 outlets in 31 states and six national/niche outlets.
Read the full reach report here.
These projects follow two previous INN-led collaborations published in 2019: “Seeking a Cure: The quest to save rural hospitals,” which explored the financial distress of rural hospitals across the Midwest, and “From Rust to Resilience: What climate change means for Great Lakes cities.”
INN also has several other collaborations underway in Chicago, including a shared photography desk; a pilot expansion of City Bureau’s Documenters program, with support from the McCormick Foundation; and a Spanish-language translation collaboration, with support from the Field Foundation and McCormick. In addition, INN is managing a national collaboration on water quality issues with support from The Water Desk and INN’s Amplify Project.
If you’d like to participate in an INN-led collaboration or have an idea for a reporting project, please contact Collaborations Leader Sharon McGowan.
