The Convergence Academies initiative aims to raise student achievement by enhancing students’ and teachers’ 21 century technology and media skills.

“News in the Age of Convergence” is a Convergence Academies project to increase student knowledge and skills in 21^st century news and information literacy through the creation of classroom curriculum units that infuse news literacy and journalism, aligned to Common Core State Standards. Teachers receive professional development through one-to-one coaching and classroom support by Digital Media Mentors. The Advisory Board for the project is made up of:

• Peter Adams, Senior Vice President, Educational Programs, News Literacy Project
• David Cooper Moore, Director of Powerful Voices for Kids, a national university-school partnership model based at the Media Education Lab at the University of Rhode Island
• Sandra Cortesi, Director of Youth and Media Project at Harvard University’s Berkman Center for the Internet and Society
• Jeff McCarter, Founding Director of Free Spirit Media

About Convergence Academies

The Center for Community Arts Partnerships (CCAP) was established in 1998 at Columbia College Chicago to create a formal infrastructure through which faculty, students, and staff could carry out the college’s mission of civic engagement. CCAP is committed to transforming lives through the arts. To fulfill that mission, CCAP develops programs that expand learning, connect Columbia College Chicago to schools and communities, and builds a new generation of engaged artists. Convergence Academies (CA) is a project funded by a U.S. Department of Education Investing in Innovation grant in which CCAP partners closely with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) to create and implement a whole-school reform model that integrates digital media arts and technology throughout two CPS schools reaching 1,200 students each year.

Impact

• The project will provide intensive, sustained professional development for at least 10 Chicago Public Schools teachers.
• At least six unique news literacy and digital media curriculum units will be created from 2013-2015.
• Convergence Academies received a two-year $100,000 grant from the McCormick Foundation for “News in the Age of Convergence.” Additional resources for students include the creation of a Digital Atelier, which include a partnership with Archeworks, a pro bono team of experienced architects, engineers and designers consulting on the design.

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