What Educators and Students Say About the News Literacy Project

The News Literacy Project (NLP) is a nonprofit that provides news and media literacy resources to educators, and the feedback from teachers and students is largely positive: a 25-year teaching veteran calls Checkology "one of THE best resources I've used," and a student says it taught her about the First Amendment, journalistic integrity, and how to decipher sources. If you're an educator deciding whether to bring NLP into your classroom, the testimonials and usage numbers below are the most direct evidence available.

What the News Literacy Project does

NLP describes its mission as helping young people learn to "confidently navigate the digital world." It provides educators across all 50 states with resources to teach students how to spot falsehoods, understand media bias, find reliable sources, and think critically.

Its core offering is Checkology, a digital learning platform described as a "free virtual classroom." Lessons, activities, and infographics cover topics including misinformation, conspiratorial thinking, and algorithms.

What teachers say

The strongest teacher endorsement on the site comes from Beth Holmgren, a CTE Business Teacher at Negaunee High School in Michigan:

"Checkology is one of THE best resources I've used in 25 years of teaching."

This is worth weighing if you're comparing NLP against other media literacy curricula — the value here is longevity of classroom experience, not a first-time impression.

What students say

Student feedback focuses on concrete skills rather than general enthusiasm. Neveah Rice, a student at Cornell High School in Pennsylvania, describes what she took away:

"With Checkology, I learned about the First Amendment, journalistic integrity, deciphering sources. I think that does empower me."

That maps to three distinct competencies — civic knowledge (the First Amendment), understanding how journalism works (integrity), and a practical research skill (evaluating sources).

How the platform is positioned

NLP frames Checkology not just as useful but as "essential for 21st-century learning," a characterization it attributes to journalists, educators, and students collectively. Treat that as the organization's own framing rather than an independent verdict — but it's consistent with the specific testimonials above.

Usage numbers as a credibility signal

NLP reports that during the 2025-26 school year, its resources were used by:

These figures indicate broad adoption, which matters if you want a resource with an established track record and an existing community of users rather than something untested.

How to decide whether to use it

Consider NLP's resources if you want:

• A free digital platform (Checkology) rather than a paid curriculum
• Ready-made lessons on misinformation, media bias, algorithms, and conspiratorial thinking
• Materials already used at scale across U.S. districts

The site also offers a "Start teaching now" entry point and a video walkthrough of Checkology if you want to preview the platform before committing classroom time.

One caveat: the site lists a "Subscribe" link, but the available page evidence does not specify what that subscription covers or whether any features sit behind it. If cost or access terms matter to your decision, verify them directly rather than assuming everything is unrestricted.