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2024 Bob Wallack Intern Stipend Applications Open Until May 31

Editors at New England Newspaper & Press Association member publications are invited and encouraged to apply for a $500 stipend for one of their 2024 summer interns.

They are awarded to aspiring community journalists in honor of former New England Press Association Executive Director Bob Wallack.

If you would like NENPA to consider your intern for this special award, please submit a letter that briefly outlines:

  • Your intern’s background and aspirations
  • The type of experience you’ll be providing for him/her in the coming months
  • The level of contribution that you expect the intern to make at your newspaper this summer
  • Why you believe this intern merits this special compensation. (In other words, will the money be well spent on this student?)

Please submit your nomination by Friday, May 31, 2024, to Linda Conway, l.conway@nenpa.com, using the subject line Summer Intern Stipend.

We can also advertise your internship positions to journalism students and help you fill them. Send your internship information to students@nenpa.com.

About the Bob Wallack Community Journalism Fund

Bob Wallack

Longtime New England journalist and former New England Press Association Executive Director Bob Wallack died in January 2014 after a brief illness at the age of 63.

Bob’s career in community journalism spanned over four decades and took him to three different New England states. He worked for a variety of daily and weekly community newspapers in positions ranging from a reporter, general manager, and publisher. He also served as Executive Director of the New England Press Association during the 1990s.

Former colleagues of Bob’s have launched a fund in his memory that will support both community journalism and young people in our industry — two of Bob’s lifelong passions. In addition to this stipend for interns, NENPA bestows an annual Bob Wallack Community Journalism Award, recognizing a New England newspaperman or woman for exemplary community journalism. Previous recipients include Steve Damish of The Enterprise in Brockton, Mass.; Thor Jourgensen of The Daily Item in Lynn, Mass.; Stanley Moulton of the Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton, Mass.; Ray Duckler of the Concord (NH) Monitor; John Flowers of the Addison Independent in Middlebury, VT, Edward W. Forry of the Dorchester Reporter, Dorchester, MA, James D Haggerty III of the Daily Times Chronicle, Woburn, MA, Steve Collins of the Sun Journal, Lewiston, ME, and Wayne Braverman of the The Bedford Citizen, Bedford, MA.

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Hundreds Gathered for 2024 New England Newspaper Convention

Vermont publications gather for a group shoot with their awards after the New England Better Newspaper Competition Awards banquet on March 23, 2024.

The New England Newspaper Convention, held on March 22-23, 2024, at the Westin Waltham Hotel in Waltham, Massachusetts, brought together journalists, photographers, designers, publishers, students, professors, vendors, and media advertising professionals. The event featured a variety of engaging sessions, including workshops, award presentations, and insightful talks by speakers and panelists.

While not every attendee went home from the Beter Newspaper Competition Awards banquet with one or more awards, some media organizations were seen carting off stacks of framed certificates presented across dozens of categories. Many who attended the full convention said they were rewarded with great insights from speakers, presenters, and panelists who led spirited, information-packed break-out sessions on each day.

Hall of Fame inductees gather for a group shot after the dinner on March 22, 2024.

Friday evening, colleagues, staffers, and family members gathered to see George Brennan of The Martha’s Vineyard Times; David Brooks of the Concord Monitor;  Melvin B. Miller of the Bay State Banner; and (posthumously) Frank Dingley of the Lewiston Evening Journal inducted into the New England Newspaper Hall of Fame.

The newest Academy of New England Journalists members gather for a group shot after receiving the Yankee Quill Award at a luncheon on March 23, 2024.

Other honorees shared the spotlight during Saturday’s Yankee Quill Award luncheon, as the New England Academy of Journalists honored George Brennan of The Martha’s Vineyard Times, Ellen Clegg of The Boston Globe, Izaskun “Sassy” E. Larraneta of The Day, Ed Miller of The Provincetown Independent, and Mark Pothier of The Boston Globe.

ProPublica Editor-in-Chief Stephen Engelberg addresses the crowd during the keynote presentation at the New England Newspaper Convention on March 22, 2024.

The keynote activities to kick off the convention, commenced Friday, March 22 at 11 am welcoming ProPublica Editor-in-Chief Stephen Engelberg to discuss “The Power of Collaboration.” He briefed attendees on how ProPublica has built a complex network of partners, collaborators, and colleagues at every level of the news media, from national newspapers to local television.

Engelberg stressed how developing each of these relationships began with thorough communications including agreeing upon how each involved party would be credited, how editing between or among co-publishers would be handled, and how potential crisis outcomes like lawsuits would be handled.

“We have institutionalized being everywhere with localized news networks,” he explained after he and his team determined “how we could become more deeply rooted” in areas of the country that might be lacking investigative resources, or those that have over time become news deserts.

When asked by departing NENPA Presiden Terry Williams of the Keene Sentinel about what that kind of collaboration looks like on the front lines, Engelberg said it often involved “putting reporters on the ground for weeks and months,” not hours and days.

“You have to believe wherever you are, that there are great stories that have to be told,” he added. And “you have to ask yourself, what’s happening in statehouses and local governments if somebody isn’t there” reporting it.

“There’s a whole bunch of (bad) things that never happened because we did our jobs,” Engelberg concluded, “your showing up matters. And in an era of shrinking resources, working with other people will get you what you need.”

Friday Breakout Sessions

Tim Griggs, the founder of Blue Engine, delivered great advice on paid revenue development during his March 22, 2024 session.

Following Friday’s lunch period, individual sessions were conducted beginning with back-to-back break-outs. Outgoing NENPA President Williams noted that NENPA and the New England Association of Communication Executives partnered in presenting “The Readership Imperative: Building Audience,” a two-part session that explored the ways and means to increase paid readership and retain audiences and membership. 

“The opening session was led by Tim Griggs, founder of Blue Engine, a leading consultant working with publishers on increasing those who pay for content,” Williams said. “Following that, John Harrison, vice president of customer experience at Wallit, moderated a panel discussion on the tactics New England newspapers have taken to increase digital subscriptions.”

On the panel, in addition to Griggs, were Tim Dwyer, publisher of The Day in Connecticut; Allie Ginwala, audience engagement editor for the Concord (N.H.) Monitor; Jim Falzone, publisher for North of Boston Media Group; and Gary Lavariere, chief revenue officer for the Berkshire Eagle in Massachusetts, Williams added.

The first tier of sessions also brought in Bill Ostendorf from Creative Circle talking about “Writing headlines for readers.” And for those hoping to hone their Q&A skills, a spirited panel including Dugan Arnett of the Boston Globe; Jenifer McKim from GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting, and Emily Sweeney of the Boston Globe shared “Journalism Fundamentals: Interviewing techniques and sources.”

Among the many pearls of wisdom dispensed, McKim responded to one question urging young and upcoming journalists to “be confident and curious.” She also echoed Engelberg telling attendees, “relationship building is important.”

As Sweeny facilitated, she brought Dugan into the conversation. He detailed how he set about building a relationship with a local police chief over a period of many months, sharing tips and tactics that helped him produce a widely read report in the Globe.

Rich Saltzberg, speaking during the Journalism Fundamentals: Access to Public Records and FOIA Requests session on March 22, 2024.

The next set of afternoon sessions introduced Jeff Potter of The Commons presenting “InDesign Tricks and Techniques for Newspaper Production.” At the same time, a panel featuring Ethan Genter of Vineyard Gazette, freelance journalist Rich Saltzberg, Justin Silverman from NEFAC, and the Globe’s Sweeney enlightening participants with “Journalism Fundamentals: Access to Public Records and FOIA Requests.”

Charles St. Amand from Suffolk University helped participants during his session on March 22, 2024, improve their skills at being their own copy editors.

The final two break-outs of the day brought back Ostendorf talking about “Why branded content should be your premiere advertising offering this year.” Separately, Charles St. Amand from Suffolk University closed out the “Journalism Fundamentals” track helping participants improve their skills at being their own copy editors.

“There are a lot of words that are mis-used and confused,” St. Amand said, reminding engaged attendees, “Copy editors serve as gatekeepers guarding your publication’s reputation.”

Saturday Break-Outs

Early birds who were up for the opening sessions on March 23 were able to choose from three presentations.

Mike Reilly, creator of the JouralistsToolbox.ai, presented Introduction to AI Tools, the first of his three sessions on March 23, 2024.

Mike Reilly, who created the JouralistsToolbox.ai, and is affiliated with the University of Illinois-Chicago presented the first of three sessions: “Introduction to AI Tools,” aiming to instruct journalists on how to harness the tools to save time, and introduce folks to MidJourney and Adobe Firefly to create photo illustrations; along with basic editing tools; writing prompts and updates to tools such as Google Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, and others.

“A lot of folks are afraid of AI,” Reilly observed, but added that journalists could still benefit from the advanced technology as long as they “approach AI with cautious curiosity.”

Adriana Lacy from Brandeis University presented Innovative Strategies for Monetizing Newsletters in 2024 on March 23, 2024.

Consultant and educator Adriana Lacy from Brandeis University presented “Innovative Strategies for Monetizing Newsletters in 2024.” Separately, The Globe’s Tim Rasmussen focused on the rapidly evolving landscape of video journalism, focusing on crafting compelling narratives within the constraints of short-form content in his session: “Video: short-form storytelling for the newsroom.”

Reilly’s #2 session picked up continuing to educate attendees on “Data Journalism Fundamentals,” covering data scraping web pages with Google Sheets, and scraping PDFs with Tabula and PDFtoExcel.com, along with building graphics with Flourish.studio.

Dr. Mario R. Garcia presented the challenges facing editors transforming their news operations to become mobile-first operations, while also ushering in AI on March 23, 2024.

At the same time, NENPA introduced Boston Press Photographers Association member and independent photojournalist Angela Rowlings for a dive into the world of photojournalism and photo editing.

Afternoon sessions commenced with “three-peater” Reilly closing out his convention visit concentrating on “Fact-checking and the election,” where he revealed hands-on tools for fact-checking election-related content: Google reverse image search, Tineye, WatchFramebyFrame for videos, Fact-Check Explorer, and others.

A session entitled “Two Revolutions in the Newsroom: Mobile Storytelling and Artificial Intelligence” brought in Dr. Mario R. Garcia with case studies and discussion around the challenges facing editors transforming their news operations to become mobile-first operations, while also ushering in Artificial Intelligence.

And Saturday’s mid-afternoon panel delivered a master class on “Investigative Reporting,” with Noah Bombard from the MA Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities; Antonia Noori Farzan of the The Providence Journal; Michael Gagne of The News-Times; Chris Larabee of the The Greenfield Recorder; Tiffany Tan from VTDigger; and Christopher Wheelock of the Sun Journal.

Saturday afternoon sessions wrapped with Yankee Quill honoree Clegg joining Northeastern University journalism professor Dan Kennedy discussing their recently released book, “What Works in Community News: Media Startups, News Deserts, and the Future of the Fourth Estate,” a groundbreaking study of the journalism startups that are solving the local news crisis one community at a time.

During Saturday’s lunch break, those who were not attending the Yankee Quill event were offered an opportunity to screen “Bad Press,” a timely documentary that premiered at Sundance in 2024. The documentary tells the true story of journalist Angel Ellis and the fight for press freedom in the Muscogee Native American Nation.

Angel Ellis, director at Mvskoke Media, and Becca Landsberry, executive director of the Native American Journalists Association joined the room on March 23, 2024 for a discussion after the screening of their documentary BAD PRESS.

The screening was followed by a lively Q&A over Zoom, featuring Ellis, director at Mvskoke Media, and Becca Landsberry, executive director of the Native American Journalists Association. 

The documentary opened with the shocking news that the Muscogee Nation, one of the few Native American tribes with a free press, had abruptly shut it down. The tribe’s government revoked the Free Press Act, giving them control over the news outlet, Mvskoke Media.

This act of censorship ignited a fire in Ellis, a tenacious reporter who refused to be silenced.  She rallied a voter-supported amendment to the tribal constitution aiming to guarantee a free press forever. The film follows the high-stakes battle as the tribe approaches a new election, turning the fight for press freedom into a thrilling political race.

During the Q&A the presenters’ passion for the project and the fight for press freedom resonated with the audience, evidenced by the insightful questions posed. The powerful combination of the film and the live discussion suggested that “Bad Press “will play a significant role in supporting press freedom on other tribal reservations.

Journalists, newspaper professionals, and other members of the media are reminded to mark their calendars for the NENPA Fall Conference being presented in partnership with the New York Press Association, which is scheduled for September 20 – 21 in Providence, Rhode Island.

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Press Forward Issues Open Call on Closing Local Coverage Gaps

Press Forward’s first open call will address the longstanding inequalities in journalism coverage and practice in the U.S., by investing in small, local newsrooms that provide original reporting in underserved communities.

Through this Open Call on Closing Local Coverage Gaps, at least 100 newsrooms will receive around $100,000 each over two years in unrestricted funds. News organizations with budgets of up to $1 million are eligible.

In the U.S., the news media has not adequately represented, reached nor uplifted the voices of under-represented groups in their coverage. As a result, entire communities are left out of the conversation on the issues that most affect their lives, resulting in lower levels of voting and civic engagement, deeper polarization and a higher cost for government services.

Press Forward wants to ensure that local coverage meets the needs of communities of color, linguistically diverse communities, low-wealth rural communities, and others not adequately served, reached or represented. This open call offers funding to smaller news organizations that are providing the hyperlocal, original reporting people need to make important decisions.

Start the application process by reviewing the program guidelines.

Then, apply for funding.

The application closes at 11:59 p.m. ET/ 8:59 PT on June 12, 2024.

Click here for more information

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NEFAC Seeks Nominations for 14th Annual New England First Amendment Awards

The New England First Amendment Coalition is seeking nominations for its 2024 Michael Donoghue Freedom of Information Award and its Antonia Orfield Citizenship Award.

The FOI Award is given each year to a New England journalist or team of journalists for a body of work from the previous calendar year that protects or advances the public’s right to know under federal or state law. Preference is given to those who overcome significant official resistance.

Nomination form here.

The Antonia Orfield Citizenship Award is given to an individual from one of the six New England states who has fought for information crucial to the public’s understanding of its community or what its government is doing — or not doing — on its behalf. The candidate should have shown tenacity or bravery in the face of difficulty while obtaining information that the public has a right to know.

Nomination form here.

The deadline for both award submissions is May 15, 2024.

The award will be presented at NEFAC’s 14th annual New England First Amendment Awards. This year’s ceremony is a private invitation-only event in Boston this June.

Also to be presented at the ceremony are the Stephen Hamblett First Amendment Award.

The Stephen Hamblett First Amendment Award, named after the late publisher of The Providence Journal, is given to an individual who has promoted, defended, or advocated for the First Amendment.

For more information click here.

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Solving the puzzle of advertising

John Foust Advertising
John Foust has conducted training programs for thousands of newspaper advertising professionals. Many ad departments are using his training DVDs to save time and get quick results from in-house training. Email for information: john@johnfoust.com.

We’ve all heard challenges described as puzzles. With that in mind, let’s take a look at a real puzzle and see how it relates to the particular challenges of creating advertising. Jigsaw puzzles, of course, are illustrations, photographs or other graphic representations that are cut into many pieces. The challenge is to fit them together, each piece in its special place in the overall picture. The more pieces in the puzzle, the bigger the challenge. 

In my opinion, the most important part of a jigsaw puzzle is the picture on the box which shows what the completed puzzle looks like. Imagine the difficulty of working on a puzzle without that guide. Is it a beach scene or a cityscape? Is it birds of North America or antique sports cars? You’ll never know unless there is something to follow. 

It’s just as difficult – and a lot more costly – to put together an ad campaign without a guideline to follow. If you dump the pieces out of the box and try to force them to fit, you’ll end up with a jumbled mess that is destined to fall apart. But if you start with a plan, you’ll have a picture to guide you along the way. 

Here are some thoughts on advertising’s puzzle box:

  • Start with research. Roberto, who speaks glowingly of the ad team he manages, once told me, “We wouldn’t think of calling on clients unless we know as much as possible about them. Thanks to their web sites, online articles and our own files, we’re in position to start in-person conversations on the same wave length. That usually establishes a good rapport, so we can shift our questions to their products, their prime audiences, and the history of their past advertising efforts. We focus hard on benefits, because that’s the engine of the advertising.”
  • Organize the information. When working on a jigsaw puzzle, it makes sense to sort the pieces before putting them together. A little extra time now will save a lot of time later. Put the border pieces together (they have at least one straight edge). Then put all the colors together. And so on, until there’s some order to the chaos.It’s the same in advertising. After you gather the right kind of information, take time to separate and prioritize the pieces. As you clearly identify a target audience and their buying motives, you’ll see matches with certain product benefits. And as you consider the way those bits can fit together, the bigger picture will begin to emerge.
  • Translate the information into advertising. After you put the information into workable order, the next step is to develop an advertising theme and specific ads to carry out that plan,” Or as Roberto described it, “Strategy first, then tactics. In other words, the theme comes first, then the copy ideas, offers and illustrations.”

The point is simple: When you open the box to work with a new advertiser, make sure to have a good picture to follow. 

(c) Copyright 2024 by John Foust. All rights reserved.

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New England High School Journalism Collaborative Spring Mixer on Thursday, April 25

The New England High School Journalism Collaborative is currently seeking dedicated volunteers to assist in the presentation of our program.

We invite you to attend our Spring Mixer on Thursday, April 25, to learn more about our initiative.

During the Open House, you will have the opportunity to see firsthand how your involvement can help us to continue this unique program, which was established more than 37 years ago by the late Carole C. Remick.

Come and learn about our tradition of journalism training and career support from our writing coaches, advisors, and friends of the program as we prepare to host students from around New England in a weeklong journalism experience.

Our volunteers play an integral role in the administration of the program, as well as in the instruction of the students. We welcome your assistance in ensuring the ongoing success of our initiative.

We are excited about training the next generation of journalists and look forward to discussing this with you.

Date: Thursday, April 25, 2024

Time: 6-9 p.m.

Place: HUE Boston, 90 Exeter St., hueboston.com

Sign up for NEHSJC Spring Mixer!

For more information, please email one of our board members.

Corey Allen, NEHSJC board member, mr.cjallen@gmail.com
Leah Lamson, NEHSJC managing director, lamsonleah@gmail.com
Milton Valencia, NEHSJC board president, milton.valencia@globe.com

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NEACE Spring Conference May 5-6 at the Hotel Northampton in Northampton, MA

The NorthEast Association of Communication Executives (NEACE) will hold its spring conference on May 5-6 at the Hotel Northampton in Northampton, MA. The event will be a two-day (Sunday and Monday) in-person conference to accommodate everyone’s busy schedules. Conference registration and sponsorship opportunities are available now. A complete conference agenda, speaker bios, and registration info is available at NEACE.com.

The Hotel Northampton was selected for its excellent downtown location, easy access, and reasonable rates. Guests arriving early or spouses not attending the conference will have no trouble finding great attractions to explore. Moreover, the local dining options in the area are as good as any other city in New England. We are thrilled to see our industry peers and vendor partners live and in person. We hope to see you there!

Topics include:

2024 Industry Update from John Kelly, Publisher of Daily Clips
Thousands of industry professionals rely on John’s daily newsletter, here’s your chance to meet him!

Audience Engagement from Teresa M. Hanafin, Boston Globe
Teresa leads the industry in using newsletters to engage a newspaper audience, see how you can connect with your readers.

Subscription Tax Credit proposed by MA State Rep J.R. Turco
Turco is a staunch newspaper supporter and discusses how this bill could help newspapers drive subscriptions.

Rethink Print Distribution by Tom Salvo, Lee Newspapers
Lessons learned and success stories from day reductions and postal delivery conversion of dozens of community newspapers.

Prepare for Digital Only by Susan Probert, Advance Local Media
Preparing for a future where print publications transition to digital-only distribution.

Subscription growth through audience data by Will Barker, BlueConic
How to capture valuable data from your website visitors and convert them to paid subscribers. Tools and techniques available to publishers.

Register for the event at NEACE.com.

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Thanks to Everyone Who Made the New England Newspaper Convention a Success!

Vermont publications gather for a group shoot with their awards after the New England Better Newspaper Competition Awards banquet on March 23, 2024.

We had a fantastic time at the New England Newspaper Convention on March 22-23 at the Westin Waltham Hotel in Waltham, MA! We want to thank everyone who attended, sponsored, or won an award for helping to make the event a success.

The convention was a great opportunity for newspaper professionals from across New England to come together, learn from each other, and network. The live educational programming covered a wide range of important topics, from the challenges facing the newspaper industry to how to make publications successful. There were also plenty of opportunities for attendees to connect with colleagues and make new friends.

We are especially grateful to our sponsors, whose generosity helped to make the convention possible. We would also like to congratulate all of the publications that entered and all the award winners in the 2023 New England Better Newspaper Competition on their achievements. We’re excited to see so many publications proudly showcasing their awards and sharing their successes with their audiences! Here are some of the articles:

We look forward to seeing you all at the next New England Newspaper Convention!

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SPJ Region 1 Conference April 19-20 at Emerson College

My name is Adam Sennott, I’m the president of the New England chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. SPJ-NE is hosting the organization’s Region 1 conference on April 19-20. Please, join us for an exciting in-person event at Emerson College on Boylston Street, in the heart of Boston, MA!

We’re excited to announce that Lesley Visser, one of the best sports journalists of all time and a pioneer for women in the industry, will be our keynote speaker.

The Society of Professional Journalists Region 1 Conference is a must-attend gathering for journalists, reporters, and media enthusiasts. Immerse yourself in insightful panel discussions, engaging workshops, and networking opportunities with industry professionals. Discover the latest trends, techniques, and challenges in the ever-evolving world of journalism. Don’t miss this chance to connect, learn, and grow with fellow journalists from across the region. Mark your calendars and get ready for an unforgettable experience!

College SPJ chapters should email spjnewengland@gmail.com for a student discount promo code to share with members. Individual student journalists not affiliated with a campus chapter may also email for the code.

Don’t miss our featured speaker, Dale R. Anglin, Inaugural Executive Director, Press Forward on Saturday, April 20 at 2:30 pm. Press Forward is a national coalition investing more than $500 million to strengthen local newsrooms, close longstanding gaps in journalism coverage, advance public policy that expands access to local news, and scale the infrastructure the sector needs to thrive. We can’t wait to hear what she has to say!

Other Panels Include:

How to Get a Job, featuring:
Paula Bouknight, assistant managing editor for hiring and development for the Boston Globe
Chris R. Vaccaro, media executive, author, and professor

Investigative Reporting, featuring:
Todd Wallack, correspondent on WBUR’s investigative team.
Patricia Wen, staff writer for the Boston Globe magazine and former Spotlight editor
Jenifer McKim, deputy investigative editor at the GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting
Phillip Martin, senior investigative reporter for the GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting

Report for America presentation featuring:
Kim Kleman, executive director of Report for America

The Business of Journalism, featuring:
Doug Struck, Emerson College professor and former reporter for the Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, and other newspapers. He reported extensively from Iraq over 16 years and covered conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, the West Bank, East Timor and the southern Philippines.

Covering the Gardner Heist, featuring:
Stephen Kurkjian, one of the most acclaimed investigative reporters in the country. A forty-year veteran of the Boston Globe, he is the paper’s former Washington bureau chief and a founding member of its investigative Spotlight Team. Kurkjian has won more than twenty-five national and regional awards, including the Pulitzer Prize on three occasions.
Bruce Gellerman, award-winning journalist and former senior correspondent for WBUR.

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PRESS RELEASE: Across New England, more than 36,000 elementary school students are reading their way into climate action

Media Contact:
Rachel Danford at contact@energydetectives.org
A digital copy of this press release can be found at energydetectives.org/news

Across New England, more than 36,000 elementary school students are reading their way into climate action

Agawam, MA — Cooler Communities, a Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation project, is committed to making climate education in the classroom simple, fun, and free for teachers and students. Their mission is to support teachers in connecting classroom learning to climate solutions through literacy and other means, inspiring students to become climate stewards. Educators across New England are taking advantage of these resources and have already ordered over 36,000 free copies of a new children’s picture book, The Energy Detectives: The Mystery of the Snow, with new orders coming in every day.

The program’s approach is the brainchild of Massachusetts philanthropist Harold Grinspoon and uses children’s literature to make climate concepts concrete and engaging for students. The free books are paired with free, hands-on, standards-based lessons that are adaptable to teachers’ needs. “We kept hearing that teachers wanted to introduce climate education in the classroom, but resources and time were lacking. The enthusiasm for this pilot program shows that there’s a real interest and need for climate education resources that are simple and convenient”, said Uli Nagel, Director at Cooler Communities.

Teachers who have already used the resources are appreciative;

  • “The book was a big hit. And I liked it too as a teacher! I felt like the children could easily connect concepts from the lessons with what was happening in the book.” — Robyn Wayrynen, STEAM Educator
  • “I would definitely recommend the curriculum, it’s easy to follow and easy to modify, too, for whatever you and your students need.” — Rachel Conklin, K-4 Science Educator.

With many more free copies of the book available for order, a library of free, standard-based lessons and activities on their website, and a second children’s book in the works, Cooler Communities hopes to be a trusted climate education resource for classroom teachers across New England and beyond.

Educators can order free copies of The Energy Detectives: The Mystery of the Snow for all their students and explore the free standards-aligned lessons on the website: www.energydetectives.org.

About The Energy Detectives: The Energy Detectives is a series of free educational books that inspire children to become climate stewards. Through exciting mysteries and relatable characters, these books encourage young readers to explore sustainability, energy efficiency, and climate solutions.

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