The NIE Vanguard

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the NIE Vanguard program?

For decades, through its News in Education (NIE) program, the Star Tribune has offered specially discounted subscriptions to the Star Tribune to enable teachers to integrate journalism and current events into their lessons across a range of subjects. Today, of course, a growing number of readers (particularly tech-savvy students) prefer to consume their content online. So we’re transitioning NIE to a 100% digital offering. That’s creating the opportunity to bring NIE to every student in Minnesota through their school’s technology infrastructure.

2. Can our schools still receive paper copies of the Star Tribune?

Absolutely. We’re committed to continuing to offer discounted subscriptions to our print editions for those schools that still want the paper-based reading experience. And the NIE Vanguard program also includes access for all to the Star Tribune eEdition, an exact digital replica of the daily newspaper.

3. What’s the cost of participating in NIE?

Thanks to grant funding, there is no cost to schools who participate in the NIE Vanguard program. There are no set-up costs, hidden fees, or per-student charges.

4. How do you ensure student privacy?

While each student will have their own individual account through your education platforms, their identity is shielded from the Star Tribune. Students do not register with Star Tribune, and there are no targeted ads aimed at any NIE readers. As an added precaution, Star Tribune turns off the commenting feature for NIE readers.

5. Is the goal simply to get teachers and students to become new Star Tribune subscribers?

No. We truly want to be a helpful resource in our local education system for teachers and students to have access to trustworthy journalism and current events in the 21st century classroom.  

6. Which education platforms has Star Tribune integrated with so far?

Star Tribune has successfully integrated with the market-leading single sign-on platform ClassLink, in a pilot with Hopkins School District. Through ClassLink, Hopkins is currently able to share one-click access to Star Tribune to all administrators, teachers, and students.

7. What if my school district’s platform isn’t integrated with Star Tribune yet?

We will work with your technology team to discover the best way to provide easy access to your district and work to make it a reality. The level of integration will impact the timeline of launch, but we will work alongside your team every step of the way.

8. How can my school district participate?

To start, we’re asking you to complete an enrollment form to put us in touch with your technology office. We’re initially targeting certain education platforms from leading providers, which may affect when we can begin serving your school district.