This summer, the University of Maryland and several high schools in neighboring Prince George’s County are partnering on a proposed project called ScienceBEAT, “an interdisciplinary writing initiative that supports core writing objectives for information texts as it enhances literacy in science, health and technology.”

The proposed grant, to be submitted in August to the U.S. Department of Education, would allow researchers at U. of Maryland to work with K-12 educations to teach students how to report about and explain complex health information to a range of digital audiences. Specifically, students reporters would use mobile devices to produce explanatory photos, visualize data and more.

I’m excited to bring my research on media literacy — how students access, filter and evaluate digital news — to the project and to join a team that features my former adviser, Dr. Ronald Yaros, who is spearheading the initiative. More news to come as the partnership progresses.