The 74
Project Title
For general support
Date
Mar. 06, 2025
Duration
18 months
Description
The 74 is a nonprofit news organization launched in 2015 with the mission to provide in-depth, fact-based journalism on critical issues in K-12 education across the United States. With a focus on education reform, innovation, and equity, The 74’s reporting aims to bridge the gap between parents, students, educators, policymakers, and the general public. Their work includes investigative reporting, storytelling, and video content, highlighting the human experiences behind education policies and practices. The 74 seeks to foster informed public dialogue, encouraging parents and communities to engage with education reform efforts. With this renewal grant, The 74 is seeking to continue and expand its reporting over the next two years. Through its coverage, The 74 serves as a direct service to the public by providing accessible, nonpartisan reporting aimed at educating and informing parents, educators, advocates, and policymakers. Their journalism empowers readers to take meaningful action in their communities, such as advocating for policy changes, engaging in local school issues, or exploring education innovations that could improve student outcomes.
Website
Project Title
For general support
Date
Dec. 14, 2023
Duration
15 months
Description
In a world unfortunately consumed by misinformation, there’s a need to enhance public understanding, and to achieve that we need to deliver straightforward, precise, and in-depth reporting. With a seven-year track record of leading a fact-based conversation about what was broken in American schools and about the innovators working to fix them, The74, a nonprofit news organization mobilized to provide in-depth coverage in seven selected U.S cities. With renewed support from the Corporation, The74 will continue to cover both local and national topics that concern our communities and will focus its journalism on several issues that experts say are critical to getting students back on track in a post-pandemic world.
Website
Project Title
For general support
Date
Mar. 09, 2023
Duration
12 months
Description
A matrix of challenges in education stemming from the disruptionscaused by the COVID-19 pandemic suggests that recovery will require an equallyintricate matrix of solutions. In a world unfortunately consumed bymisinformation, there’s a need to enhance public understanding, and to achievethat we needed to deliver straightforward, precise, and in-depth reporting.With a six-year track record of leading a fact-based conversation about whatwas broken in American schools and about the innovators working to fix them,The 74, a nonprofit news organization mobilized to provide in-depth coverage ofthe pandemic deployed correspondents in seven U.S. cities to present uniquestories about the impact of the pandemic on education and how its disruptioncreated disproportionate impacts in low-income communities and communities ofcolor. With renewed support from the Corporation, The 74 will continue to coverboth local and national topics that concern our communities and will focus itsjournalism on a number of issues that experts say are critical to getting studentsback on track in a post-pandemic world.
Website
Project Title
For general support
Date
Mar. 10, 2022
Duration
12 months
Description
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the nation’s students, their families, and teachers has been and will continue to be the defining education story of the coming months and years. In a world unfortunately consumed by misinformation, there’s a need to enhance public understanding, and to achieve that we needed to deliver straightforward, precise, and in-depth reporting. With a five-year track record of leading a fact-based conversation about what was broken in American schools and about the innovators working to fix them, The 74, a nonprofit news organization mobilized to provide in-depth coverage of the pandemic deployed correspondents in five U.S. cities to present unique stories about the impact of the pandemic on education and how its disruption created disproportionate impacts in communities of color. With renewed support from the Corporation, The 74 will continue to build on the innovation in its newsroom operations anddeepen the coverage of the pandemic and its impact on racial equity.
Website
Project Title
For general support
Date
Dec. 10, 2020
Duration
9 months
Description
The global pandemic brought life and school to a halt across the U.S., forcing parents, teachers, and administrators to create makeshift learning environments that largely relied on improvisation and a reliable internet connection to reach quarantined students. Some school systems managed to get laptops into the hands of some students; seven months into the crisis, some are still trying. The impact on the nation’s students, their families and their teachers will most certainly be the defining education story of the next year and possibly beyond. With a five-year track record of leading a fact-based conversation about what was broken in American schools and about the innovators working to fix them, The 74, a nonprofit news organization mobilized to provide in-depth coverage of the pandemic deployed correspondents in five U.S. cities to present unique stories about the impact of the pandemic on education and how its disruption created disproportionate impacts in communities of color. With renewed support from the Corporation, The 74 will continue to build on the innovation in its newsroom operations anddeepen the coverage of the pandemic and its impact on racial equity.
Website
Project Title
For general support
Date
Mar. 05, 2020
Duration
6 months
Description
The story of education reform deserves a credible source of news that champions change and informs and activates people about what is at stake for our children and our nation. Without attention there can be no action; we must dramatically increase the number of people who pay attention to, discuss, understand, and ultimately take action for education reform. The 74, a nonprofit news organization founded in 2015 has become the “must-read” for education leaders from all political affiliations. The 74 uses storytelling to spark national conversations, inspiring an urgency to better serve America’s seventy-four million children. Through award-winning journalism, digital and public engagement, and partnerships with news outlets, The 74 has become a national media platform reaching one in ten Americans. With continued support from the Corporation, The 74 will build on its newsroom operations, increase its reach among families and policymakers, and continue to harness video and social media to spread its content.
Website
Project Title
For general support
Date
Mar. 07, 2019
Duration
9 months
Description
News coverage of the American public education system plays a critical role in shaping public opinion about the needs and opportunities facing students across the country. With the changes under the Every Student Succeeds Act, as well as the recent midterm 2018 elections, which resulted in twenty new governors, twelve of whom are responsible for appointing new state education board members, the public’s access to non-partisan news on education issues is even more critical. The 74, a nonprofit news outlet covering pertinent issues in education, was launched in 2015 by veteran journalists Campbell Brown and Romy Drucker with a mission to become the “must-read” for education leaders from all political affiliations. The 74 uses storytelling to spark national conversations, inspiring an urgency to better serve America’s 74 million children. Through award-winning journalism, digital and public engagement, and partnerships with news outlets, The 74 has become a national media platform reaching one in ten Americans. With continued support from the Corporation, The 74 will build on its newsroom operations, increase its reach among families and policymakers, and continue to harness video and social media to spread its content.
Website
Project Title
For a parent almanac
Date
Jun. 01, 2017
Duration
12 months
Description
As voters, community members, and the primary overseers of their children’s education, parents have always had an outsized potential to impact education policy. As the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) scales back the federal role in education, giving states and districts greater authority to implement localized education initiatives, parents arguably have the power to be more influential than ever. Yet too few fact-based, accessible resources exist to arm parents with basic information, definitions, and explanations about key topics in education. While softer parenting resources and action-oriented advocacy resources are out there, there is little in between that attempts to translate education concepts for parents. With Corporation support, the non-profit, non-partisan news site covering education in America, The74 is proposing to create a “parent almanac” by developing a dual-language video library and microsite (connected to The 74 but with distinct branding): 50 things (and more) every parent should know about their school. The microsite will launch with fifty explainer videos (fifty in English and fifty in Spanish) and The74 will continue adding to it over time. This will be a dedicated “news you can use” parent channel within The 74’s network of sites.
Website
Project Title
For support for public understanding of new school designs and a parent almanac
Date
Dec. 07, 2017
Duration
12 months
Description
While narratives around national education reform are more complex and dynamic than ever before, education news is receiving minimal coverage by major media outlets. In-depth coverage of the stories and policy issues around education can enable millions of parents to learn and engage with changes affecting their children’s schools, while also highlighting public demand for reform. A non-profit media outlet focused on uncovering and explaining debates and issues for the general public, The 74 is a proactive force in journalism, exposing inequity and spotlighting innovations in order to empower families at a national scale. With over 250,000 monthly readers, content-sharing on TIME and the Spanish language magazine La Opinion, as well as simple explainer videos on pertinent issues such as the Every Student Succeeds Act and the Common Core, The 74 engages parents at the national level. The Corporation’s renewal grant will support a two-fold effort by The 74 to create a dozen videos and articles, build on its parent almanac work and coverage of school designs, while establishing new relationships with editorial partners targeting parents of color.
Website
Project Title
For building public understanding around Next Generation High Schools for parents and communities
Date
Dec. 08, 2016
Duration
12 months
Description
The 74 is a new news organization launched in July 2015 to address a significant public understanding gap about education reform. In just over a year, The 74 has established its brand and platform and now wants to focus on its mission of closing the understanding gap about education and increasing public awareness of key policy and parenting issues around ensuring all kids have access to a great school that meets their specific needs. This grant to The 74 is for: 1) general operating support to further the site’s overall goals around communicating with parents; and 2) support for a beat focused on introducing parents to the most exciting and promising school models and designs for closing the achievement gap. Both areas include dedicated work to strengthen and expand the site’s marquee efforts to reach parents via video and build their understanding of key educational concepts so they can participate effectively in their children’s education.