Idaho Statesman partners with Boise schools to provide free access to students
One of my goals as editor of the Idaho Statesman is to increase the connection between our newsroom and local students.
That could come in many forms — but it really starts with the simplest.
Giving students access to our journalism.
Today, I’m thrilled to announce that the Idaho Statesman has partnered with the Boise School District and its foundation to provide free access to all Boise high school students while on campus. They can access our website through the school WiFi, a setup that prevents them from needing individual log-ins.
This is a project I’ve been advocating for, and our company has been working toward, for a couple of years. And it happened only because of the willingness of Boise School District Superintendent Lisa Roberts and her staff to work through the technical and contractual complications of a first-of-its-kind program for McClatchy Media, our owner.
Beginning this week, students at Boise, Borah, Capital, Timberline and Frank Church high schools — as well as Dennis Technical Education Center, Student Transition Education Program and ASCENT program (an off-campus program supporting students with significant emotional and behavioral needs) — can access all of our stories for free. Unfortunately, because of federal law, the program can’t be extended below the high school level.
Our hope is that access to local reporting will give students a chance to learn more about their community and how it works; to research subjects of local interest more easily; and to improve their news literacy. Already this week, one of my son’s teachers pulled up a story of ours about a mining project the class had been discussing — just the type of impact we’re hoping to see.
“We are grateful for this partnership with the Idaho Statesman because it directly supports our mission of preparing students to be informed, engaged citizens,” Roberts said. “Providing our high school students with free access to high-quality local journalism gives them a powerful window into their community and how it functions. It strengthens classroom learning, supports news literacy, and encourages students to think critically about the world around them.”
I grew up reading the newspaper that showed up on my family’s doorstep every day. My first published words were a letter to the editor to my hometown paper complaining about the cable company (they removed access to WGN, which broadcast baseball games!).
But my son, a high school senior in the Boise School District, and most people his age don’t have that newspaper habit. Mostly, they get their news on their electronic devices.
Now they’ll have an easy opportunity to get that information from their hometown newspaper.
And I hope that’s just the start of building a stronger connection to students.
This past summer, we had an intern who graduated from Timberline High — Amaia Gavica — and she’s now a full-time reporter for one of our company’s newspapers in Florida. I want to see more local kids explore journalism as a profession — and I hope more exposure to the work being done in our community might inspire them.
For nearly a decade, I’ve ventured to Notus Elementary one day each spring for a presentation on news reporting at the invitation of a teacher who shares her love of writing with students. I hold a mock press conference about a dognapping — an ode to my family’s beloved German shepherd, Greta, who coincidentally was born in Notus.
I’ve let the Boise School District know that our newsroom would be happy to perform outreach here, too. If you’re a teacher who would like to have a journalist visit your class, please let me know at ccripe@idahostatesman.com.
Journalism is a vital cog in our democracy — regardless of what you might hear from national politicians.
We hold leaders accountable. We inform the public about what their government is doing. We investigate wrongdoing and highlight the ways some people are left behind.
It’s important work, and I’m happy to share it with the next generation of leaders, teachers, business owners and, perhaps, journalists.
Chadd Cripe has worked at the Idaho Statesman for more than 29 years, the past five as the editor. Contact him at ccripe@idahostatesman.com.
This story was originally published December 5, 2025 at 8:55 AM.
