The phase II project will research and develop the front porch experience, an online learning module to increase the capacity of rural high school students to use written local news reports as a…

The phase II project will research and develop the front porch experience, an online learning module to increase the capacity of rural high school students to use written local news reports as a knowledge source to make informed decisions. Over 66% of rural high school students in the U.S. Do not have the reading comprehension and critical thinking strategies necessary to read and analyze informational texts (nces, 2018), let alone the knowledge and motivation required to engage in decision-making processes that matter to their professional, personal, and civic lives. The front porch experience is a turnkey solution for english language arts (ELA) and social studies teachers to systematically develop students' capacities for reading comprehension, critical thinking, news media literacy, and civic engagement by harnessing an interactive, student-centered curriculum. Thus, students will not only develop the capability of informed decision-making in a way that matters to their younglives in rural america, but also contribute directly to the workforce development in their local economies.