More than 200 classrooms in North Central West Virginia receive free copies of the Exponent and Telegram each week as part of the Newspapers In Education program. The papers are free, thanks to our sponsors, including One Valley Bank, CNG Transmission, Hope Gas and the Greater Clarksburg 10K Run. Their contributions, in addition to several other businesses and individuals, help introduce elementary school children to newspapers.

Newspapers can be many things to many people. They can inform, entertain, delight and give you reason to feel good about your community. For children, newspapers can be used to teach about grammar, vocabulary and current events.

Special education teacher Eric Giaquinto told us that oftentimes his students ask to take the papers home.

"Anytime you can get kids to read," he said, "that's a good thing."

Leslie Moore, Clarksburg Publishing Company's NIE director, echoes that sentiment: "NIE is building better American citizens page by page."