Sami Edge of Idaho Education News and Nicole Foy of the Idaho Statesman have been selected to join the eighth class of education reporting fellows sponsored by the Education Writers Association. The fellowship supports the Latino Listening Project, a first-of-its kind partnership between the Idaho Statesman and Idaho Education News.

For the next year, Edge and Foy will investigate the reasons why academic achievement for Idaho’s Latino students has lagged behind white students for decades, as well as proven solutions for closing that gap.

Reporters will dig into education data and talk with leaders who create and implement education policy. But they’ll also travel the state to learn from Latino communities. They’ll ask Latino parents and children what they think of Idaho’s public education system and how the system works — or doesn’t work — for their families.

The fellowship award will fund travel expenses, as well as the cost to translate articles in the series into Spanish. 

The Education Writers Association trains and mentors education reporters around the country, and each year selects a handful of projects for in-depth support. Edge and Foy will join eight other fellows reporting on education and equity in places like Volusia County, Fla. and San Antonio, Tex.

The Latino Listening Project project is also supported by a fellowship from the American Press Institute, aimed at helping journalists better incorporate community listening into their work. An API mentor will help Edge and Foy shape community engagement efforts and ensure the voice of Latino students and parents is central to this reporting effort.

Read more about this partnership between Idaho Education News and the Idaho Statesman here.

The first story of the Latino Listening Project, about the importance of Latino students to Idaho’s economic future, published Oct. 27 in the Idaho Statesman and on the Idaho Education News website.