Press Pass 2013 kicks off next week, with 300 schools taking part in the second year of this very successful NNI initiative. In total, over 16,500 Transition Year students will take part this year. From Monday, 23 September for two weeks, schools will receive daily, weekly, Sunday and their local newspapers.

In addition,  students will receive a 36-page guidebook that has been prepared by John O’Mahony, News Editor of the Irish Examiner, in conjunction with NNI and with contributions from education consultant, Rosin Ní Mhoráin and the Press Photographers Association of Ireland.

The guidebook is packed with practical examples and exercises that encourage students to engage with newspaper content and think about the role of newspapers in society. The guidebook is designed to help students to improve their literacy skills by exposing them to the five language types that form the basis of study for Leaving Certificate English Paper One, in a very practical way.

As well as using newspapers as part of their curriculum, schools are invited to enter their students’ best work into a national journalism competition.

Last year’s winners received their awards from An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny. This year’s winners will be presented with their prizes at a national ceremony in Dublin next spring.

The initiative continues to evolve and this year, the Credit Union is supporting the programme. “The number of schools and students participating is up over 25 per cent on last year, which is a reflection on the fantastic feedback we received from last year’s programme. We are also delighted that the Credit Union has signed up to sponsor the programme, they are an excellent fit for Press Pass and we are very excited to be working with them,” said Enda Buckley, Director of Sustainability and NiE for NNI.

You can find out more about Press Pass here.