Utah lawmakers passed a bill in the 2026 legislative session that will help better prepare students to navigate today’s information environment.

H.B. 218: Digital Skills Amendments by Rep. Jordan D. Teuscher updates the state’s digital skills course, a required class that all middle schoolers take, so students learn news literacy skills. It passed with bipartisan support and was signed March 18 by Gov. Spencer J. Cox.

“We have a ton of emerging technologies — whether it’s AI and AI chatbots and other things that are coming — that we need to make sure our kids are prepared and know how to safely navigate that. And that’s what you see here in House Bill 218,” Teuscher told the house education committee at a hearing in February.  

The bill directs the State Board of Education to update the Digital Skills course curriculum for the modern day. Now, the class will include lessons on how social media influences our civic discourse and how algorithms dictate the information we see (or don’t see) online.

These skills are integral to media and news literacy, which is the ability to determine the credibility of information by using critical thinking skills like evaluating arguments and evidence, identifying bias and questioning the main purpose of the content you’re consuming.

“Kids are navigating an online world designed to keep them scrolling, which often means that facts take a backseat to the most sensational, engaging content. H.B. 218 requires that students are equipped with the skills they need to make informed decisions about what information to trust, share and act on,” said Charles Salter, President and CEO of the News Literacy Project.

Research from the News Literacy Project shows that students are eager to learn these skills: A national survey of teens found that 94% think schools should teach news and media literacy.

The News Literacy Project is working closely with educators across Utah who are already answering this call. Sixteen school districts in the state have been accepted to the News Literacy District Fellowship — a three-year program that provides funding and expert support so education leaders can build locally driven, sustainable models for news literacy instruction.

As part of the fellowship, the Canyons School District, southeast of Salt Lake City, has trained about 300 educators to teach critical, independent thinking skills — like how to debunk false health claims — across grades and subjects. The Southwest Educational Development Center has united six districts and several charter schools to create their own plans to teach news literacy. Joining the fellowship this year, Northeastern Utah Educational Services will lead nine districts and local charter schools through a similar process. NUES represents communities as diverse as Park City and Daggett.

“These districts are leading the way and providing a blueprint for education leaders across the state as they look to meet the new standards under H.B. 218,” said Ebonee Otoo, who oversees the District Fellowship program for the News Literacy Project as Senior Vice President of Social Impact. “Following their example, all of Utah’s kids can become empowered information consumers.”

Source link