Carnegie Corporation of New York Awards $1.55M to Common Sense Media to Reimagine Digital Literacy
SAN FRANCISCO, March 27, 2025—Common Sense Media, the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to helping kids thrive in the digital world, has been awarded a $1.55 million grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York to support a comprehensive initiative aimed at redefining news and media literacy education for today's youth.
The 18-month grant will fund Common Sense Media's efforts to equip students with essential media literacy skills needed to navigate an increasingly complex digital landscape shaped by misinformation, artificial intelligence, and social media algorithms. The project will reach young people through both schools and public libraries, addressing significant gaps in media literacy instruction across the country.
"Today's students are bombarded with misinformation, conspiracy theories, and AI-generated content that make it challenging to distinguish fact from fiction," said Yvette Renteria, Chief Program Officer at Common Sense Media. "This generous support from Carnegie Corporation of New York will allow us to create cutting-edge educational resources that address current challenges and reach students where they are—both in schools and at trusted institutions like public libraries. The goal is to help all students become thoughtful, media-literate citizens who are curious rather than cynical about the world around them."
The initiative centers on three strategic priorities:
- Redesigning the Digital Citizenship Curriculum with 54 new and updated K–8 lessons focusing on media literacy, cyberbullying, and online harms.
- Empowering youth through media literacy in public libraries by creating in-person workshops for library teen centers, with pilot programs in five key locations across the country, to be announced at a later date.
- Building a brighter, more equitable future for kids and families through sponsorship of the 2025 Common Sense Summit, which will establish national priorities for the well-being of children and families.
With its network of 1.4 million educators and 91,000+ member schools, Common Sense Media is uniquely positioned to make a significant impact in the information and media literacy field. The organization's whole-community approach aims to prevent equity gaps among youth from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
"As social media and AI continue to evolve rapidly, Common Sense Media is uniquely positioned to address the pressing needs of today's students." said Ambika Kapur, Program Director of Civic Participation in Carnegie's Education program. "This initiative not only helps young people navigate these challenges, it also prepares them to engage meaningfully as active citizens in an increasingly complex world. At Carnegie, we are proud to support this work, as it directly aligns with our commitment to informed civic participation."
The newly developed resources will be launched in fall 2025, in time for the back-to-school season, after gaining valuable educator and student feedback through initial testing in middle schools across the country.
About Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive. Our ratings, research, and resources reach more than 150 million users worldwide and 1.4 million educators every year. Learn more at commonsense.org.
About Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. Today the foundation works to reduce political polarization through philanthropic support for the issues that Carnegie considered most important: education, democracy, and peace.