Read smarter online: A 250th-anniversary challenge
Twice a month, we'll share one small skill to help you read better online—social media, YouTube, podcasts, newsletters, forums, magazines, journals, newspapers, and everything between.
Follow along with our 2026 Media Literacy Challenge. Complete simple activities throughout the year, and enter to win free courses or Amazon gift cards—including a grand prize of lifetime access to all Nomadic Professor courses, or a $500 Amazon gift card.
When you join, you’ll receive:
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A brief Starter Kit with a skill tracker and a sample glossary
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24 quick skill drops (+/- every two weeks) during America’s 250th anniversary year
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A short, practical prompt each time (so you can actually use the skill)
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Links to the matching Instagram post and blog post
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Occasional downloadables (checklists, quick frameworks, examples)
The kinds of skills and concepts we'll cover
Practical reading habits and foundational concepts that will inform the way you read everywhere online.
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Spot missing context
What's not being said, and how is that changing the meaning of what is being said?
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Separate reporting from opinion and advocacy
What's the difference between journalism, opinion journalism, and advocacy journalism? How do I know which one I'm reading, listening to, or watching?
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Verify credibility quickly
How can I separate more reliable sources from less reliable sources, without turning it into a part-time job?
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Avoid being unduly influenced by emotionally-loaded content
In what ways am I vulnerable when I'm online? How do I guard against exploitation and attention harvesting?
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Contextualize today's media
How have historical social and technological innovations resulted in today's media ecosystem? Does this understanding matter?
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Sidestep partisanship
What do people mean by "the left" and "the right"? Is it possible to be impartial and non-partisan?
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Practice up-to-date skills for reading online
Is reading online the same as reading in a printed medium, like a book or a magazine? How should my expectations and habits change?
Who should join?
Families
Students
Educators
The challenge is open to all users 13+—students under 13 are welcome to silently participate alongside other users. Please reach out if you will run this campaign with a cohort of students—we'd love to talk more! nn@nomadicprofessor.com
Details and rules
How it works
- Join with your email and Instagram or Blog Handle (submit the form on this page)
- Approximately every two weeks you’ll get one skill + a 1–3 minute read
- Participate by commenting on the Instagram post (or replying on the blog)
- If you don't care about the prizes and discounts, follow along silently if you want.
That's it!
Giveaway details
- Entry period: January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026
- Who can enter: Adults 13+ (parents, guardians, teachers, and independent learners). No regional restrictions
- All participants are eligible for the following discounts:
- Complete 4 challenges: 15% off a course
- Complete 8 challenges: 25% off a course
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Complete 12 challenges: 50% off a course
Prizes
- Each month two random winners will choose either one FREE course from the NP ($250 value) OR a $25 Amazon gift card
- Every new skill you respond to on Instagram or our blog will earn one entry into our end-of-year drawing (max 24 entries per person)
- Two runners‑up will choose either TWO FREE NP COURSES, or a $200 Amazon gift card
- At the end of the year one grand-prize winner will receive either FREE LIFETIME ACCESS to all NP courses ($2,240 value), OR a $500 Amazon gift card in time for Christmas
* Winners will be contacted via the email address provided within 7 days of each drawing. Reasonable efforts will be made to contact winners; if we cannot reach a winner within a set period, another winner may be selected.
who's running this thing?
Read about us and find our full catalog of available courses here. Watch the video below for an introduction to the subject of Media Literacy.