About us
Our mission
News Decoder is a global educational news service for young people founded in 2015. Our mission is to help young people develop internationally-recognized global citizenship competencies, including the ability to communicate to global audiences, appreciate diverse perspectives, think critically about global issues and identify solutions to local, national and global problems.
What we do
Through partnerships with 23 schools in 18 countries, News Decoder teaches journalism, media literacy and global citizenship skills that help young people better understand complex international issues.
Our educational services include mentoring by professional journalists, training workshops in pitching and interviewing, webinars on global issues, e-learning courses and handbooks on reporting and writing.
Why we do it
Tackling the multiple, interconnected challenges of the 21st century requires savvy, informed and responsible global citizens.
News Decoder approaches this in a unique way: we use journalism training and news literacy to nurture the skills, knowledge and values that students need to cooperate in resolving the great global challenges of our time, including conflict, poverty, sustainability and climate change.
By supporting young people to think like journalists — interrogating information sources, considering all sides of an argument and examining context and precedent — we help them to become critical-thinking, responsible media consumers and creators.
By deepening their understanding of the news and facilitating interactions with experts, we help them develop a sophisticated, nuanced understanding of the political, economic and social dimensions of global issues.
By fostering international, cross-cultural collaborations between young people, we help to instill universal values, intercultural awareness and respect for both diversity and our common humanity.
These qualities are the foundation of global citizenship. They are also transferable to multiple occupations and help to equip our students for success in whatever career they choose.
Who we are
News Decoder is the educational services unit of the French nonprofit Nouvelles-Découvertes, whose mission is to inform young people about international relations with tolerance, objectivity and broad vision.
Our team is composed of a professional staff, a large network of correspondents and accomplished trustees and advisors.
Interested in joining our team?
Visit the Careers and Internships pages for current opportunities.
News Decoder Updates
Find out what's new at our nonprofit.
Our services
School partnerships
Join a worldwide network and develop global competencies in your students.
Content licensing
Engage a global audience with our original news content.
Speaking engagements
Invite a News Decoder speaker for keynotes and workshops on topics in storytelling, media literacy or global education.
Maria Krasinski, Managing Director
Maria has more than 15 years of experience leading global education, youth media and cultural exchange programs. She is a published illustrator and served in the Peace Corps in Georgia. She holds master’s degrees in International Relations and Public Policy from the University of Chicago, where she also earned her undergraduate degree.
Marcy Burstiner, Educational News Director
Marcy is an experienced educator, journalist, published author and founder of the Humboldt Center for Constitutional Rights, HumRights. She was an ad hoc guest host for Thursday Night Talk on the KHSU radio station and assistant managing editor and West Coast Bureau Chief for The Deal, a financial newspaper and web publication.
Thea Lacey, Director of Development
Thea has 15 years of experience managing fundraising and programmes for mostly humanitarian and development NGOs, both small and large, including five years based in West and Central Africa. She holds an undergraduate degree in Politics from the University of Edinburgh and a postgraduate degree in International Development from SOAS University of London.
Stefani Aleksandrova, Project Management Intern, The Writing’s on the Wall
Born and raised in Bulgaria, Stefani is a passionate sustainability enthusiast with valuable experience in EU Public Affairs, project management and strategic communication. She holds an undergraduate degree in International Development with Economics from the University of Bath (UK) and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in International Governance and Diplomacy at the Paris School of International Affairs, Sciences Po – Paris.
Jessica Strickland, Program and Communications Intern
Originally from Canada, Jess has worked as a communications specialist for eight years and loves to put a creative spin on all her projects. She is pursuing her Master’s in Global Communications at The American University of Paris.
Nelson Graves, Founder and President of News Decoder
An experienced educator and administrator, Nelson Graves was a correspondent, bureau chief and regional managing editor at Reuters for 24 years, holding posts in Washington, Paris, New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, Milan and Tokyo. He later served as admissions director at Johns Hopkins University’s graduate program in international relations in Italy.
Why Donate?
You can help create a trusted global news platform where young people can learn about the world’s biggest issues, engage with others and express their viewpoints.
We work closely with youth in all parts of the world, helping them learn through workshops, webinars, e-learning courses and publication opportunities.
With the generous support of donors like you, our nonprofit can continue to grow and enable schools of limited means to join our global education and journalism programs.