21st Century Information Fluency Project

The 21st Century Information Fluency Project (21CIF) began in 2001 when the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy received funds from the US Department of Education to research and develop training in the largely unexplored field of online information literacy. It immediately became clear that the largest needs in this area were for professional development and resources to help educators and students improve their ability to locate, evaluate and use digital information more effectively, efficiently and ethically. That has always been, and remains today, the mission of 21CIF. In 2009, the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy and the authors of 21CIF agreed to transform this project into a business. All the products and services that were available when this was grant funded remain available today, the vast majority of them for free. Financial support for 21CIF comes through online course fees, face to face workshop fees and product licensing.