Felix Varela, Mountlake Terrace among Press Freedom winners
Written by Evan Blackwell, CJE
Two Walsworth Yearbooks schools – Felix Varela High School in Miami, Florida, and Mountlake Terrace High School in Mountlake Terrace, Washington – were among the 11 schools announced on Tuesday as winners of the First Amendment Press Freedom Award by the Journalism Education Association (JEA).
Each year, the Press Freedom Award recognizes public high schools that actively support, teach and protect First Amendment rights and responsibilities of students and teachers, emphasizing student-run publications.
Schools compete for the honor by answering a questionnaire submitted by an adviser and at least one editor. Once semi-finalists are chosen, responses from all of the school’s media advisers and editors are required, indicating their support for the First Amendment.
Winners are selected by a committee of representatives from JEA, the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) and the Quill and Scroll International Honor Society. This year’s 11 Press Freedom winners are more than any previous year.
The winners are:
- The Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles, California
- Chantilly High School, Chantilly, Virginia
- Convent of the Sacred Heart High School, San Francisco, California
- Felix Varela High School, Miami, Florida
- Francis Howell North High School, St. Charles, Missouri
- Harrisonburg High School, Harrisonburg, Virginia
- Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Missouri
- Mountlake Terrace High School, Mountlake Terrace, Washington
- Smoky Hill High School, Aurora, Colorado
- St. Louis Park High School, St. Louis Park, Minnesota
- Whitney High School, Rocklin, California
All 11 schools will be honored in April at the JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention in Los Angeles.
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