Blue Valley Northwest, Monta Vista among schools named 2019 Press Freedom winners

Walsworth Yearbooks schools Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas, and Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, California, were among the 12 schools named winners of the 2019 First Amendment Press Freedom Award by the Journalism Education Association (JEA) on Friday.

Each year, a committee with representatives from JEA, the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) and the Quill and Scroll International Honor Society 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.

The 2019 winners include:

• The Archer School for Girls, Los Angeles, California
• Blue Valley Northwest High School, Overland Park, Kansas
• Chantilly High School, Chantilly, Virginia
• Convent of the Sacred Heart High School, San Francisco, California
• Granite Bay High School, Granite Bay, California
• Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Missouri
• McLean High School, McLean, Virginia
• Monta Vista High School, Cupertino, California
• Mountlake Terrace High School, Mountlake Terrace, Washington
• Reno High School, Reno, Nevada
• South Salem High School, Salem, Oregon
• Whitney High School, Rocklin, California

All 12 schools will be honored on April 25 at the opening ceremony of the JEA/NSPA Spring National High School Journalism Convention in Anaheim.