High school teachers nationwide to enhance skills at ASU training program

Thirty-five high school journalism teachers from around the country will enhance their skills at Arizona State University this month, in a training program funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation and operated by the American Society of News Editors.

In its seventh year at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, the two-week Reynolds High School Journalism Institute immerses teachers in specialized skills such as writing, editing, reporting, multimedia, layout and photojournalism. It also provides grounding in professional ethics, news literacy, the First Amendment and scholastic press freedom.

Participants, many from underrepresented high schools, are supplied with housing, meals, continuing-education credit and instructional materials free of charge.

The boot camp-style workshop is taught by Steve Elliott, director of digital news for the Cronkite School’s professional reporting program Cronkite News Service. Elliott said teachers consistently describe the Reynolds Institute as a once-in-a-lifetime experience that enhances their skills and builds lasting professional contacts.

“In addition to helping these teachers develop the next generation of journalists, this institute leads to more engaged and informed campuses back home through more vibrant student news outlets,” Elliott said.

The Reynolds High School Journalism Institute will take place in the Cronkite School’s state-of-the-art media complex in downtown Phoenix from June 16 to 28. The other Reynolds Institutes are at Kent State University; University of Missouri at Columbia; University of Nevada at Reno; and University of Texas at Austin.

The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation is a philanthropic organization founded in 1954 by the late media entrepreneur for whom it is named. Headquartered in Las Vegas, it has committed more than $150 million to journalism initiatives nationally. 

The American Society of News Editors focuses on leadership development and journalism-related issues. Founded in 1922 as a nonprofit professional organization, ASNE promotes fair, principled journalism, defends and protects First Amendment rights, and fights for freedom of information and open government. Leadership, innovation, diversity and inclusion in coverage and the journalism work force, youth journalism and the sharing of ideas are also key ASNE initiatives.

ASNE’s Youth Journalism Initiative, launched in 2000, provides journalism-related training and resources for teachers and students across the curriculum. Its goal is for every student to learn why news matters and acquire the skills needed to succeed as 21st Century citizens.

2013 Reynolds High School Journalism Institute participants:

• Dave Anderson, Christian Brothers High School, Sacramento, Calif.
• Hilari Anderson, Kentridge High School, Kent, Wash.
• Maureen Barton, Sedona Red Rock High School, Sedona, Ariz.
• Laurie Bender, Kamiakin High School, Kennewick, Wash.
• Kathryn Burkholder, Pinckney Community High School, Pinckney, Mich.
• Jill Burns, Robinson Senior High School, Tampa, Fla.
• Lyn Cannaday, Greenway High School, Phoenix
• Greg Cantwell, Sheldon High School, Eugene, Ore.
• Eva Coleman, Career and Technical Education Center (Frisco ISD), Frisco, Texas
• Scott Davis, Westville High School, Westville, Okla.
• Rudy De La Torre Pegueros, Escondido High School, Escondido, Calf.
• Julie Fales, Shawnee Mission South High School, Overland Park, Kan.
• Aaron Fitzpatrick, Freedom Area Senior High School, Freedom, Pa.
• Adrienne Forgette, Northern High School, Owings, Md.
• Tere Froelich, Sturgis Brown High School, Sturgis, S.D.
• Elizabeth Granger, Lawrence Central High School, Indianapolis
• Bonnie Katzive, Monarch High School, Louisville, Colo.
• Katie Kroeze, Lincoln High School, Sioux Falls, S.D.
• Melissa Langlois, Whitewater High School, Fayetteville, Ga.
• Sarah Anne Lanman, Munster High School, Munster, Ind.
• Tracy Marcello, Fossil Ridge High School, Fort Collins, Colo.
• Bailey Elise McBride, Bishop Kelley High School, Tulsa, Okla.
• Julieanne McClain, R.B. Hayes High School, Delaware, Ohio
• Zach McNulty, Winnetonka High School, Kansas City, Mo.
• Brandon Michaud, Winnacunnet High School, Hampton, N.H.
• Jessica Nassau, Rockville High School, Rockville, Md.
• Spencer O'Daniel, Wichita West High School, Wichita, Kan.
• Meghann Peterson, Chanhassen High School, Chanhassen, Minn.
• Lauren Gutierrez, Ray D. Corbett Jr. High School, Schertz, Texas
• Cindy Reves, McKinley High School, Honolulu,
• Lisa Shapiro, Northwest High School, Germantown, Md.
• Mike Simons, Corning-Painted Post West High School, Painted Post, N.Y.
• Solo Solorzano, Paul R. Wharton High School, Tampa, Fla.
• Karen Swortzel, Alleghany High School, Covington, Va.
• Michelle Williams, Providence High School, San Antonio