New for 2019, the Indiana High School Press Association will provide financial awards to spring contest winners. Guidelines for each competition are as follows:
DAVID ADAMS FIRST AMENDMENT CONTEST ($100 prize to winning school, $50 prize to second place)
Named after former IU Student Media Director and fierce student rights advocate David Adams, this award recognizes scholastic journalism programs that promote First Amendment freedoms within the school and community. Schools may submit a variety of First Amendment projects such as special publications or in-depth content about First Amendment issues, video or multimedia presentations, or special events planned for a mass audience. Past entries have included educational campaigns about student rights and First Amendment forums for the community or multiple schools. Project outline and materials should be submitted to help describe the initiative as a whole. There is flexibility in this category to encourage creativity. Questions about possible entries are welcome. Submissions are due before the end of the day Friday, Feb. 15.
FIRST AMENDMENT DESIGN CONTEST ($100 prize to winner, $50 prize to second place)
Students should submit a logo, poster, or T-shirt design that promotes the First Amendment. Entry must be original work and a high resolution PDF or image. Submissions are due before the end of the day Friday, Feb. 15.
SPORTS CONTEST ($100 prize to winner, $50 prize to second place)
IHSPA is sponsoring a contest for sports coverage again this year. Requirements are simple. Each student who enters must submit three PDFs or links (in any combination of sports photos, sports columns or sports stories — print, video, or a Twitter thread of a sports event) that have been published in the student newspaper, news website or Twitter account from the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year through the contest deadline. Submissions are due before the end of the day Friday, Feb. 15.
SPJ/JEA ESSAY CONTEST (3 finalists, $50 prize each)
Topic: “What is the role and importance of the Fourth Estate in American society?” 300-500 words, typed, double-spaced. Three finalists will be chosen from those submissions, and IHSPA will pay the $5 fee to enter them in the national contest. Full contest details can be found here: SPJ/JEA Essay Rules & Instructions. Essay must be submitted to IHSPA before the end of the day Wednesday, Feb. 20.
CONTEST SUBMISSIONS
Entries for all competitions should be submitted in one of the following ways:
- Emailed to rgunterman@franklincollege.edu
- Shared with rgunterman@franklincollege.edu via Google Drive or Dropbox
- Mailed to Ryan Gunterman, IHSPA, 101 Branigin Boulevard Franklin, IN 46131
NOTE: By entering any of the above contests, the author gives IHSPA permission to use the submitted content in any manner whatsoever without further attribution or notice to the creator.
CONTEST RESULTS
All contest winners will be announced Friday, March 1 at 1 p.m. (EST) via IHSPA.net and recognized at the Indiana Statehouse Thursday, March 14 during the First Amendment Symposium.
